This Sunday we continue our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul has been clearly and faithfully addressing the divisiveness they seem to have shown to one another. He has done so in talking about the gifts of the Spirit and reminding them that they are connected as the Body of Christ.
In this week’s text, Paul returns to one of the central disagreements present for the Corinthian community. He does so building on last week’s reminder about going back to the basics. He does so by starting with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (CEB)
12 So if the message that is preached says that Christ has been raised from the dead, then how can some of you say, “There’s no resurrection of the dead”? 13 If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christ hasn’t been raised either. 14 If Christ hasn’t been raised, then our preaching is useless and your faith is useless.15 We are found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, when he didn’t raise him if it’s the case that the dead aren’t raised. 16 If the dead aren’t raised, then Christ hasn’t been raised either.17 If Christ hasn’t been raised, then your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins, 18 and what’s more, those who have died in Christ are gone forever. 19 If we have a hope in Christ only in this life, then we deserve to be pitied more than anyone else.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died.
Consider these questions:
- How do you understand the idea of “resurrection?” What are some common misunderstandings of resurrection?
- Why do you think the concept of resurrection from the dead was controversial to Paul’s audience? Do you think it is controversial or debated today? If so, why?
- Paul’s point in verse 19 suggests that Christ’s resurrection gives hope for this life and the next. We often focus on the hope of eternal life. How does Christ’s resurrection also give hope for the life we live here and now? How is our hope connected to Jesus’ resurrection?
- Why do you think Paul is so insistent that our faith is worthless (v. 17) without the resurrection of Christ?
- Is the resurrection of Jesus important in your faith? If so, in what way is it important?