CHAPTER XV
THE
RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD
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Summary—The Essential Facts of the Gospel. The Resurrection of
Christ a Central Fact. The Witnesses of the Resurrection. Those at Corinth Who
Denied the Resurrection. The Apostles Then False Witnesses. Our Faith Vain.
Death in Adam, but Life in Christ. The Resurrection Body. The Victory Over
Death.
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This chapter is devoted to the resurrection from the dead.
Among the various false doctrines which had crept into the church at Corinth,
composed of those who had so recently been heathen, and who had so much to
unlearn, was one that the resurrection of the soul from sin to a new life; that
this resurrection was already past in the case of those converted (2 Tim.
2:18), and that a resurrection after death was impossible. The doctrine of the
resurrection was absurd, according to the Grecian ideas (Acts 17:32), and
“some” were infusing this kind of skepticism into the church at Corinth. It
is likely that the letter (7:1) of the church asked some questions which
called out this remarkable chapter. The epistle of Clement to the Corinthians,
written about the beginning of the second century, refers to these freethinkers.
1, 2. I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto
you. He states the fundamentals of that
gospel as the basis of the argument he is about to make. That gospel was common
ground, for they received it and still professed it. 2. By which, also, ye
are saved. Are in a saved state unless you have forgotten the gospel
preached and departed from it; that is, unless their faith is vain,
which he shows would be the case if there was no resurrection. Observe the tact
with which he first presents facts conceded by all the disciples, and upon
these builds an impregnable argument. He next states those facts.
3–11. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I
also received (Acts 18:8). Note the three facts
which Paul declares to be the gospel, or the facts on which it rests; viz: the
death, the burial, and the resurrection. The facts Paul received by revelation
(Gal. 1:12) as well as from men. Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah is especially exact in the
outlines of our Lord’s suffering. He quotes it in Luke 22:37. 4. That he
was buried and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. Paul
himself quotes Ps. 16:10 as predicting the resurrection. See Acts 13:35. 5.
That he was seen of Cephas. He now gives the proof of these facts. The
women saw Christ before Peter Cephas, but Paul names the witnesses who would
carry most weight to the Corinthians. For the appearance to Peter, see Luke
24:34. Then of the twelve. See Matt. 28:17 and John 20:19, 25. 6.
After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. No other
account of this appearance is recorded. It is probable that it took place in
Galilee where Christ repeatedly directed the disciples to gather. It is
possible that Matt. 28:16 refers to it. Paul had no doubt seen some of “the
five hundred brethren,” “the greater part” of whom were still alive when he
wrote. 7. After that he was seen by James. James, the Lord’s brother,
not James the apostle. This James was prominent, when Paul wrote, as the chief
bishop at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18) and the author of the epistle of
James. James, the apostle, had been killed by Herod (Acts 12:2). Then of
all the apostles. See Luke 24:50. 8. Last of all he was seen by me.
See Acts 9:4. 9. For I am the least of the apostles. As far as human
worth is concerned, not fit to be called an apostle. He could never forget that
he had been a persecutor. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am.
Not by his own merit, which he considered so small, but by God’s grace he had
been enabled to do a more abundant work than any other apostle. 11. Whether
it be I, or they. I and all the apostles preach the same gospel of a risen
Lord and this you accepted when you believed. Their faith was built on the
resurrection.
12–19. How say some . . that there is no resurrection of the
dead. These seemed to admit that Christ
was raised, but denied the resurrection of others. He now shows that if Christ
be raised the general resurrection must follow as a result. 13. If there be
. . then is Christ not risen. If persons once dying cannot be raised, as
these false teachers say, then Christ could not have risen. 14. Then is our
preaching vain. For in that case we have preached what is false, and you
have believed it, so that your faith is vain. 15. We are found false
witnesses of God. In that case we have declared that God did what he never
did do. 17. If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. In that
case he is not the Savior. He is a dead man, who could not even save himself.
Such a one has no power to pardon sins, and ye are yet in your sins. 18.
Then they which are fallen asleep, etc. All the Christians who had died had
fallen into eternal sleep. There is hope, in that case, only in this life; no
hope of immortality. 19. If in this life, only, we have hope in Christ.
If there is no life beyond, no hope of it, then Christians who deny themselves
in this life and endure persecutions and sufferings for the sake of eternal
life, are of all men the most miserable. They “lose life” and gain no eternal
life. Such are the consequences of this false belief.
20–28. But now is Christ risen. This is certain. Paul had seen the risen Lord. So had many
other credible witnesses. But since he is risen, the resurrection of his
disciples must follow. He is the first fruits of those who have slept in
death. On the morrow after the first Sabbath of the passover a sheaf of the
first fruits of the barley harvest was “waved before the Lord” (Lev.
23:10–16) as a pledge of the harvest to come. So on the morning after the
first Sabbath of the passover, Christ, the first fruits arose and appeared
living, “the first fruits” of the great harvest of souls gathered into
eternal life. 21. Since by man came death. Man, the first man, sinned,
and death came upon his race, because in him the race had sinned. By man,
also, came the resurrection. By Christ, the Son of Man. 22. For as in
Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive, etc. All the race in
Adam became subject to death; so in Christ all the race shall be raised from
the dead to appear at the bar of eternal judgment. The passage does not affirm
the final salvation of all, but the final resurrection of all. There is a
“resurrection of the just and of the unjust.” 23. But each in his own
order. In his own rank or division. The first order or division is Christ.
The second division is “they that are Christ’s,” who will be raised at his
coming. The time of the third division, the wicked, is not named, but hinted at
in the beginning of the next verse (verse 24). “All that are in the grave
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and
they that have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28, 29.
This is what Paul teaches here. 24. Then cometh the end. The end follows
soon after the resurrection of the saints. When he shall have delivered up
the kingdom to God. See verse 28. When Christ’s work is accomplished he
places all in the Father’s hands. 25. For he must reign. He is reigning
now, and will continue to reign until he has conquered all his enemies. He is
not waging a contest for a kingdom, as some contend, but will give up the
kingdom when the contest is over and the final victory won. All enemies.
All the wicked opposers, human and supernatural; also sin and death. All must
be overthrown. 26. The last enemy … is death. See Rev. 20:12–14. The
order there of closing events is the resurrection, the judgment, and the
casting of Death and Hell (hades—the grave) into the lake of fire. 27. For
he put all things under his feet. Quoted from Psalm 8:6; a statement that
Christ is Lord of all and that God has subjected all to him. He is excepted
who, etc. God gave Christ the power, and hence he is excepted. The Father
is not subject to the Son. 28. When all things have been subjected. When
the world is subdued to Christ. Then shall the son also himself be
subjected. Then, as his work is done, he will give up the kingdom to the
Father (verse 24). Then Christ will give up the seals of office.
29–34. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the
dead? Paul again returns to the argument
for the resurrection. This passage is difficult, and has received almost as
many interpretations as there have been commentators. Some have held that there
was a custom of baptizing living persons for the benefit of persons who had
died without baptism. Had that custom existed, Paul would have rebuked it. It
did arise afterwards, as an abuse from the misinterpretation of this passage,
among the followers of Cerinthus, and, in our times, of Joseph Smith. I will
try to make clear its meaning: (1) All the Corinthians were baptized (Acts
18:8). (2) Their baptism was a “planting” in the likeness of the burial of
Christ, and in the “likeness of his resurrection” (Rom. 6:4, 5). They were
in, and raised from, a watery tomb. (3) Their baptism in the likeness of the
death and resurrection of Christ was in hope of their own resurrection from the
dead through Christ’s resurrection. (Huper Nekroon, for, or on account
of the dead, with the exception of resurrection from the dead.) But if Christ
has not risen, and the dead rise not, this memorial and emblematic burial has
no meaning. “Why, then, are they baptized for the dead?” that is, for the
sake of their own resurrection from the dead. This interpretation harmonizes
better with Paul’s argument than any I have seen. 30. Why do we also stand
in jeopardy every hour? What motive, if there is no hope beyond, can we
apostles have for placing ourselves in constant peril by preaching the
resurrection? 31. I protest, … I die daily. I am in daily peril of
death. 32. If, after the manner of men. Speaking humanly. I fought
with beasts at Ephesus. Encountered furious opposition, like the rush of
wild beasts. The allusion is hardly to be taken literally. If he had been
thrown to wild beasts at Ephesus, some record would have been made of it in the
record in Acts of his sojourn at Ephesus. Besides, a Roman citizen was
preserved from that manner of death. What doth it profit me? All his
sufferings are to no purpose if the dead rise not. Let us eat, drink, etc.
All Epicurean maxim, a proverbial saying. 34. Awake to righteousness.
Such an error leads to Epicurean sensuality. Shake it off, that you sin not. Some
have no knowledge of God. Such errors can only spring from ignorance of God
and his power to raise men.
35–41. But some will say.
But two difficulties are raised: How are the dead raised up? What kind of a
body do they have? 36. Thou fool. The idea is, slow of understanding.
Why cannot you learn the lesson nature teaches? The grain that thou sowest has
to die and be dissolved before it comes forth in a new life. So the body must
die and be dissolved. 37. And that which thou sowest, etc. We sow, not
the plant that comes forth, but only a bare seed. 38. But God giveth it a
body, etc. To the seed planted God gives a new body, the stalk of wheat or
corn, or whatever it may be. This new body bears no outward resemblance to the
seed planted. 39. All flesh is not the same. All the different animals
have bodies unlike, and suited to their conditions. 40. There are also
celestial bodies and … terrestrial. These, too, have forms and glories,
unlike, and suited to their condition. For instance: 41. The sun has its
own peculiar form and glory. So of the moon, and the stars. The thought is,
that to every condition is given a form suited to that condition. Now an
application is made of this thought in verse 42.
42–50. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown. Planted in burial in corruption. It goes to decay. It is
raised in incorruption. With a new body suited to the new condition of
existence, which is incorruptible; cannot decay. 43. It is sown in dishonor.
The dead body is repulsive, becomes offensive, and we bury it out of sight. It
is raised in glory. Has a glorious beauty. Sown in weakness. All its
powers exhausted. Raised in power. Endowed with heavenly energy. 44.
Sown a natural body. A fleshly body with animal life. Raised a spiritual
body. A body whose life principle is the spirit. Not a fleshly body, but a
spiritual existence. We cannot comprehend the nature of this existence, but we
can know that it is not a body of flesh, bones, and blood; perhaps not more
material than the forms of the angels. See verse 50. 45. The first man,
Adam, was made a living soul. Gen. 2:7. From him came our natural life. The
last Adam, Christ, of whom Adam was a type. A quickening spirit. By
giving life to the dead, and imparting spiritual existence. 46. Howbeit that
is not first which is spiritual. The first Adam came before the second
Adam. The natural body which proceeds from the first Adam is our tabernacle
first; after this life comes the “spiritual body,” which the second Adam
gives. 47. The first man is of the earth. Was fashioned out of the
earth. Genesis 2:7. The second man is the Lord who came from heaven. 48.
As is the earthy. All have earthly bodies like that of Adam. As is the
heavenly. When we are raised to heaven we shall have spiritual bodies like
Christ’s, not like the body he received from Mary, but the glorious body in
which he appears to saints and angels on high. Do we ask what body we shall
have? It shall be like Christ’s glorious body. See Phil. 3:21. Not of flesh
and blood, for (verse 50) flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God. If of flesh and blood, our bodies would be corruptible, and would not
be suited to the eternal kingdom.
51–58. Behold, I tell you a mystery. I disclose to you a secret of which you have had, hitherto,
no knowledge. We shall not all sleep. There will be some on the earth
who shall be alive when Christ comes. But we shall all be changed. The
living who meet Christ, as well as the dead who are raised up. All shall be
made immortal and incorruptible. 52. In a moment. The change will be
instantaneous. At the last trump. See 1 Thess. 4:16. The trumpet
shall sound. This signal for the close of all earthly things. See Matt.
24:31. 53. For this incorruptible. For this corruptible body must give
place to the incorruptible body; the mortal frame to an immortal one. One must
be “put off,” the other “put on.” See 2 Cor. 5:2. 54. Then shall be
brought to pass the saying. See Isaiah 25:8. This is the final victory,
the victory over death. 55. O death, where is thy sting? This is quoted
from Hosea 13:14. It is here the triumphant shout of the apostle as he sees
by faith the final victory over death. 56. The sting of death is sin. It
is sin that gives death his power to sting and destroy. See Rom. 6:23. The
power of sin is the law. The law, broken, is sin, and when this law is
consciously broken the conscience is wounded. When a moral law is broken, moral
death follows. If there was no law of any kind, there would be no sin, no
wounded consciences, no moral death. 57. Thanks be to God. For the
victory over sin and death through Christ. 58. Therefore … be ye stedfast,
unmoveable. Firm as a rock, devoted to Christian life, for their “faith is
not vain.” Their labor is not vain in the Lord. Jesus Christ is The
Resurrection and the Life. The hope of immortality hath sure foundations.
Excerpt from:
The People's New Testament
by Barton
Warren Johnson
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