Corinthians 15:12-34
Key Verse: 15:22
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
In verses 1-11 we learned the gospel of the resurrection. Jesus saved us from the power of sin and death. Many people were changed after they met the risen Christ. Apostle Paul was among them. His life key verse was “By the grace of God I am what I am.” In verses 12-34 Paul teaches about the power of the Risen Christ. In these verses we learn: first, why the resurrection of Christ is necessary (12-19); second, what the Risen Christ’s power is like (20-28); and third, a warning, “Do not be misled” (29-34). Let’s learn the power of the resurrection through this passage. I pray that God may empower us to be alive in Christ. May God bless our upcoming Spring Bible conference with the power of the risen Christ.
PART I. THE NECESSITY OF THE RESURRECTION (12-19)
In this part Paul writes very logically, step by step, to explain why the resurrection of Christ is necessary. When Paul was with the Corinthians, he taught them clearly about the gospel of Jesus Christ, that God raised him from the dead. But later many questions arose in their minds. Look at verse 12. “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” This verse indicates that among the Christians in Corinth there were those who believed in Jesus, but whose faith was not rooted in the resurrection. They attended church and enjoyed Christian fellowship. But whenever they heard the words, “the resurrection of Christ,” they drew the line in their minds and thought, “No way. That is not necessary.” They thought the resurrection was not practical, and that resurrection faith did not add any practical benefits to their daily life. In the next 7 verses Paul explains why the resurrection is necessary. Paul uses seven embedded “if” statements to describe tragic consequences if there is no resurrection of the dead. He kept on saying, What if…What if?”
First, if there is no resurrection, the world is under the power of death. Look at verse 13. “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.” If there is no such thing as being raised from the dead, then “not even Christ” has been raised. What does Paul mean by “not even Christ”? Amidst all the names and faces of people who have died, only Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. In a vast field of death, Jesus Christ is the only seed of eternal life, through his resurrection. If Jesus Christ has not been raised, then there is “never” “any” resurrection. If Jesus Christ has not been raised, then the world in its contents is nothing but death, a sea of death. The power of death will rule the world like the terrorists in Iraq. All of our human efforts end in death. Emptiness will prevail in our hearts no matter what we do. Fatalism will rule our hearts.
Second, if there is no resurrection, our preaching and faith would be useless. Look at verse 14. “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Christian faith rests on the death and resurrection of Christ. We Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God; but he died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day and gave us a living hope in the kingdom of God. In the resurrection of Christ we have the answer to the great question of the ages, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14) The Bible teaches that because Jesus Christ lives, we also shall live (Jn 14:19). That’s our basic preaching. But if we don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, our fundamental preaching collapses and our faith is useless. All preachers are delivering useless messages if there is no resurrection of the dead. They should stop their preaching now because it is useless.
Third, if there is no resurrection, we deny the almighty power of God. Look at verse 15a. “More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God...” The Bible says that after Jesus Christ had been in the tomb three days God raised him from the dead. This means that God is the Almighty Creator God. Our God is the Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth by the word of his mouth. Our God is the Almighty God who blessed Abraham to become a father of many nations. Our God is the Almighty God who made the Red Sea become dry land for the people of God to cross. Our God is the Almighty God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This power of Almighty God is the only source of our strength. If Jesus Christ had not been raised from the dead, our God is not the Almighty God. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses. If Jesus Christ had not been raised from the dead, I will be a number one liar because I preach the word of God. Missionary Elijah preaches the gospel to many students daily. But if Christ has not been raised from the dead, He is a false witness. David and Richard are practicing how to live effectively through the message rehearsal. We teach them how to lie. But the Almighty God uses him to change many students with the word of God.
Fourth, if there is no resurrection, we cannot solve our sin problem. Look at verse 17. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” As we have studied, sin broke our relationship with God. Sin is a contagious disease that leads all people to death. Sin causes us to hate people and feel shame and guilt. We are happy because Jesus forgave our sins on the cross and rose again. But if Jesus Christ did not conquer the power of sin, all human beings are still under the power of sin. It is terrible just to imagine that we are still in our sins. We may die due to multiple burdens of sin. We become fatalistic and sorrowful all the time because we have no way to get out of sin. Sin brings judgments and we cannot escape guilt and condemnation if there is no forgiveness. But Jesus Christ was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. Through his resurrection God solved our sin problem (Jn 1:29).
Fifth, if there is no resurrection, Christians are to be pitied. Look at verses 18-19. “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Throughout 2000 history of Christianity many sincere Christians were willing to become the martyrs for Christ in order to be found in him. They gave up their lives willingly for the sake of Christ and fell asleep to join the millions when Jesus comes again in glory and power. But if Christ has been raised from the dead, they will be lost in their tombs forever. We are chosen by God as God’s servants. We deny our own worldly desires and carry our multiple crosses-studying the word of God daily, praying in the early morning, visiting campus to find sheep, feeding sheep, writing testimonies, working fulltime, and raising up children. We are called to live sacrificial lives. We are called to expand the territory of the kingdom of God. In doing so, we are despised and rejected by worldly people, simply because we want to be like Jesus, not like “one of them” in the world. We keep the faith and fight the good fight because we believe that the Risen Christ is our inheritance. If there is no resurrection, then those who participate in the remaining sufferings of Christ are the most pitiful people. Our fellowship will be a pity fellowship. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we should maximize our pleasures. M. Sarah W. came to America as a missionary giving up many things. But if there is no resurrection, she will be the most pitiful woman in the world. Our “Praise Him” band should play music in the rock and roll concert and become famous if Christ is not raised from the dead. But Jesus Christ was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and Christians are not pitiful people; they are the most glorious people in the glorious resurrection of Christ. Paul showed seven tragic consequences with embedded “ifs” if there is no resurrection of the dead.
These tragic results necessitate the power of resurrection in the next passage.
PART II THE POWER OF THE RISEN CHRIST (20-28)
In this second part Paul changes the tone of his message with the word “but”. Suddenly he became so powerful and victorious. Why? He begins with the words, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” When Paul said, “indeed,” he meant that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a theory or supposition, but a fact. He did not just postulate that Jesus Christ could have been raised by God’s power; he states the fact that Jesus Christ was actually raised by God’s power. The resurrection of Christ is not a concoction of abstract theories; it is the demonstration of the power of Almighty God.
First, the Risen Christ has the power to give a man new life. Look at verse 20. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Look at the word “the firstfruits”. It is a plural. This means that all believers were included when Christ has been raised from the dead. All the subsequent fruits were included when Jesus became the firstfruit of the resurrection. When we have the first fruit, we expect more fruits. This is the beginning of the new history. The reign of death finally ended through the resurrection of Jesus. The new history has dawned through the resurrection of Jesus. Down through history everyone has had to bow down to the power of death. All conquerors defeated mighty enemies but they could not conquer death and kneeled down to the power of death. People have a strong desire to live longer by any means. But they all die.
Why is it that all surrender to death? Look at 21a. “For since death came through a man...” Look at verse 22a. “For as in Adam all die…” In this verse, “a man” refers to Adam. Who was Adam? Adam was the ancestor of the human race. Adam was placed in the paradise of God. But he messed up a big time. God gave him many privileges. God blessed him to establish a beautiful family and to have God’s mission to take care of the garden and to live forever. This was God’s original plan for mankind. One thing he has to remember was to listen to God’s word. But instead of listening to God, he listened to his wife tempted by the devil and disobeyed God’s absolute word of command. Because of his shame, he began to blame God and then his wife and everyone else around him. He was unthankful to God and began to hide from God. He lost the meaning of his existence when he was separated from God, the Creator. Because of his disobedience, sin came into the world. Adam was vanished from the Garden and returned to the dust. Sin did not stay with Adam only and it spread to his descendant like Cain. In this way, sin reigned in mankind and in all their offspring. Sin began with Adam’s disobedience, and the consequence of sin was death for everyone (Ro 5:12). These days people worry about the bird flu. Once caught, it is deadly because no vaccine was found yet. Similarly, sin started from one person and it spread all over the world. Sin brought death to all men. In the same way in Adam all die. This is the destiny of all mankind as long as they remain in Adam. If we disobey God as Adam did, our destiny will be death. What should we do not to remain in Adam then? So Paul said in verse 22b, “So in Christ all will be made alive.” God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and made him the firstfruits of eternal life. Paul called Jesus the last Adam in verse 45. The first Adam failed to obey God absolutely but the last Adam Jesus obeyed God even unto his death on the cross. Because of Jesus’ obedience, God made him the firstfruits of eternal life. Jesus is the first one who conquered the power of death. Where we are in is a key point of salvation. We will be in Adam or in Christ. There will be no middle ground. During the flood judgment Noah and his family was in the ark and they were saved from the judgment. In the same way those who are in Christ will be made alive. Jesus is our modern day ark. How can we be in Christ? We have to obey his word. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Remain in Jesus means that we remain in his love and obey his word. Remaining in the church building is different than remaining in Jesus. We must follow Jesus in all we do. Our character must imitate Jesus’ character as we obey his commands. It is important for us to remain in Christ not in Adam. Look at verse 23. Here turn is important. Christ first, then those who belong to him and then those who do not belong to him. In Christ each will be made alive in his own turn. Each of us has our own turn. Center management has a turn. Messengers have a turn. Marriage has a turn. Folake and Sarah wait for their turn. Prayer servant has a turn. Resurrection has a turn. Maryland women’s basketball team has their turn to become the champion. They said, “This is the first championship and many more will come.” In the same we must wait for our turn patiently.
Second, the Risen Christ has the power to restore the kingdom of God (24,25,27,28). Look at verse 24. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” In the course of restoring the kingdom of God, the Risen Christ will first destroy all evil and unrighteousness. No matter how good many things of the world may seem, we know that underneath, the world is full of evil. Where there is evil and unrighteousness, there is always fear and sorrow (Isa 7:2; 8:22). This world is full of evil people. There are also “necessary evil people.” But when the time comes, the Risen Christ will destroy all evil dominion, authority and power (24b). Next, the Risen Christ will destroy death. Look at verse 26. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Death is the fruit of sin. There are two kinds of death—first, physical death and then spiritual death—called “the second death” or eternal condemnation. Death is the last enemy of man. Death has in it a sting. During their lives, those who sin against God get many injuries and wounds both in body and spirit by the sting of death. And after death they can’t just die; they have to live forever in the midst of the sting of death in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Look at verse 26 again. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” The power of death is imbedded in man and in the world beyond remedy. But the Risen Christ, the one and only Son of God, will destroy this last enemy of mankind, death, with his resurrection power. Finally the Risen Christ will restore creation order. Read verse 24. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” Read verse 28. “When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” Originally, there was one kingdom—the kingdom of God. But because of Adam’s disobedience, another kingdom came into the world—the kingdom of Satan. Satan was originally an angel of God. But in his vanity he abandoned God’s mission and became Satan, and he has ruled the darkness of the world ever since Adam’s fall. This Satan has been roaming around, capturing all unbelieving, wicked people and locking them in the dungeon of his kingdom. But when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, he assured the complete destruction of the kingdom of Satan, and at the same time the complete restoration of the kingdom of God. Here we learn that the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come,” means the destruction of the kingdom of Satan, and at the same time the complete restoration of the kingdom of God. In the Risen Christ, God will once again be regarded as the Center of the universe. Here we also learn that the power of the Risen Christ is the power of the Almighty Creator God. Man lost the kingdom of God because of his sins. But the Risen Christ opened the doors of the kingdom of God through his resurrection. At that time God will be all in all. God’s creation order will be restored. Then we will live in the paradise with Christ forever. At that time God will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Wow! We are excited to live with Christ near the pearly gate. (Isa 11:1-9;Rev 21:1-4).
PART III DO NOT BE MISLEAD (29-34)
Paul knew that some of the Corinthians were sincere, even amidst the ritualistic church activities and the ridicule and disapproval of the general public. But they had come to their human limitation in keeping up their lives of faith. Paul knew that they had become shaky in their lives of faith because they had not taken deep root in resurrection faith. So Paul explained why he and his co-workers struggled to live a victorious life. It was because he and his co-workers believed that Christ is risen. So they lived like good soldiers of Christ. 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? Because of the power of the resurrection, Paul fought the spiritual fight. Christian life is a spiritual warfare. If we lose a fighting spirit, we lose a battle. We must deny our human thinking and take up our cross daily to win the spiritual battle. Paul died everyday in order to live with Christ. Daily struggle in Christ is a key. Daily early morning prayers enabled me to overcome Satan’s attack and to win the victory.
If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” If there is no resurrection, we should all just become hedonists enjoying parties, loud music, and alcohol. If there is no resurrection, I should have enjoyed the pleasures of the world in a maximum degree. If here is no resurrection, hedonistic life might be an alternative life style people may pursue. But this kind of life style makes people fatalistic because they cannot deny the underlying fear in their way of thinking. “Tomorrow we die” is the stinging reality of living in a pleasure-seeking life. Paul gave them some final advice. Look at verse 33. “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” Who are bad company? It is those in the fellowship who claim to be believers but have no resurrection faith. As we know, when Paul first visited Corinth, they received the gospel and took their stand on it. But in the midst of life struggles they lost their first love and became worldly Christians who did not believe Jesus’ resurrection. They gave bad influence to the church. They were like yeast. We should avoid unbelieving people. We learn how to drink when we have a drinking friend. It is important to be around with good company so that we can grow in faith. Paul said in verse 34a, “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning.” Paul said, “Stop sinning...” It meant that those who say, “I am a Christian,” but who do not have resurrection faith are sinning, because they are living double lives. Living a life of mission in Christ is the most rewarding life in the whole world, because Christ empowers us to live a victorious life. It leads us to eternal glory, joy and happiness. There is no defeat or loss in Christ. Let’s come back to our senses and have faith in the resurrection of Christ. May God help us to believe in the resurrection of Christ and to live by the power of the resurrection. Let’s read the key verse 22.