The resurrection of Christ was proclaimed eagerly by the early church. This miracle was considered an essential part of the gospel message. Surely Christ had died, but more importantly, He had been raised. More than just a suffering Savior, Jesus is our living Lord.
Here are 10 facts about Christ’s resurrection that Paul highlighted in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:4
Christ’s resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures (Ps. 16:10).
1 Corinthians 15:5 – 8
The risen Christ appeared to more than five hundred witnesses, including Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:14, 15
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the gospel message is pointless, empty, and dishonest. Jesus Christ would not be alive, interceding for us, and we would not be able to place our hope in a glorious future with Him. The Resurrection is central to the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:17–19
According to Paul, “if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (15:17; see Rom. 4:25). Christ’s resurrection, not merely His death on the Cross, secured our justification. His resurrection was a sign of God’s approval of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. In short, no Resurrection equals no forgiveness of sin.
1 Corinthians 15:20 –26
The resurrection of Christ was designed to reveal what lies ahead for those who put their trust in Jesus (15:20 –57). Paul called Christ “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (15:20). This Old Testament image (see Ex. 23:16 –19) means that Christ serves as both an example and a guarantee of what we can expect. Because He has conquered death (15:26, 27, 54 –57), we need not fear death. Because He now enjoys a glorified body, we also can expect to inherit a “spiritual body” (15:44 – 46) after this mortal one wears out.
1 Corinthians 15:42
Our dead, physical body will one day be resurrected.
1 Corinthians 15:43, 44
We will once again be both material and immaterial beings, our soul being reunited with our resurrected body.
1 Corinthians 15:45
The power behind this marvelous, yet mysterious, event is Jesus, the self-declared “resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
1 Corinthians 15:51–54
Our physical body will be altered and changed to prepare us for the life to come. If Jesus is the prototype, we will still be recognizable, but our new body will be capable of supernatural activities (see Luke 24:31, 36, 51).
1 Corinthians 15:53
Our resurrection will take place when Jesus returns (see 1 Thess. 4:13 –18).
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This commentary is from the New King James Study Bible. With more than 2 million copies sold, it’s no secret that the NKJV Study Bible is a reliable guide for your journey into God’s Word. This Bible provides a complete resource for study, including thousands of notes, articles, extensive cross-references, and features contributed by top evangelical scholars.
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