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No.23.
pp. 203 - 207
It is evident that the first epistle to the Corinthians came into being by reason of the
problems of the church at Corinth, made known to Paul by the household of Chloe (1: 11)
or by the questions they themselves had sent him (7: 1). Chapter 15: 12 informs us that
there were some at Corinth who disbelieved the resurrection from the dead, and as this
great doctrine is fundamental to the whole purpose of God, the Apostle devotes a long
section to its consideration. The fifteenth chapter is divided into three parts:
(1)
verses 1-11, the evidence and the importance of the resurrection of Christ in
connection with the gospel.
(2)
verses 12-34, deal with the fact of the resurrection of Christ and of man.
(3)
verses 35-58, the manner of the resurrection.
Paul commences by drawing attention to the gospel he preached. In his first letter,
Galatians, he had made it quite clear that he had received it directly by the Lord's
revelation, and not through any human instrumentality (1: 11, 12). The resurrection of
Christ was the fundamental basis of this good news:
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He hath been
raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (I Cor. 15: 3, 4 R.V.).
This good news he had handed on to them "first of all". "First" here may indicate
priority in importance, as well as time and this gospel was clearly made known in the
O.T. Scriptures. Paul does not quote any particular passage, but redemption and
atonement in the O.T. is clearly linked with death and could not be experienced apart
from it. The Passover is directly mentioned in I Cor. 5: 7 and the Apostle evidently felt
there was no need to back his statement up with O.T. details, for it was so obvious.
It is interesting to note the stress on burial, for this confirmed the reality of both death
and resurrection. Christ must have really died, if He was buried, and resurrection was the
taking up again of the life He laid down voluntarily on our behalf (John 10: 17, 18). As
both sin and death are the great enemies of God, His age-long purpose, and His people,
the death of Christ and His resurrection is obviously God's answer to these tremendous
problems. Nor could they have been dealt with and abolished in any other way.
Paul now brings forward the testimony of eye-witnesses, many of whom would have
been still alive at this time. To gainsay this, the Corinthian objectors would have to
maintain that the whole of the number were either deceived or liars upon whom no
reliance could be placed. First in the list of appearances of the Lord is that to Peter
(Cephas). Peter was certainly known at Corinth as 1: 12 and 9: 5 clearly indicate:
Luke 24: 34 reveals that Christ did appear to him. It may be that Peter is put first,
because of the prominent position he held in the affairs related in the early chapters of the
Acts of the Apostles, as the Apostle of the circumcision (Gal. 2: 7, 8).