The gospel is our power, our promise, and our proclamation to others.

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview July 25, 2010 "Can I Believe in Resurrection?" Background: 1 Corinthians 15:1-16:24 Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, 12-18, 50-52, 54b-57 Motivation: If we reduced all that we believe into a simple statement, what would it look like? It would certainly include vss. 3-4 of this lesson. The gospel is our power, our promise, and our proclamation to others. Christ's resurrection validates the gospel. I. Yes, Christ Was Resurrected (15:1-28) A. The Essence of the Gospel (15:3-4) Theologians speak of the kerygma, the core message of early apostolic preaching (Acts 2:14-40; 3:23-26; 4:5-12; 7:1-53). In verses 3-6 we have the clearest and most concise description of the kerygma. " First of all " (1) refers to the gospel as of first importance. Throughout the verses he says " according to the scriptures " which refers to the Old Testament prophecies. (Ps. 22; Isa. 53) 1. "Christ died for our sins" 1 / 21

2 a. His death - Christ's death is an absolute necessity for His resurrection to be a reality. (He b. 10:10, 12, 14) b. His atonement - Christ's death was for a reason - it paid the penalty for our sins (Romans 3:25; I John 2:2). Because of "our sins," His sinless life and substitutionary death was absolutely necessary. (I John 3:5) 2. "and that he was buried" - Christ's burial confirms His death. (Acts 2:24-28) 3. "And that He rose again the third day" (Acts 1:3) a. Personal Resurrection: Ten separate post-resurrection appearances by Christ confirm the reality of His bodily resurrection. b. Prophetic Resurrection "according to the scriptures" (4) Some of the prophecies would include Ps. 16:9-11, 68:18, 110:1; Is. 53:10; Jonah 1:17, 2:10 (cf. Luke 11:29-30; Matt. 12:39-40); Hos. 6:2; Mark 8:31; Luke 24:26-27; John 19-21; Acts 2:25. B. The Eyewitnesses to the Gospel (5-8) In Paul's chronological listing of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, he omits the testimony of the women because he is presenting a case as a legal defense and female testimony was not permitted in court. This is not an exhaustive list, but one which contains numerous credible eyewitnesses. C. Power Of The Gospel (15:9-11) 2 / 21

3 1. The Power to Change Lives - "Who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God " (9) - From persecutor to proclaimer, Paul was a living example of God's power. In Acts, Luke didn't sugarcoat the truth, " As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison " (Acts 8:3). 2. The Power to Channel the Light "... I labored more abundantly than they all..." (10) Paul could have been claiming to work harder than any other one or harder than all the others combined. Few would dispute his claim. (2 Cor. 11:22-30). 3. The Power to Charge the Laborers "...yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me... so we preach and so you believed. " (10b-11) - Where did Paul get the strength to do so much? He was certainly empowered by Christ's example and love (2 Cor. 5:14); he had the overwhelming sense of Christ's dwelling in him (Galatians 2:20). The Holy Spirit empowered Paul (ICor. 2:4). Also, he had a single mindedness that allowed him to focus his energy on his mission (Philippians 3:13-14). The same power that energized Paul can empower us today to share the same truth. (Acts 1:8; John 17:17) 3 / 21

4 D. The Error of the Gospel (15:12) 1. Philosophy - Paul wrote to the Colossians, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. " (2:8, NIV). The heresy of Corinth seems to be based on Greek philosophy, the belief that the soul lives on, but, the body, being evil, is destroyed. We see this as Paul preached to the philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens, " When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered..." (Acts 17:32, NIV). This account is a reminder that the Word of God should rule. 2. Preaching - "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead..." The Corinthians knew that Paul had preached on this very subject. Yet, the Corinthians were ignoring the preaching and trusting in "conventional wisdom." (I Cor. 2:1-14; Col. 2:1-3) 3. Problem - Paul felt that this was a major problem which must be taken to its logical conclusion - its application to Jesus. Resurrection of the dead referred to a bodily resurrection. Greeks thought this to be absurd because of the body's inevitable decay. Christ's resurrection body, however, was not the same as His earthly body (John 20:19, 26; Luke 24:31). The Corinthians were making an assumption that contradicted God's demonstrated work. (Luke 20:27-40; Col. 2:9) 4 / 21

5 4. The Implications of the Problem (15:13-19) a. The Resurr b. The Resurr c. The Resurr d. The Resurr e. The Resurrectio f. The Resurrectio g. The Resurrectio h. The Resurrectio III. dead The Foundations of the Gospel (15:20) "But now Christ is risen from the..." In contrast to the speculation of the Corinthian philosophers, Paul makes a clear statement of historical fact " Christ is risen." The concept of first-fruits comes from a practice during the Feast of Passover which was held at the beginning of the barley harvest. 5 / 21

6 In Leviticus 23:10, 11, the law stipulated that the first fruits of this harvest were to be brought to the priest who prepared and, ground them to flour and offered them to God. IV. The Implications Of The Foundations (15:21-28) Paul provides in these verses a grand sweep of history starting with Genesis and ending in R evelation : A. Sin and Death Came by Man's Choice "by man came death" In Genesis 3:19 we read of the curse of sin. Original sin means that we are all born with a predisposition to sin; it is an inevitable part of our lives (I John 1:8). Individually we each choose to sin and come to an age of accountability for that sin. B. The Punishment For Sin Was Conquered On The Cross "In Christ all shall be made alive " (22) Physical death will not be overcome until the end of the age (v. 26). This refers to spiritual death and life. Just as sin is the deadly virus that causes spiritual (and ultimately physical) death, so Christ's atoning work on the cross is the antidote which gives spiritual life. The antidote must be received; the cure applies only to those "in Christ." C. A Glorious Reunion Awaits Christians "at His coming" (23) At the appointed time in God's plan, the church will be raptured to be "united with Christ." (I 6 / 21

7 Thes. 4:16-18). Following this, the world will experience seven years of tribulation. Then comes the Second Coming of Jesus to reign as the Millennial King. (Ps. 24) D. Christ Defeats All Enemies Including Death (24-27) In fulfillment of prophecy (Ps. 8:6, 110:1), Christ reigns until all enemies are brought into subjection (Philippians 2:9-11). (Rev. 13:8) The last most stubborn enemy is death; but it, too, will be destroyed (26). Note: Next week's lesson will deal extensively with this point. E. Christ Will Model Submission To The Father (28) "that God may be all in all&qu ot; projects as far in the future as the Bible goes (cf. Rev. 21:3; Eph. 2:7; Heb. 1:3); Isa. 65:17; John 17:5, 22) V. Yes, We Will Be Resurrected (15:29-58) A. Encouragement to Believe The Truth (15:29-34) 1. If The Resurrection Is Not True, Then... a. Why Do We Practice Baptism? (29) The ordinance of baptism loses its meaning without the resurrection. b. Why Do We Stand In Jeopardy? The incident that Paul references in Ephesus, "I have fought with beasts 7 / 21

8 ," is not specifically recorded in Acts although he refers again in 2 Cor. 1:8-10 to a " deadly peril." Roman citizens could not be forced into the arena; but, then again, they were not supposed to be beaten either. (2 Cor. 11:25). The point of the example is this: if there is no resurrection, and this life only do we live, then why am I risking my life for the gospel? (Mark 10:28-30) c. Why Do We Inconvenience Ourselves? In verse 32, he quotes Jesus' example of the rich man in Luke 12:19 (other Biblical allusions to this phrase are found in Isa. 22:13, 56:12; Ecc. 2:24, 3:12, 5:18, 8:15, 9:7). If there is no resurrection, then it makes sense to get every pleasure possible from this life. Such a philosophy breeds selfishness and inward-focusness. If, in fact, we believe in the resurrection, then we must follow Jesus in denying ourselves for the sake of the gospel. (Luke 9:23; Matt. 16:24-27) 2. If The Resurrection Is True, Then... a. We Must Be Selective In Our Company "Evil company corrupts good habits" is a quotation from the Greek poet, Menander. Paul uses the quote to remind the Corinthians that even secular society recognizes this truth. Keeping company with people who deny the resurrection cannot help but affect one's thinking. Once again, Paul is not speaking of unchurched people, but of heretical Christians (5:9-10). We are to be salt and light in the world and intentionally build bridges to unbelievers. (I Thes. 5:22) 8 / 21

9 b. We Must Pursue Righteousness And Flee Sin A belief in the resurrection goes hand in hand with a belief in final judgment. I f we do live again after death, then we are accountable for the way we live. c. We Must Acknowledge Christ's Presence In Believers Those who denied the resurrection were those who " do not have the knowledge of God." If they were, in fact, believers, they would have Christ's presence in them, a constant reminder of His resurrection. (Heb. 13:5) B. The Question (15:35) Actually, two questions are raised: how and what. Greek philosophers argued for the immortality of the soul but the destruction of the body. The Saducees saw resurrection as entirely non-personal; immortality was only realized in the future of the nation of Israel. Having established the basis of resurrection in Jesus Christ, Paul now turns attention to the application of the resurrection to each person. C. The Answer (15:36-44) 1. The Resurrection Body Must Be Understood Spiritually "Foolish one" (36) - Proverbs presents the concept of fool as one who is unteachable (12:15, 14:16, 15:5, 17:10, 17:16, 18:2, 23:9; Ps. 14:1etc...) 9 / 21

10 Paul instructs the Corinthians to open their minds to a new concept, to think in spiritual terms. 2. The Resurrection Body Results From Supernatural Change "But God gives it a body " (36-38) - One doesn't plant a kernel of wheat expecting to get in return a single kernel of wheat. In the same way, our resurrection body is related to our physical body (Jesus was recognized, He ate, He bore physical scars); 3. The Resurrection Body Is Separate From The Physical "All flesh is not the same flesh " (39) - The Bible raises more questions than it provides answers on this topic. Obviously, Jesus' resurrection body was of a different "flesh" from ours! He ate fish, traveled, heard and saw. Yet, He also seemed to vanish, walk through walls & ascend into heaven. 4. The Resurrection Body Is Superior To The Physical(40-44) "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory " (43) - Life is characterized by growth and development. Paul portrays death for the Christian, not as the end, but as a necessary stage to our further development. D. The First Adam And The Last Adam (15:45-49) 10 / 21

11 Verse Adam Jesus 1. Source 45 "living being" "life-giving Spirit" 2. Sequence 46 first last 11 / 21

12 3. Substance 47 "made of dust" "Lord from heaven" 4. Shape 49 pattern for physical body pattern for Spiritual body 5. Spirit 49 made in His physical image 12 / 21

13 reborn in His Spiritual image E. The Reason (15:50) "... flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God..." Our physical bodies, corrupted by sin, are not suited for the perfection and everlasting nature of heaven. A change is absolutely necessary. F. The Mystery (15:51-54) 1. The Rapture Is Saving "We shall not all sleep" 2. The Rapture is Sudden "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." Where as death has afflicted humanity over thousands of years, the rapture changes that inevitability for Christians. 3. The Rapture Substitutes Our Glorified Bodies "This mortal must put on immortality." All Christians must be changed into an incorruptible body in order to inhabit heaven. For most Christians this will happen through death. For those in the Rapture, this will happen in a moment of time. 4. The Rapture Shows Christ's Successful Work "Death is swallowed up in 13 / 21

14 victory " (54 note: Isaiah 25:8, Rev. 20:14) Victory will gain a whole new meaning. G. The Victory (15:55-57) Paul uses a quotation from Hosea 13:14 to mock death: 1. The Sting of Death - Hebrews 2:15 speaks of the mission of Jesus "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Psychiatrist Gregory Zilberg writes " Fear of death is present in our mental functions at all times." When Paul asks, " Death where is your sting? " he may be alluding to a bee stinger which, once used, is rendered impotent. 2. The Strength of Sin - Galatians 3:24 reminds us "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." If we allow the law to guide us to faith in Christ, then it is a gentle tutor. If we trust in the law to make us right before God, then it is a harsh schoolmaster, Romans 3:20 reminds us, " Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The "strength of sin is the law " because the law sets a standard that we cannot maintain. Therefore, the result of trusting in the law will always be sin, guilt and shame. 14 / 21

15 3. The Victory of Christ - Paul uses victory three times in four verses. The Greeks valued competition and victory. As Bonnie and I walked through the Parthenon in Athens we saw the temple to the winged goddess of victory, Nike a form of the Greek word for victory. With this triumphant shout of praise, Paul concludes this section on the resurrection. After resurrection, we have eternal life! H. Giving Ourselves (15:58) 1. Faithful "be steadfast" Often, the best ability is dependability, doing what you say you'll do, continuing until the task is completed. Jes us spoke of the sprouting seed that withers in the heat (Matthew 13:5-6). Christians must be willing to overcome discouragement in order to remain steadfast. 2. Fastened "immovable" Our security is based on our trust in Jesus Christ. W e must be fastened to the Rock in order to be immovable. Paul cautions that we not be like a " children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine..." (Eph. 4:14) 3. Fruitful "always abounding in the work of the Lord." a. Power - The first requirement of fruitfulness is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Powe 15 / 21

16 r is available to every Christian who prays. (Ephesians 1:19-21, 5:18; Matthew 7:9-11; Acts 1:8; Phil. 3:10) b. Priority - Matthew 6:33 commands us to seek first God's Kingdom. "Only one life twill soon be past, only what's done for God will last." (Eph. 2:8-10) c. Perspective - "Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" IV. Yes, There is More to Do (16:1-24) A. Giving Our Resources (16:1-4) "Now concerning the collection for the saints&qu ot; introduces a new theme for a particular need. 1. Christian Giving Is A Priority" "as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia " (1) Christianity is based on giving (John 3:16). Financial giving is not the exception, but the expected (Gal. 2:10; 2 Cor. 8 and 9; Rom. 15:25; Acts 24:17). In verse 2 we read, " let each one of you". We're all responsible to give. 2. Christian Giving Is A Part Of Worship" "On the first day of the week&quot ; (2) The day for worship changed from Saturday to Sunday for those converted from Judaism. 16 / 21

17 3. Christian Giving Is Planned "let each one of you lay something aside... that there be no collecting when I come " (2) Pau l didn't want to resort to last minute emotional appeals. The motivation for giving shouldn't be an urgent need or a persuasive speaker; rather, giving should be by a conviction from God that is the right thing to do. Giving must be planned in advance relative to a total personal spending plan. 4. Christian Giving Is Proportional "storing up as he may prosper" Although this particular passage is dealing with a love offering, over-and-above giving to support the local church, the principle of proportionate giving fits well with the doctrine of the tithe. Tithing is God's plan for supporting His work (Lev. 27:30-32; Malachi 3:8-11; Matt. 23:24; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 6:38; Heb. 7:4-10.) Christians cannot think to do less under grace that Old Testament Jews did under the Law. 5. Christian Giving Must Be Protected "whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem & quot; (3) Money given to the church deserves to be handled with the utmost integrity and responsibility. God will deal severely with people who mishandle resources dedicated to Him. (Acts 5:1ff) B. Helping Others Serve (16:5-18) In this section, we are privileged to read a few pages from Paul's travel diary. What do we learn? 1. Examples of Service (5-12) a. Paul 17 / 21

18 1. His ministry was accomplished wherever he went "...when I pass through Macedonia..." (5) 2. His ministry to one church provided a springboard to new ministry - "that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go..." There were people in the Corinthian church who wanted Paul to stay. He reminds them that he has ministry on the way to Corinth (Macedonia) and ministry after Corinth. 3. His ministry brought revival and opposition "for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries " (9) God's Holy Spirit brings revival; however, Satan will oppose an outbreak of revival with all his might. b. Timothy (10-11) - Thinking of the contentious Corinthian church, Paul may have felt that he was throwing young Timothy to the wolves (I Tim. 4:12). He cautions the church to respect Timothy as a man of God. c. Apollos (12) - Here's an example where two widely respected preachers both felt that they knew God's will, but disagreed. Paul evidently felt strongly that Apollos should go to Corinth; Apollos felt just as strongly that the time was not right. It's instructive to us that Paul deferred to Apollos, acknowledging that it is each person's own responsibility to discern God's will where God's Word is not definitive. d. Exhortation to the Saints (13-18) Paul issues five commands in rapid order; the first four all have military overtones. 18 / 21

19 1. "Watch" - Ezekiel was called to be a watchman (Ezek. 3:17). Jesus commanded us to watch and pray (Matt. 26:41). Christian's must be alert to opportunity as well as temptation. 2. "Stand Fast" - For a soldier to stand his ground required courage, stamina, and commitment. 3. "be brave" - Many of God's choice servants had problems with fear (Joshua, Timothy - II Tim. 1:7) 4. "be strong" Nehemiah 8:10b "The joy of the Lord is your strength.&q uot; 5. "act in love" - Paul reprises the theme of chapter 13. His example is Stephanus. Evidently this man, or members of his household, brought Paul information that furnished the occasion for I Corinthians. As a result, some could bear hard feelings against Stephanus as a "tattletale." In verse 18, Paul writes to acknowledge them for their true desire to make the church stronger. C. Conclusion (16:19-24) - Paul writes the closing remarks in his own hand to authenticate the letter. In verse 22, he uses two words that require explanation. Believer' s Study Bible, p. 1646: 16:22 " Accursed' or anathema (Gk.) means set aside for judgment.' O Lord, come!' is a translation of the single word 19 / 21

20 maranatha, which is Aramaic and which was probably commonly used in prayer, expressing a desire for the Lord's return. (Rev. 22:12) The term may be translated either until He comes' or, simply, come'." (Gal. 1:8-9) Application: 1. Christ's resurrection is a true fact of history. 2. Christ's resurrection is the proof of our future resurrection. 3. Christ's resurrection motivates us to pray, give & serve today. Leader Pack: Item 12: Handout: "Elements of the Gospel" Illustrator: (no article) Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 2010 Dates: 6/3-8/5 - MetroLIVE in the City; 7/21 - Midsummer Night Thing; 7/ HUB Rush Week; 7/25 - Stuart Rosberg will be preaching; 7/30 - Children's Family Mission Day; 7/ / 21

21 - Spamarama Missions Lock-in; 8/1 and 8/8 - David Self will be preaching; 8/9 - Fuller Seminary Conf. with Dr. Reggie McNeal; 8/13 - Children's Back to School Bash; 8/15 - Curt Jones will be preaching; 8/15 - Promotion Sunday; 8/17 - FBA First Day of School; 8/18 - HUB Summer Rush Celebration; 8/22 - Back to School Sunday; 8/25-11/17 - Fall Midlink; 8/29 - Summit Up. 21 / 21