Our hope as true Christians and believers in Jesus Christ lie is fact of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Without any one of these three things, our faith would be futile and worthless.
“Can you be Christian and not believe in the resurrection?” shouts the headline in the Salt Lake Tribune (April 3, 2010, the day before Easter). What a crazy question. You would think that as soon as the journalist began researching this topic among Christian clergy, she would have decided that it was a foolish question not worth pursuing. Instead, her opening paragraph states, “Many scholars dismiss it. Some theologians downplay it. Even some worshippers dodge it. But, for most Christians, the idea that Jesus Christ’s body literally was resurrected is a given, a fundamental of the faith.” The only surprising thing here is that it wasn’t unanimous among the Christian leaders she interviewed that without the resurrection, our preaching and even our faith itself are useless.[1]
Can you believe it? There are folks in our world who call themselves Christian and also claim to not believe in the resurrection. A quarter of people who describe themselves as Christians in Great Britain do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, a survey commissioned by the BBC suggests.[2]
There are some liberal so-called Christian groups who do not believe in the bodily resurrection. Many will hold to a “spiritual resurrection. Just google the question:
“Can you be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection?” and see the interesting results.
Paul was dealing with this problem of disbelief in the resurrection in his day. The popular Greek philosophy of the day spoke of a spirit world outside of the physical material world. The spiritual world was good and the material world was evil and out of this grew the gnostic heresies of the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
The Bible is quite clear when it speaks of the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of human kind, it is not just spiritual, but the full physical bodily resurrection of Jesus and those who follow.
1 Corinthians 15:12–19
Last week we looked the witnesses to the resurrection and Paul laid out the bases of the Gospel:
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
The core of our Christian beliefs is that Christ died for our sins and God raised Jesus up on the third day. This is not an “either/or” statement, but a “both/and” statement. But there were some who disputed that believers would ever be raised from the dead. They believe Christ rose for the dead but but ordinary people would never rise. Paul refutes them.
1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
There are those who scoff at the resurrection. The Corinthians were not the first to object to that. When Paul preached on Mar’s Hill in Athens:
Acts 17:32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”
Some of the current thinking of that day and was thought to be factual as common knowledge among all was that there was no such thing as a bodily resurrection. But some wanted to hear more. Then there were those who knew of Jesus’ resurrection but wanted to cover it up.
Matthew 28:12–13 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’
Why do people do that, cover up the truth? Jesus came to proclaim the truth:
John 8:40a But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God …
Jesus’ enemies procured His death because they did not want their false views of the world destroyed. In Jesus’ day there were many who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead – the Sadducees of which included most of the priests – including the chief priest.
Mark 12:18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,
Acts 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
I have a hard time understanding the Sadducees: If there is not resurrection of the dead, why spend your time and efforts being religious? The Sadducees were the liberals of their day. They held the power and being religious was a means to that power. It was the way they controlled people of their day. I don’t know about liberals, but it is the same today as it was back then, they will put forth any system that will increase their power and control the masses. But Jesus said:
John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
But here is the thing in world of Jesus’ day and in the world of today: It has never been about the truth, it has always been about power over the people. The truth, including the truth about the resurrection, just gets in the way of the liberals back then and the truth gets in the way of the liberals today. But we can see the truth of the resurrection being denied even today, even Paul says:
1 Corinthians 15:32b … If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.
Herein is the cold hard fact. According to the Scriptures, everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected one day. This is both confirmed in the Old Testament as well as in the New:
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
John 5:28–29 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
The fact of scripture is that all will be resurrected one day, either to the resurrection of life or the resurrection of judgment. But Paul starts and builds his case using a negative argument about the centrality of the Jesus’ resurrection to the Gospel:
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
Key word in these verses today is the little word “IF.” "But if there is no resurrection of the dead"
In our passage today, verses 12-19, there are 7 “if’s” in 8 verses. So Paul is saying: If you are right and if there is no resurrection of the dead, then there is nothing but doom, gloom, and despair. Why? Because Christ is not risen either. So now what?
1 Corinthians 15:14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
You know that is something significant. If Christ is not raised is tearing out the very heart of the Gospel. According to the Freedom from Religion Website: Many bible scholars and ministers--including one third of the clergy in the Church of England--reject the idea that Jesus bodily came back to life. So do 30% of born-again American Christians![3]
It is interesting to look at the theories of non-believers. There are the Gnostics – they believe that Jesus rose “spiritually” and not bodily
Some explain it as the women went to the wrong tomb
Then they explain all the witnesses, including the 500 witnesses (1 Cor 15:6) as a mass hallucination.
Conspiracy theory that someone stole the body, just as described in Matthew’s account.
Others say Jesus’ body was only temporarily placed in the rich man’s tomb, only to be moved later in a common grave reserved for criminals.
Others say that Jesus did not die on the cross, someone, like the disciple Thomas, died in Jesus’ place so Jesus later appearance looked miraculous.
Then there is the swoon theory – Jesus only passed out on the cross and was revived in the cool of the tomb.
Lastly, others like the Freedom from Religion foundation say it is all just a legend, grown out of some basis in fact, like there was this Jewish guy with some nice teachings, and later put to death by the Romans.
Let’s look at Paul’s argument. If Christ has not been raised then:
1. There is no resurrection at all, vv. 13, 16
We have no hope.
2. Our preaching is empty, v. 14
1 Corinthians 15:14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
We are wasting our time and yours.
3. Your faith is also empty, v. 14
What you believe is vain and worthless. Your faith is for nothing. The Apostles wasted their time preaching and we waste out time believing.
4. The Apostles are false witnesses, v. 15
1 Corinthians 15:15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
The Apostles were liars and crass charlatans.
5. You are still in your sins, v. 17
1 Corinthians 15:16–17 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
What is being said is crucial. If Christ is risen, then resurrection is possible, we have hope! If Christ did not rise, then God has rejected Jesus’ payment for our sins. The Resurrection of Jesus was God’s validation that Jesus’ sin payment was accepted.
Romans 4:25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
6. Those who have died in Christ have perished, v. 18
1 Corinthians 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
All those who died in Christ before us are gone. The word perished here does not mean annihilation or cessation of being, it means they are condemned, they are ruined. The sting of death remains.
7. We are of all men most to be pitied, v. 19
1 Corinthians 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
This is one of the most depressing verses in the Bible. ALL MEN stand condemned, if Christ has not been raised form the dead. But Christians are the most pitiful. Why?
There are those who say that even if Christianity was false, they are a better off being a Christian. Paul would disagree. Anyone one who would say that has never suffered persecution for their faith. 1st century Christians were losing their families, jobs, homes, wealth, and even their very lives, for their faith in Jesus. Many around the world today are loosing the same things. If there is no resurrection from the dead, then they and us aught the most pitiful of all people.
This theological issue of the resurrection of Christ is no minor issue! He is alive or Christianity is a lie! This is a watershed doctrine![4]
And here is good news!
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
The resurrection is center point of our faith. You cannot be a Christian, you cannot be saved, and disbelieve in the resurrection.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Paul has always kept resurrection of Jesus central to the message of salvation.
Philippians 3:10a that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection …
Do you know this risen Jesus? Do you believe in His resurrection?
The resurrection is central to the Gospel and Paul said:
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …
In the end, it is all about Jesus. As we will see next week, Jesus is the first fruits of all to be resurrected. In Revelation, John writes;
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
The first resurrection would not be possible if Jesus was not the first. It is the resurrection of the saved. The second resurrection is for the condemned and they are resurrected to Judgment. Which resurrection will you be part of?
[1] Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell, “‘Can You Be Christian and Not Believe in the Resurrection?,’” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-39153121#:~:text=A%20quarter%20of%20people%20who,should%20not%20be%20taken%20literally%22, accessed on 19 March 2022.
[3] http://ffrf.org/legacy/about/bybarker/rise.php
[4] Robert James Utley, vol. Volume 6, Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2002), 176.
