Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:1-58

Key Verse 15:57

In this passage Paul teaches us what we should do with resurrection faith, that is, give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, and do this always.

Read verses 1-11. Verse 3 says Christ died “for our sins”. Put yourself in the shoes of Christ. What might it be like for one to die for someone else’s sins? Yet, why did Jesus die for our sins? (4,56)

** No one wants to lose. Everyone is self-seeking. Dying for someone else’s sins represents the ultimate act of [self-sacrificing] love. It then requires a lot of love and faith on the part of the one who does this. 

** He did it in order to give us an eternal break from the life of sin. As we believe in what Jesus did for us, God is willing to forgive us of all of our sins, so there would no longer be condemnation for our sins. God will continue to look at what Jesus did for us, and wait for us to repent and believe in his sin-forgiveness, so we would eventually stop sinning, and live as children obedient to Him and his precepts.

Read verses 12-34. In verse 17 Paul says, “…you are still in your sins.”  In verse 34, Paul says, “stop sinning.” Although the Apostle Paul says, “stop sinning,” why do many (even among church-goers) keep sinning? Why should we stop sinning? What is the alternative to the life of sinning? With what consequences?

** It is because they are ignorant of God (his sin-forgiving love, his purpose and will for his children, that is, to give them eternal life in his eternal presence). 

** The consequences are reducible to one word: “death” [here death refers to disconnection from God]. 

** Life that is obedient to God the Father.

** The consequences are reducible to one word: “life” in Jesus Christ. The details are found in verses 20-34. Key components include: a) resurrected life as Jesus is going to come again; b) the privilege to participate in the perfected world to come where God is going to be all in all. 

 

Read verses35-57. In verse 35 Paul asks two questions. How are they related? What is Paul’s answer to each of these questions? (36-37; 38-57)

** The first question (“How are the dead raised?”) is more general, broad and fundamental than the second (“With what kind of body will they come?”). 

They supplement each other in that the second question answers what the first question asks. But the first question addresses the misconception that what is glorious may not come out of what is ugly.

** Answer to the first question is found in verses 35-37. Consider: 

the body we have now vs. the body that will be; 

the body we have = seed

the process of the body starts up and running (upon birth) and stops functioning (upon physical death) is called an act of “sowing”;

sowing is for the sake of reaping

This analogy is indicative of the theory that says that life in a physical body represents the opportunity for us to prepare ourselves for the next world to come. 

** The answer to the second question is found in verses 38-57. Paul’s point is simple: the body that will be, will be the same as that of the Risen Jesus (made eternal which is free from any possibility for becoming worse; this body is durable for good, for it will be updated to be infinitely perfect.)

Memorize verse 58 and think about the exhortation to “always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord.” What is the work of the Lord? The expression “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” indicates that certain labors will turn out to be in vain. What are they? 

** To live by faith in Him. And by faith in Him do his work that is bringing all people to the Lord. 

** The labors that are not in the Lord. 

The end

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