Devotional 1 Corinthians 15: The Resurrection and Eternal Hope Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15: why Christ's resurrection is the foundation of faith, the defeat of death, and the promise of a spiritual body. Topics: Devotional, New Testament.

Devotional 1 Corinthians 15: The Resurrection and Eternal Hope

Today’s devotional is found in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, and this was what happened.

Synopsis: In this chapter, Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Christians explains once again the good news of Christ’s resurrection, the premise that the dead can be resurrected, and the difference between earthly bodies and spiritual bodies.

Observations

These were my observations.

1. The fact that Christ rose from the dead is what justifies our faith in Him. This is the most important observation of all for us as Christians. That is why Paul explains to the Corinthians that doubting Christ’s resurrection is inconceivable for anyone who considers themselves a Christian. For there is no way to be a Christian if Christ’s resurrection did not occur. What Paul affirms in this chapter is that our faith is not blind, but grounded in evidence—historical facts (1 Corinthians 15:3–7). This is what distinguishes Jesus Christ and Christianity from all other prophets and religions. For Jesus came with the purpose of dying for us, taking our sins and nailing them with Him to the cross (Matthew 20:28 and 1 Peter 2:24). Furthermore, He prophesied exactly what would happen and declared that He would rise on the third day (Matthew 16:21, 17:22–23, and 20:17–19). That is to say, if someone denies the resurrection of Christ, they are denying His true identity, asserting that He is neither God’s Christ nor God Himself, and that everything He proclaimed and prophesied is a lie. That is why Paul said that if Christ has not been raised, our faith in Him is futile and worthless (1 Corinthians 15:1–2). These are the profound stakes of the truth of Christ’s resurrection. And this also demonstrates how solid the evidence for His resurrection is, since no one has ever managed to prove otherwise—not even the fiercest detractors of Christ. Therefore, our faith is justified through Him.
2. The belief that the dead can be resurrected is what further strengthens our faith in Jesus. Paul then admonishes the church of Corinth for inconsistency in their beliefs. For how can anyone claim to be a Christian and preach that the dead cannot be resurrected? (1 Corinthians 15:12). Anyone who makes such a claim fails to realize they are saying that Christ Himself was not raised. Because if the dead cannot be raised, then not even Jesus could have been resurrected after His death (1 Corinthians 15:13). Worse still, if Jesus was not raised, our preaching and our faith are utterly useless. Moreover, we would be false witnesses for claiming God did something He did not do if the dead cannot be raised (1 Corinthians 15:14–15). It is for this reason that Jesus is called the second Adam. For He came to undo what the first Adam did (i.e., bringing death into the world) by bringing the resurrection from death. But for this to be true, Christ is the firstfruits (i.e., He had to die and rise first to prove His identity and prophecies). Only then can all who believe in Him likewise be saved from death (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).
3. The difference between human and spiritual bodies. Paul concludes by explaining the difference between earthly and heavenly bodies. Our human bodies were cursed and are condemned to death. That is why they are perishable, grow old, become sick, and decay. But when Jesus rose and appeared before the apostles, He demonstrated that His heavenly body has a different splendor and is distinct from ours (1 Corinthians 15:40–41). His body is imperishable, does not age, and cannot suffer disease. Therefore, just as Christ came in a human body, died, and rose with a spiritual body, this guarantees that we who also bear human bodies will receive spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). Furthermore, just as we have borne the earthly image and likeness of man, we shall also bear the heavenly image and likeness of God (1 Corinthians 15:47–49).