Bible Study Materials

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

by Paul Choi   03/30/2014  

Question


The Power of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Key Verse:15:22

 

 

1.Why didn't people believe in the resurrection of the dead? (12)  Look at verses 13-19. If there is no resurrection of Christ, what problems do Christians face? (14-19) What do the words "You are still in your sins" mean?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.How did Paul overturn all these hypotheticals in verse 20? What does it mean that Jesus became the firstfruits of the resurrection? How does this become a living hope for us? (1 Pe 1:3,4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.Read verse 22. What does verse 22 mean? Read verses 23-28. How will Jesus reveal his glory and power when he comes again? Who is our last enemy to be destroyed?

 

 

 

 

4.Read verses 29-30. Why did people baptize for those who are dead? How did Paul live with resurrection faith? What did he mean when he said, "I die everyday"? Who is our bad company? How can we experience the power of the resurrection in our daily life?

 

 

 

 

 


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Message


The Power of Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Key Verse:15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

  In today’s passage, Paul step by step logically explains the necessity and the significance of the resurrection of Christ. He starts in the subjunctive mood with words such as ‘if’ and finishes with confirmative adverbs such as “indeed” and “surely”.  In the process of his apologetic statement, we learn the power of the resurrection. In other words, God teaches us the consequences of the resurrection of Christ. May God help us to experience the power of the resurrection while we are studying this passage. Amen.

First, if there is no resurrection of Christ…(12-19).  At that time in the Corinthian Church, there were some who said that there is no resurrection of the dead. (12) They had never seen a man who had been raised from the dead. They had negative Greek dualistic views of the body - that the body is the tomb or prison of the soul.  They admitted to Christ’s atoning death on the cross, but refused to believe in his bodily resurrection.  Similarly, today people refuse to believe in Jesus’ resurrection because they think that it is unrealistic and impractical. Some say that it is a fairy tale or a myth. But the resurrection of Christ is not a fiction or tale, but a historical truth.

  In verses 13-19, Paul gives some suppositions and assumptions - what would happen if there is no resurrection of Christ?  If there is no resurrection of Christ, our preaching is useless. (14) The core of the gospel message is Jesus’ death and resurrection. The gospel starts with Jesus’ death for our sins and finishes with his resurrection. If there is no resurrection of Christ, his death itself is not the gospel. A half gospel is not the gospel at all. If there is no resurrection of Christ, we are found to be false witness of God. (15) In others word, those who testify about Christ’ resurrection are all liars. If there is no resurrection, I am a crazy liar and you are just wasting your time. If Christ has not been raised, we are still in our sins. (17) As we have studied, the wages of sin is death. Death is the result of sin. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, he did not conquer death. He may have died for our sins, but we still remain under the power of sin and death if Christ was not raised. Lastly, if Jesus was not raised, those who died for him are losers and those who put their hope in him are the most pitiful men in the world. (18,19) We are praying for the Easter Conference day and night. All the messengers struggle to prepare their messages in the midst of their busy schedules. My daughter Grace invited her friends to the conference by faith.  If there is no resurrection of Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. If there is no resurrection from death, we should eat, drink, and sleep rather than go to the conference.

Second, But Christ has indeed been raised.(20) How did Paul conclude his subjunctive statements? Look at verse 20. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” By using the conjunction “But”, Paul changed all the possibilities and assumptions which came from the denial of the resurrection of Christ. He questioned with “if” and answered with “But”. He is like a boxer who receives jabs for a while, but finishes with a fierce blow to knock out his enemy in the final round. Paul also uses a confirmative adverb “Indeed” in order to emphasize the resurrection of Christ. Christ’ resurrection is not a theory or supposition, but a fact based on the Scriptures. It is not an issue that Christ might have been raised from the dead, but that he has indeed been raised. Faith in his resurrection is not optional, but absolute. 

  Paul uses the present perfect tense in order to affirm that Christ is alive even today. ‘Christ has been raised from the dead.’ Christ Jesus who rose from the dead visited his disciples. He walked with his two disciples on the way to Emmaus, talked with them and ate with them. The Risen Christ even appeared to Paul who had persecuted the church of God. The Risen Christ forgave him and called him to be the light for the Gentiles.  The Risen Christ who was with Paul is with us today. He walks with us, talks with us, and lives in us. He lives in our daily lives. Hymn 262 says, “He lives, He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me a long life’s narrow way…You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” I believe that the Risen Christ will be with us during the Easter conference. He will walk with us, talk with us, and eat with us. We will meet him in Ben West’s message and see him in Michael’s testimony. We will experience his power and love during our worship service. The Risen Christ will work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

  Look at verse 20 again. The Risen Christ became the firstfruits of resurrection. This means that we will rise again as he did. In John 14:19 Jesus promised his disciples, “Because I live, you also will live.” The firstfruits are the preview of later fruits. Through the firstfruits we figure out what will come next. Have you ever harvested potatoes? When you pull out the first one, the other ones are also lifted up. Likewise, we will be lifted up as Jesus was when he comes again. Paul describes this glorious moment like this, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thes 4:16,17) Imagine this glorious day of our own resurrection! Therefore, Christ, who has been raised, is the guarantee of the resurrection of all of God’s redeemed people.

  We may face many difficulties and sufferings while we live on this earth. But we must not despair or lose heart because of our present sufferings or hardships.  This is because through the resurrection of Christ, a bright future is waiting for us. Remember the day of glorious Jesus’ second coming and our resurrection. As Paul said, our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Ro 8:18)  Amen.

Third, In Adam all die. In Christ all will be made alive.(21,22)  Let us read verses 21,22. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Death came into the world through the first man Adam’s sin. (Ge 3:19, Ro 5:12)  Adam’s disobedience affected not only himself, but also all of his descendants. However, as death came to the world through a man’s sin, resurrection also comes through a man, Christ. Christ’s resurrection affected not only him, but also all those who belong to him. In Adam all die. This means that we all die because of the consequences of Adam’s sin. We will die as Adam died. However, in Christ all will be made alive. This means that those who are in Christ will live forever. Those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ will be resurrected as he was.

  In Christ all will be made alive.  Our “being made alive” is more than our resurrection at last day. This includes our abundant and victorious life in Christ at present.  After Jesus was crucified on the cross, most of his disciples left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee, their hometown.  They were still shocked by Jesus’ death on the cross. They loved Jesus and followed him for three years, expecting that Jesus would do something for their country and for themselves. But, in front of their eyes, Jesus died helplessly on the cross. Their master Jesus was with them no more. Now they had to find a way for their survival. They faced cold reality. So Peter and some other disciples went out fishing in the sea. They worked hard all night, but caught nothing. They were tired and hungry. They were miserable, thinking that they were failures as disciples and fishermen. Peter might have been tempted to jump into the water out of despair. Just then, someone called to them and asked them to put their nets out on the right side of their boat. When they obeyed him, they caught a large number of fish. That man then invited them to a delicious breakfast on the beach. He was the Risen Jesus. The Risen Jesus visited them as he had promised. The Risen Jesus did not forget them, but visited them and restored them from their failure. Jesus restored them not only as disciples but also as fishermen. The Risen Jesus has power to make his disciples catch large numbers of fish. Jesus is able to make the impossible possible. Jesus was so mindful that he could understand his disciples’ weakness and heal them from their despair. There is no failure and despair in the Risen Jesus. In Adam people die in despair and sorrow. But in Christ people rise again in hope and joy.  The Risen Jesus makes us alive. His Spirit encourages us to never give up. His Spirit encourages us to try again until we experience the power of resurrection.

Fourth, Christ’s resurrection restores God’s kingdom. (23-28)  Verses 23-28 indicates Jesus’ second coming. Jesus was raised from the dead. After that he ascended into heaven. He will come again as he has promised. (Mt 24:30,44,Mk 13:26, Lk 21:27, Jn 14:18,17:24)  When he comes again, he will restore God’s kingdom after he destroys all of Satan’s power, authority and dominion.  He will destroy all of his enemies, and the last enemy to be destroyed will be death. When Christ first came to this world, he came to preach the kingdom of God. When he comes again, he will restore the kingdom of God. He will harvest God’s redeemed people.  When he first came to this world, he came to die for our sins. But when he comes again, he will raise the dead who belong to him.  When he first came, few knew of his coming. However, when he comes again, all the people of the world will see his coming. When he puts everything under his feet, he will restore God’s creation order: God, his people, and the world. God will be our God and we will be his people.  We will live with him in his kingdom forever. There will be no more death, no more pain and no more tears. Satan’s work will no more be allowed, since ‘death’ will be dead.

  We must struggle spiritually until we put our enemies under our feet. Through the resurrection of Christ the war is over. Jesus won the battle over our enemy death. Still, the battle continues between our enemy and us.  Death tries to overpower us with fear. Fear of death, fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of loneliness, and so on, attack us every day. Remember that Christ conquered death and we will put death under our feet. When we overcome fear, God’s kingdom will be restored. When we overcome our sinful desires, God’s kingdom comes. When we repent of our sins and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, creation order is restored. I pray that our eyes may see God’s salvation through this conference. Amen. 

Fifth, I die every day. (29-34) In Paul’s time, there were some believers in the Corinthian church who performed baptism ceremonies for the dead who had died without receiving baptism.  They did this for them because they believed in the resurrection of the dead. (29) Now Paul explains the inevitability of resurrection based on his personal struggle. Look at verses 30-32. “And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day-I mean that, brothers- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Paul said, “I die every day.” In other versions he says, “I face death daily.” Indeed Paul confronted numerous persecutions and life threats during his missionary trips. At Lystra he was almost stoned to death. (Ac 14:19). In Ephesus his life was endangered by beastly men. (Ac 19) Even though he was sentenced to death, he was not moved. He overcame the power of death because he believed in the glorious resurrection after death. If there is no resurrection, we might choose a different life, a life without the cross, without suffering, without sacrifice; a life with only eating, drinking, and partying.

  Our battle is not against flesh or blood, but against the power of evil spirit and darkness. (Eph 6:12) In America we don’t face death threats when we preach the word. But we confront different kinds of persecution, such as peer pressure, discrimination, and rejection at home, at school, in our workplace and even in other public places. We often seem to be surrounded by many wild beasts. We face persecution every day.

  We are tempted and challenged every day within and without. Sometimes denying our own will and obeying God’s will makes us feel like dying. Getting up early in the morning for prayer dedication, visiting campus after work for fishing, reading the Bible regularly, finishing homework on time, even cleaning rooms after work may challenge us every day. As for me, overcoming temptations and distractions in order to focus on Sunday message writing is a fierce struggle. To die means to deny. Without denying ourselves we cannot follow Jesus. Without facing death every day we cannot experience the power of resurrection. Paul said in Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Let us say, “I die every day.”

  In conclusion, Paul admonishes the believers with some final advice. Look at verses 33,34. “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God- I say this to your shame.’  Here, the bad company is those who say that there is no resurrection. They mislead gospel-believing Christians into confusion and doubt. We must not be misled, but come back to our senses. When we doubt the power of resurrection, we are sinning against God, who raised Christ with his mighty power. But when we believe Christ’s resurrection and live in him and with him, we experience the power of resurrection every day. Amen.  


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