“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God.”
1 Corinthians 15:14-15a
Those who attack the gospel often focus their attention on whether Jesus actually rose from the dead or not. Paul links the gospel with Jesus’ resurrection (Romans 1:4), acknowledging it was so critical that if Christ had not been raised, our faith is in vain.
Think about what this means. “If the resurrection of Jesus actually happened, then nothing else matters. If the resurrection of Jesus did not actually happen, then nothing else matters” (Jaroslav Pelikan, 1923-2006).
Paul stands firm because he knew that each of the apostles had seen Jesus as their risen Lord. Many of these same apostles chose to die rather than renounce Him.
Michael Horton, in The Gospel-Driven Life, points us to the gospel’s roots in history. “Christianity is not a resource to spirituality, … but a dramatic story at the heart of which is the claim that during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Jesus was crucified for our sins and, after three days, was raised bodily from the dead” (2012).
Think about what this means. “If the resurrection of Jesus actually happened, then nothing else matters. If the resurrection of Jesus did not actually happen, then nothing else matters” (Jaroslav Pelikan, 1923-2006).
Paul stands firm because he knew that each of the apostles had seen Jesus as their risen Lord. Many of these same apostles chose to die rather than renounce Him.
Michael Horton, in The Gospel-Driven Life, points us to the gospel’s roots in history. “Christianity is not a resource to spirituality, … but a dramatic story at the heart of which is the claim that during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Jesus was crucified for our sins and, after three days, was raised bodily from the dead” (2012).
Scripture Focus
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Insight
“The gospel is not speculation but fact. It is truth because it is the record of a Person who is Truth.” (Alexander Maclaren, 1901)
Bible In A Year
- 1 Samuel 7-8
- Psalm 123
- 2 Corinthians 13
