Such is the testimony of the Gospels and of the Acts.  We now turn our

attention to the testimony of 1 Corinthians 15, and although we shall not be

able to deal with the individual references in the epistles and in the book

of the Revelation, we will, however, provide a set of references to

facilitate the search and study of those Bereans who wish to consider the

glorious erection built upon the great and blessed fact that 'Now is Christ

Romans 1:3,4; 4:17-25; 5:10; 6:4,5,9,10-12; 7:1-7; 8:11,23,24; 10:7,9.

Ephesians 1:20; 2:6; 4:8; 5:14.

Philippians 2:9; 3:10,11.

Colossians 2:12,13; 3:1-4.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

2 Timothy 1:10; 2:8,18.

Hebrews 7:16,23-25; 11:11,12,19,35; 13:20,21.

1 Peter 1:3,4,11,21; 3:18-22.

Revelation 1:5,18; 11:11,18; 20:4-6,12,13.

Let us now turn our attention to the structure of this chapter.  Most

of our readers are aware of the fact that there is an underlying structure

beneath the wording of the Scriptures, which if discovered, so emphatically

indicates the Divine disposition of subject-matter, as to render

all man made outlines of secondary value.  First let us consider the chapter

as a whole.

A1

The evangelical importance, and the evidence of the

historical fact of the resurrection.

A2

The interrelation between the resurrection of the

believer and the Lord 'Christ the Firstfruits'.

A3

The manner of the resurrection

'With what body do they come?'

One of the first things that strikes the reader is that the apostle

does not proceed to deal with resurrection as the hope of the believer until

he has given sufficient evidence that the resurrection of Christ was an

accepted historic fact.  The salvation of the believer, the integrity of the

apostle, and the gospel which he preached depends upon this, so that if the

resurrection is disproved, his preaching would be not only in vain, but he

and his fellow-preachers would be found false witnesses of God (verses 12-

'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached

unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which

also ye are saved' (1 Cor. 15:1,2).

This is evidently intended to be the introduction to a most serious

proposition, and the verses that follow show the reason for this approach.

In the gospel that Paul preached, he declared, 'I delivered unto you first of

all that which I also received', and a reference to 1 Corinthians 11:23, 'For

I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you', leaves no

doubt in the mind as to the apostle's meaning here in 1 Corinthians 15:3.

The gospel that Paul preached, in the next place, was 'according to the

Scriptures', so on these two counts, whatever he declared to be the gospel,