By This Gospel You Are Saved
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Key Verse 15:2a
“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.”
Background/Introduction:
Corinth was an important seaport and a busy commercial city in Greece with about six hundred thousand inhabitants. It was a city of mixed cultures: Jews and Greeks lived there together (1Co 1:22). The temple of Aphrodite was in the city which housed more than 1000 temple prostitutes. Corinth's reputation for immorality was so widespread that it became a byword for vice: the verb "to Corinthianize" was coined to mean "to engage in sexual immorality". The Holy Spirit led Paul to Corinth during his 2nd journey (Acts 18:1-18) in A.D. 49. He stayed there for 18 months to teach and establish the Corinthian church (Acts 18:11).
Paul wrote this book to the church of Corinth about A.D. 55 while he was in Ephesus (1Co 16:8). He was disturbed by the reports from the household of Chloe concerning quarrels in the church of Corinth (1Cor 1:11). The church sent a delegation of 3 men (16:17) who apparently brought a letter that requested Paul’s judgment on certain issues (7:1). So, Paul wrote this epistle as his response to the problems and questions of the Corinthians.
Look up the following references to find out about Corinth and the problems among Christians there: 1Co 1:11-12 (quarreling); 26, 28, 8:1 (pride); 11:18 (divisions); 5:1 (Sexual immorality); 11:21 (selfishness).
After writing 14 chapters of rebuke and correction to the Corinthians, Paul now combats the root of their problems. Paul understood that the fundamental problem of the Corinthians was the “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” philosophy which lurked in their hearts because of their great confusion about the resurrection. Some of them were actually saying that there was no resurrection of the dead! (12) So, to combat this problem, Paul reminded them of the gospel. His aim was to firmly establish the fact of Jesus’ resurrection so that they might set the expectation of their own resurrection on it.
1. Read verses 1 and 2.
ANSWER:
1Co 15:1-2 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
Of what does Paul remind the Corinthian brothers? (1)
ANSWER:
1Co 15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
He reminds them of the gospel he preached – the word of God. The content is described in verses 3 and 4 in detail.
The word “gospel” means “Good News”. At the birth of Jesus, the angel announced, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luk 2:10). In the days of Roman rule, many Jews and Greeks are looking for a political leader to deliver from Roman rule. People were hoping for a savior to deliver them from sickness and physical hardship. But this announcement of the angel (ministering spirit and messenger of God) pointed out that the savior would deliver them from sin and death! It is only the good news of great joy that will be applied for all the people on earth generation to generation, nation to nation. Amen!
What happened when they heard the gospel? (2a)
ANSWER:
1Co 15:1-2 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
They were saved by this gospel. By the grace of God, they received it and accepted it with great joy; they took their stand on this gospel, confessing and renouncing their sins, believing in Christ who died for their sins.
Still what is essential for them to do? (2b)
ANSWER:
1Co 15:2 if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
They should hold firmly to the word continually. Otherwise they had believed in vain.
They were in danger. They had become lukewarm, compromising Christians. They engaged in debates and divisions. They drifted away in the stream of the immoral culture of Corinth. Paul calls their attention to the gospel by which they had been saved, and by which the church had prospered. They needed to repent and take hold firmly of the word he preached to them.
2. Read verses 3 and 4.
ANSWER:
1Co 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
What are the essential points of the gospel?
ANSWER:
Three points: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised.
For what did Jesus die?
ANSWER:
Jesus died for our sins. Nowadays we seem to have many problems in America such the economy, jobs, federal spending, healthcare, etc. But the Bible says that man’s major problem is sin. Sin is falling short of or transgressing the perfect standards of a holy God (Rom 3:23; 1Jn 3:4, 5:17). Sin cuts man’s relationship with God (Isa 59:2). Like leprosy, it disfigures the beauty of the soul which God made in his image. It causes moral and spiritual bondage, guilt, death, and hell.
Contrary to what many think, death is not the end of everything. According to the scriptures, man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment (Heb 9:27). No one can escape God’s judgment (2Co 5:10) nor endure the eternal punishment in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev 21:8; 2Th 1:9; Mat 25:46).
Many don't take sin so seriously. They think that sin is enjoyable. They think after committing sin, "If I forget about it, that's all." When they are tormented by their sin sickness, they try to solve their problem of sin by depending on psychoanalysis or by making excuses. But they only waste money, having no way to cure their sin sickness. They become too nervous and sensitive to maintain their lives.
Sin is incurable by mere human methods (Jer 13:23, 2:22; Mar 2:7). Many try hard to escape sin and its effects through various means but fail. But God himself solved this problem for us. “Christ died for our sins.” Christ shed his precious blood on the cross to pay off the demand of sin and thereby free us from the deadly consequences of sin.
Isaiah 53:3-5 reads, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Jesus died by one of the most horrible methods called ‘crucifixion’ originated by Assyrians and adapted by the Romans. First of all, the skin of Jesus’ back was torn by the flogging with the Roman flagrum (Mk 15:15), resulting in blood clotting all over his back. A crown of long, sharp thorns was put on his head, making fresh blood run down over his face. When the nails were driven into his hands, it damaged the large median nerve, producing excruciating pain. Besides the pain, the major effect of crucifixion was to inhibit normal breathing. The weight of the body, pulling down on the arms, would fix the respiratory muscles in an inhalation state thereby hindering exhalation greatly. To get a breath of air, one would have to push against the feet, and flex the elbows, pulling from the shoulders. Each effort to get a breath would be agonizing, causing death to come sooner. Internally, his death would be due to the acute shock, dehydration, or stress-induced heart attack.
Yet the physical pains of crucifixion—dreadful as they were—were nothing compared to the cup of sufferings he endured from his Father. On the cross, the Father placed on him the sin of the world and poured out his punishment on that sin (2Co 5:21; Gal 3:13; Isa 53:5-6). By these sufferings our sins were paid. Out of his anguish, Jesus cried out the words of Psa 22:1 on the cross (Mat 27:46). The anticipation of this suffering was what caused him to sweat blood in the garden (Luk 22:44, hematohidrosis).
Why does Paul repeatedly say “according to the Scriptures”?
ANSWER:
Apostle Paul repeated this phrase because Jesus' death and resurrection happened exactly the way God said it would happen through his prophets in the Scriptures centuries beforehand.
The Messiah had to die for our sins “according to the Scriptures” (Isa 53:5-6,8,10; Dan 9:26; Psa 22:15).
The Messiah had to be buried (Isa 53:9; Psa 16:10).
The Messiah had to rise from the dead “according to the Scriptures” (Isa 53:10-12; Psa 2:7; Psa 16:8-11; Psa 110:1; To fulfill the promise of his eternal reign: 1Chr 17:12; Dan 7:13-14; Isa 9:7).
The Messiah had to rise on the third day “according to the Scriptures” (Gen 22:4; Jon 1:17; Hos 6:2).
How important is Jesus’ resurrection in light of God’s power and hope for us (1Pe 1:3-4; 1Co 15:17)?
ANSWER:
1Pe 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you,
1Co 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
His resurrection is not a mere additional work on the cross. If the cross is the payment for our sins, the empty tomb is the receipt, showing that the perfect Son of God made perfect payment for our sins. The payment itself is of little good without the receipt! That is why the resurrection of Jesus was such an essential and inevitable fact. 1Co 15:17 also reads, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins”
Also if the story ended with Christ’ death, it would be just another sorrowful tragedy. But thankfully the story did not end there. Jesus Christ defeated the power of sin and death by his resurrection (Rom 6:9). Christ’s resurrection gives us final victory over the power of death. Christ’ resurrection gives us a living hope in the eternal kingdom of God. Man fails due to his sin but God’s love never fails!!
In the past, we put our hope in the things of the world which will soon perish. But when we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, we no longer put our hope in the things of the world, but in the kingdom of God. We may sometimes feel as though we suffer too much loss for the sake of Jesus. But in reality, we lose nothing because the kingdom of God is our inheritance. It is God’s promise. It is never lip service but real!!
3 . Read verses 5-7.
ANSWER:
1Co 15:5-7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
To whom did the Risen Jesus appear? (5-7)
ANSWER:
1Co 15:5-7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
Peter, the Twelve (the apostles were still called “the twelve” even though Judas was not one of them), more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, James (Jesus’ half-brother), all the apostles.
When Jesus appeared to the two Emmaus disciples (Luk 24:25) and to the Twelve (Mk 16:14) on Easter Sunday, he rebuked them for being so stubborn and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken. His rebuke was based on Scripture!!
According to the four gospels, nobody witnessed Jesus’ actual resurrection; Jesus' tomb was closed at the time.
Jesus also appeared to the women.
Jesus appeared for the first time to Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9-11, Jn 20:11-18) and then to the other women (Mat 28:9-10).
The reason Paul didn’t mention these women was probably because court witnesses were supposed to be men. He wanted to present witnesses of the resurrection whom the Corinthians were most likely to esteem as reliable.
The Risen Jesus appeared:
To two people going to Emmaus (Luk 24:13-32).
To Peter (Luke 24:34).
To the ten disciples in the upper room (Luk 24:36-43, Jn 20:19-25; Mk 16:14).
To the eleven disciples in the upper room (Thomas included, Jn 20:26-31).
To seven disciples fishing (Jn 21:1-23).
To more than 500 + the eleven disciples on a mountain (Mat 28:16-20, Mk 16:15-18; Luk 24:50-51).
To James.
To all apostles (his disciples) at his ascension on the Mount of Olives (Luk 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-8).
What truth did Paul want to establish by mentioning all these witnesses?
ANSWER:
Paul wanted to establish the fact that Jesus’ resurrection was the undeniable truth and that many witnesses had seen the Risen Jesus with their naked eyes.
Think about how each of these men became witnesses.
ANSWER:
Peter
Jesus made a special resurrection appearance to Peter (Luk 24:34). We are not told much about this visit, but we can assume that after he denied Jesus three times there was some special need for him to receive comfort and restoration. At the beach barbeque in John 21, Jesus helped him to restore the personal love relationship with him so that he may take leadership. In Acts, he became a rock-like person. Thanks to Jesus’ resurrection, he finally changed from a man of fear into a man of bold faith. In Acts 2:14-40 and 5:29-32 he became a powerful messenger.
The Twelve
The Twelve had been ambitious and competitive humanly. But after witnessing the risen Jesus they changed and formed a complete unity to serve God’s work. John and Peter (Acts 3:1) went to the temple to pray together to do the work of God, showing beautiful co-working before God and one unity of love.
James
This was James, the half-brother of Jesus. In the gospels, he and his brothers were hostile to Jesus and his mission (Jn 7:3-5; Mk 3:21). But after he met the Risen Jesus, he was changed into a man of faith and became a leader of Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Gal 1:19). He became one of the pillars together with Peter and John to support the early church.
The examples of transformation, thanks to the power of Jesus’ resurrection, are too many to describe!
4. Read verses 8-11.
ANSWER:
1Co 15:8-11 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
Why did he mention that he was “abnormally born”?
ANSWER:
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Eph 3:8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Paul's encounter with the risen Lord by which he was saved and appointed to be an apostle occurred under really abnormal circumstances: It happened while he was vigorously persecuting the church of God. Furthermore, Paul became an apostle without even having been a disciple of Jesus during his earthly ministry. In true and most deep humility, Paul confessed that he was the “last” and “least” (8, 9) of all the apostles. He knew that he did not deserve to be called an apostle – that it was purely by God’s grace that he became an apostle.
What kind of person was Paul before he met the risen Jesus?
ANSWER:
As his old name “Saul” indicated, he was very proud and self righteous. He used to be one of the Pharisees, zealously persecuting the church, thinking he was doing a service to God.
How did Paul become a resurrection witness?
ANSWER:
According to Gal 1:11-12, he did not receive the gospel from any man, nor was he taught it. Rather he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ who showed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus two or three years after Christ’s ascension. Jesus appeared to him in person and he was changed from a terrorist of the church of God into a man of grace. His name was changed to Paul, a small one. Thanks to Jesus’ grace, he became a fearless witness. Also, Paul says in verse 10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” Nothing is stronger evidence of Christ’s resurrection than what became of Paul. His willingness to die “every day” (verse 31) for his mission was the clear evidence of the gospel in and through Jesus’ death, his burial and his resurrection!
In conclusion,
We are saved by this gospel. The essence of this gospel is Jesus’ death, his burial, and his resurrection. When Corinthian Christians were entangled in so many issues, they were losing their hold on the gospel. Apostle Paul who was their original shepherd and spiritual father encouraged them to remember the grace of Jesus who died for their sins, and was buried and raised on the third day and stand firm always.
2Ti 1:9b-12a reads, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed,”
Source: Frédéric Louis Godet, Studies on the Epistles, Pg 66.
Dictionary definition: “...5... b. the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.” ("gospel." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 17 Mar. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gospel>). Gospel comes from the Old English word godspel. “O.E. godspel "good news," from god "good" + spel "story, message," translation of L. bona adnuntiatio, itself a translation of Gk. euangelion "reward for bringing good news."” ("gospel." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 17 Mar. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gospel>.)
The translation is debatable. The NET reads, “and by which you are being saved”. The ISV, ESV, NRS read similarly. 1Co 1:18 (NIV) reads, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
"The Greek word hamartia means “miss the mark,” “every departure from the way of righteousness.” Hence, it means that all people have missed the mark of God standard and continue to fall short of that standard (Rom. 3:23). This involves both sins of commission as well as omission. Failure to do what is right is also sin (Rom. 14:23)." (Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Pg 322)
Jesus’ appearance in Jn 20:14 and Mat 28:9 to Mary Magdalene was probably the same event. In Mat 28:9, his appearance to Mary Magdalene and the other women seems to have been immediately after their visit to the tomb. But this cannot be the case because Jn 20:14 reveals that he appeared to Mary Magdalene during her second visit to the tomb. So, it is probable that Matthew has compressed the narrative, dropping the details of how Mary Magdalene went to Peter and John and then went back to the tomb. (Gospel writers used compression. See Jn 20:30 and compare Luk 24:40-53 with Acts 1:3b and compare Mat 21:19 with Mk 11:13-20. There are numerous other examples).
"In general Greek and Roman courts excluded as witnesses women, slaves, and children; only adult males in full possession of civic rights were acceptable as witnesses in court (Greenidge 1901, 482—83; Bonner 1905, 27—28, 32; 1927, 185—88). According to Josephus, slaves may not give testimony... Women, he continues, are unacceptable because of the “levity and temerity of their sex” (ibid.)." (Bruce J. Malina, Portraits of Paul: an archaeology of ancient personality, Pg 82)
Jesus had prearranged the meeting place with his followers (Mat 26:32, 28:10; Mar 16:7). Getting a crowd of 500 people together would necessitate planning. So it is likely that his appearance to the Eleven in Mat 28:16-20 is the same event recorded here in 1Co 15:6.
A table in Dunn’s book reads, “Chronology ...(This is intended as illustrative rather than definitive; most Pauline scholars would agree the broad outline, with divergence an key dates limited to two or three years)… Birth in Tarsus, around the turn of the century...Education, primarily in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3)...Crucifixion of Jesus, 30...Conversion of Saul (Acts 9 etc.), 32/33” (James D. G. Dunn, The Cambridge companion to St. Paul). A table in Hunter’s book reads, “Note on the Chronology of Paul’s Life and Letters… The Life… The Crucifixion of Jesus, AD 30 …Paul’s conversion, 33” (Archibald Macbride Hunter, Introducing the New Testament, Pg 92)
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