In last week's lesson, on I Corinthians 14:26-40, the apostle Paul eatablished some basic principles which were to govern how the church, and specifically the church of Corinth, was to function! "When you assemble together (as the church), let all things be done for edification," he wrote--whether someone has a psalm to read, something to teach, a revelation from God, even the gift of a tongue (or another language to speak), or a gift to be able to interpret the words spoken by the one speaking with a tongue"! This was Paul's way, Constable notes, of "calling a halt" to any more chaos and confusion in church proceedings, particularly from someone speaking gibberish in the church! Paul stresses the importance of doing it all in a proper way, and by following the guidelines he outlined! No more than two or three ought to be speaking in tongues, and it should be done in sequence, with nobody speaking at the same time! One speaking in another language ought to be told if there's an unbelieving person present who speaks in that foreign language; and an interpreter should be assigned in such a case so the rest of the congregation would be able to understand what he was saying as well! And if no interpreter was present, the person with the gift for speaking in another language was to remain silent so as not to disrupt the worship! And so it should all be done with order and dignity, and carried out in a way that everybody involved, and present, would benefit!
Paul, you'll remember, also noted that "if prophets were present" (as was still the case apparently at the time the book of I Corinthians was written), two or three of them ought to be allowed to speak, but again, one at a time! And if while one was speaking God gave "a revelation" to one of the others, the one speaking should defer to the one hearing from God, again so that all might benefit! Paul added that "those with the gift of prophecy" should be allowed to speak as well, "so that all might learn and be exhorted"! Stressing again the orderliness of the process, "because God is not a God of confusion but of peace"!
And, finally, Paul makes it clear that "women were to keep silent in the church (referring specifically to the worship service), and if they have a question, rather than interrupting the service, they should wait until they're back home, where they can ask their husbands"! This, Paul writes, is "as it is in all the churches"! And it's again so as to abide by the principle of maintaining order in the church!"
The apostle Paul apparently knew that he would receive "some flack" and negative reactions from some of the Corinthians concerning these "rules"--and particularly from "the prophets, and the tongue-speakers, and some of the women"--notes MacArthur. Just like the reactions we might expect as coming from those outsiders and even some church members in our day about such rules! But Paul held firm in his stand and wrote that those who had a problem with what he wrote "should recognize that the things that he wrote were from the Lord"!
Paul then closes out I Corinthians 14 by reiterating his wish that the Corinthians would "desire earnestly to prophecy, and yet not forbid speaking in tongues (presumably speaking in "other languages"), but again with a bottom-line understanding, and acceptance, of the importance of "doing everything properly and in an orderly manner"!
And that sets the scene for the apostle Paul to move from addressing church conduct to addressing church doctrine, and writing what many consider to be the most important chapter in the Bible, because it deals with the doctrine of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the ramifications this has for all of us as we contemplate what happens to us after this life on earth! MacArthur notes that Job raised this same proverbial question long ago: "If a man dies, shall he live again?" And then claims, and rightly so I would surmise, that "every human being with a functioning brain who has ever lived has raised (at some point) the question of immortality, if only to himself! "Is there life after death?" I Corinthians 15 answers that question directly!
As I shared with our group members Tuesday night, I distinctly remember grappling with this very question as a kid, and coming to the conclusion that there must be something out there after this life! It just never made sense to me to think that when one dies there's nothing more! No consciousness or awareness of anything! Just nothingness! A total void! For all eternity? Doesn't make sense!
And so the message from the Bible, and from I Corinthians 15 in particular, ought to fascinate, and reasonate, at some point and on some level, one would think, with every human being--since it addresses this crucial issue head on--and offers not only a logical alternative, but the greatest news one could ever hear! How there is, in fact, something after this life that's worth seeking and finding!
The apostle Paul begins his thesis by stating that he is "delivering" something to the Corinthians which is "of first importance"! Who could disagree?
It's about "the gospel"! The "good news" of the Bible! Which he says He "preached" to them, which they "received," and in which they "stand," and by which they were "saved, if they held fast to the word which he preached"! ("Holding fast" gave evidence of the genuiness of their faith and salvation, Paul noted!) And while he doesn't share from whom he received the gospel message here, it's clear from his other writings that he received it, as a revelation, directly from the Lord! In Galatians 1:11-12 he says, "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel that was preached by me is not according to man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation from the Lord!" (And it's a worhty reminder, as II Timothy 3:16-17 declares, to realize that "all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for showing us, among other things, what to believe and how to live!)
And what is that "gospel message" that Paul "delivered" (by inspiration from God)? Paul gives the most simple and explicit definition here in all the Bible! That "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"! Paul would later write, in II Corinthians 5:21, that "God (the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ, the Son) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him! John 3:16 say, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! And in John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!" Paul wrote in Romans 10:9 that "If you confess your sin and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!"
And so that's the basic message of the gospel! But the best news of all is that that Christ was resurrected from the dead, and that we too (as believers) shall rise and live eternally with God! Jesus told His disciple, in John 11:25, 15, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies!" And so the resurrection of Jesus Christ is centerpiece of I Corinthians 15, and of Christianity! Because He lives, we too shall live for all eternity! MacArthur notes that the resurrection "is the pivot on which all of Christianity turns and without which none of the other truths would matter"! It's foundational to the Christian faith, and that it's impossible to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ"!
And yet some of the Corinthians apparently didn't believe in the resurrection of Christ, while others believed in Christ's resurrection but not in the bodily resurrection of believers! They were influenced, among other things, by the philosophers of their day! Like the "men of Athens," and the Epicureans who Acts 17:32 says "sneered" when they heard the apostle Paul preaching in the midst of the council of the Areopagus about the "resurrection of the dead"! They didn't believe there was any kind of afterlife! And, sadly, some of this same skepticism and unbelief influenced the thinking of some of the believers, and infiltrated into the church of Corinth! Which was why Paul wrote II Corinthians 15! To set "the record straight" about the gospel of Christ and of the reality of the resurrection!
And he used the experiences and the testimonies of those who saw, and heard, and touched, and ate with the risen Christ! Evidence that would stand up in any court room hearing! (The historian Thomas Arnold of Oxford wrote, "I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is better proven by fuller evidence than the great sign that God has given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead!") And here's a summary of the evidence! "He appeared, Paul writes, to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now...then to James (the brother of Jesus,who apparently didn't believe until He saw the resurrected Christ"), and last of all to himself"!
And so Paul presented His case to the Corinthians (in verses 12-19), speaking like an attorney, about the consequences if Christ wasn't, in fact, resurrected from the dead! (Note the sequence and the logic, and the sheer eloquence, of his case!) "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? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith is also vain! 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! For if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; and you are still in your sins! Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished! If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied!" Wow!
But Paul has something more to offer in next week's lesson that begs to be included in this lesson! And so I'm including it here as the cap-stone! And it's a "game-changer"! I Corinthians 15:20! "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep!" He is risen indeed!
The Bible Hub sums up I Corinthians 15 as "a powerful affirmation of our future hope in Christ! The reality of the resurrection assures us of our own resurrection and the ultimate defeat of death! As we journey through life, facing various trials and uncertainties, let us hold firmly (there it is again!) to the gospel of Christ, knowing that our labor is not in vain! Our future is secure in Christ--death is defeated, and victory is ours!
Wow! You get it? Among other things, understanding the reality, and the centrality of the resurrection should motivate us, like nothing else, to wnt to share the gospel (and II Corinthians 15!) with others, emphasizing the hope and victory found only in Christ!"
Looking forward to the Easter Concert where we can remember and recall again the awesomenss of the resurrection of Jesus Christ--and the "wonder of it all"!
And we can sing with real gusto: "Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, there is no greater thing! You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness...and I love you, Lord..."!
Happy Easter, fellow MOBsters! He is risen! Hallelujah!
Lowell
Paul, you'll remember, also noted that "if prophets were present" (as was still the case apparently at the time the book of I Corinthians was written), two or three of them ought to be allowed to speak, but again, one at a time! And if while one was speaking God gave "a revelation" to one of the others, the one speaking should defer to the one hearing from God, again so that all might benefit! Paul added that "those with the gift of prophecy" should be allowed to speak as well, "so that all might learn and be exhorted"! Stressing again the orderliness of the process, "because God is not a God of confusion but of peace"!
And, finally, Paul makes it clear that "women were to keep silent in the church (referring specifically to the worship service), and if they have a question, rather than interrupting the service, they should wait until they're back home, where they can ask their husbands"! This, Paul writes, is "as it is in all the churches"! And it's again so as to abide by the principle of maintaining order in the church!"
The apostle Paul apparently knew that he would receive "some flack" and negative reactions from some of the Corinthians concerning these "rules"--and particularly from "the prophets, and the tongue-speakers, and some of the women"--notes MacArthur. Just like the reactions we might expect as coming from those outsiders and even some church members in our day about such rules! But Paul held firm in his stand and wrote that those who had a problem with what he wrote "should recognize that the things that he wrote were from the Lord"!
Paul then closes out I Corinthians 14 by reiterating his wish that the Corinthians would "desire earnestly to prophecy, and yet not forbid speaking in tongues (presumably speaking in "other languages"), but again with a bottom-line understanding, and acceptance, of the importance of "doing everything properly and in an orderly manner"!
And that sets the scene for the apostle Paul to move from addressing church conduct to addressing church doctrine, and writing what many consider to be the most important chapter in the Bible, because it deals with the doctrine of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the ramifications this has for all of us as we contemplate what happens to us after this life on earth! MacArthur notes that Job raised this same proverbial question long ago: "If a man dies, shall he live again?" And then claims, and rightly so I would surmise, that "every human being with a functioning brain who has ever lived has raised (at some point) the question of immortality, if only to himself! "Is there life after death?" I Corinthians 15 answers that question directly!
As I shared with our group members Tuesday night, I distinctly remember grappling with this very question as a kid, and coming to the conclusion that there must be something out there after this life! It just never made sense to me to think that when one dies there's nothing more! No consciousness or awareness of anything! Just nothingness! A total void! For all eternity? Doesn't make sense!
And so the message from the Bible, and from I Corinthians 15 in particular, ought to fascinate, and reasonate, at some point and on some level, one would think, with every human being--since it addresses this crucial issue head on--and offers not only a logical alternative, but the greatest news one could ever hear! How there is, in fact, something after this life that's worth seeking and finding!
The apostle Paul begins his thesis by stating that he is "delivering" something to the Corinthians which is "of first importance"! Who could disagree?
It's about "the gospel"! The "good news" of the Bible! Which he says He "preached" to them, which they "received," and in which they "stand," and by which they were "saved, if they held fast to the word which he preached"! ("Holding fast" gave evidence of the genuiness of their faith and salvation, Paul noted!) And while he doesn't share from whom he received the gospel message here, it's clear from his other writings that he received it, as a revelation, directly from the Lord! In Galatians 1:11-12 he says, "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel that was preached by me is not according to man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation from the Lord!" (And it's a worhty reminder, as II Timothy 3:16-17 declares, to realize that "all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for showing us, among other things, what to believe and how to live!)
And what is that "gospel message" that Paul "delivered" (by inspiration from God)? Paul gives the most simple and explicit definition here in all the Bible! That "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"! Paul would later write, in II Corinthians 5:21, that "God (the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ, the Son) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him! John 3:16 say, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! And in John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!" Paul wrote in Romans 10:9 that "If you confess your sin and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!"
And so that's the basic message of the gospel! But the best news of all is that that Christ was resurrected from the dead, and that we too (as believers) shall rise and live eternally with God! Jesus told His disciple, in John 11:25, 15, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies!" And so the resurrection of Jesus Christ is centerpiece of I Corinthians 15, and of Christianity! Because He lives, we too shall live for all eternity! MacArthur notes that the resurrection "is the pivot on which all of Christianity turns and without which none of the other truths would matter"! It's foundational to the Christian faith, and that it's impossible to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ"!
And yet some of the Corinthians apparently didn't believe in the resurrection of Christ, while others believed in Christ's resurrection but not in the bodily resurrection of believers! They were influenced, among other things, by the philosophers of their day! Like the "men of Athens," and the Epicureans who Acts 17:32 says "sneered" when they heard the apostle Paul preaching in the midst of the council of the Areopagus about the "resurrection of the dead"! They didn't believe there was any kind of afterlife! And, sadly, some of this same skepticism and unbelief influenced the thinking of some of the believers, and infiltrated into the church of Corinth! Which was why Paul wrote II Corinthians 15! To set "the record straight" about the gospel of Christ and of the reality of the resurrection!
And he used the experiences and the testimonies of those who saw, and heard, and touched, and ate with the risen Christ! Evidence that would stand up in any court room hearing! (The historian Thomas Arnold of Oxford wrote, "I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is better proven by fuller evidence than the great sign that God has given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead!") And here's a summary of the evidence! "He appeared, Paul writes, to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now...then to James (the brother of Jesus,who apparently didn't believe until He saw the resurrected Christ"), and last of all to himself"!
- He first appeared to Mary Magdalene (in John 20:14-18), who reported to the disciples that she had "seen the Lord"!
- Then (in Luke 24:27) to "two men, including Cleopas, on the road to Emmaus, with Jesus "explaining to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures," whom they later recognized as the risen Christ, and recalled how "their hearts burned within them as He spoke"! (Love this account!)
- Then, in John 20:19-20. when He suddenly appeared in the midst of the disciples, except for Thomas (through "locked doors"), "showing them His hands and His side" with "doubting Thomas" later saying he would "not believe unless he would see the imprints on His hands..."!
- Then, in John 20:27 again to the disciples, this time with Thomas present, who "reached in to see His hands and His side," and could only offer a God-inspired response: "My Lord and My God"!
- Then appearing to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberius (in John 21) where they were fishing but caught nothing until Jesus told them to "cast their nets on the other side," resulting in catching so many fish that they "couldn't haul them all in"--and recognizing Him as their risen Master!
- Then, of course, in Acts 1, where He apppeared to His disciples again, just prior to ascending up into the clouds," but not before letting them know that "they would receive power after the Holy Spirit would come upon them and be witnesses for Him both in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth"!
- Last of all, he appeared to Saul (who became Paul) on the road to Damascus, and you know the rest of that story!
And so Paul presented His case to the Corinthians (in verses 12-19), speaking like an attorney, about the consequences if Christ wasn't, in fact, resurrected from the dead! (Note the sequence and the logic, and the sheer eloquence, of his case!) "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? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith is also vain! 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! For if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; and you are still in your sins! Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished! If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied!" Wow!
But Paul has something more to offer in next week's lesson that begs to be included in this lesson! And so I'm including it here as the cap-stone! And it's a "game-changer"! I Corinthians 15:20! "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep!" He is risen indeed!
The Bible Hub sums up I Corinthians 15 as "a powerful affirmation of our future hope in Christ! The reality of the resurrection assures us of our own resurrection and the ultimate defeat of death! As we journey through life, facing various trials and uncertainties, let us hold firmly (there it is again!) to the gospel of Christ, knowing that our labor is not in vain! Our future is secure in Christ--death is defeated, and victory is ours!
Wow! You get it? Among other things, understanding the reality, and the centrality of the resurrection should motivate us, like nothing else, to wnt to share the gospel (and II Corinthians 15!) with others, emphasizing the hope and victory found only in Christ!"
Looking forward to the Easter Concert where we can remember and recall again the awesomenss of the resurrection of Jesus Christ--and the "wonder of it all"!
And we can sing with real gusto: "Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, there is no greater thing! You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness...and I love you, Lord..."!
Happy Easter, fellow MOBsters! He is risen! Hallelujah!
Lowell
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