1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-10

SOMETHING TO SHARE

 

Have you done any sharing this week?

If you think about it, you probably have.

I thought about it a little this week, and I shared:

·       My wife with our Son Mark and his family.

·       Our money with our children and with the Lord.

·       My time with my grandchildren, with those who grieved, with those who needed to be encouraged and with those who needed counseling.

·       My talents with you, the people at Riverclife annex, and those at Nelda’s funeral.

 

It is good for us to share, and at Easter we are reminded that we as Christians have something to share with the rest of the world.

 

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, God shows us three things which God has given us Christians which we can share with others.  Just as we teach our children that it is kind to share what they have, we need to remember that it is kind for us to share what we have in Christ. The three things found in our text which we can share are:

 

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION Vss. 1-4

THE REALITY OF RESURRECTION Vss. 5-7

THE REALITY OF REGENERATION Vss. 8-10

 

As you know, 1 Corinthians 15 is the "Resurrection Chapter" of the Bible.  The Corinthians were not struggling with the doctrine of Christ's resurrection. They were struggling with the doctrine of their own resurrection. 

 

In order for Paul to teach them about their own resurrection, He begins with reminding them of the basis for their resurrection.  The basis for their resurrection and ours, is Christ's resurrection!

 

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION Vss. 1-4

 

Vs. 1 - Paul begins with a reminder here.  He is reminding them of the glorious good news, or Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

 

Paul had won many of the Corinthians to the Lord, and this was the message that he used.  Paul hadn't changed his message, and the Gospel message hasn't changed in 2,000 years.

 

He preached the Gospel!  How very important that is!

 

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

 

Acts 4:12 -  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

Equally important to the preaching of the Gospel is the receiving of the Gospel by faith. Paul preached it, the Corinthians received it.

 

John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

Just as a gift isn't ours until we accept it.

Neither is salvation until we accept it.

 

Notice also that the Corinthians were standing in their salvation.

It wasn't just saying a prayer, or walking an isle, and then forgetting the decision which had been made.  It was a matter of standing on, or relying on the decision that was made to trust Christ.

 

Vs. 2 - Was Paul teaching that you can lose your salvation?

Of course not! Paul was saying that a person who is truly saved, continues to stand on and trust in Christ!

There are many who make a mere profession, but show                                                                 no staying power.  They make a profession of faith and  

then disappear!  However, someone truly saved shows

change, and God keeps them to the end!

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

Vs. 3 - Paul says he delivered the Gospel "first of all".

When Paul visited the Corinthians, he shared the Gospel before anything else because it was more than anything else.

Let us remember that the Gospel is the most important thing that our unsaved loved ones, friends and acquaintances need to hear.

He had received Christ on the Road to Damascus.

He had received teaching from the Lord in Arabia.

He then shared what he had received for himself and learned from God.

The Gospel must first be received.

There is a learning process that is to go in the life of every Christian.

We are to share what is real in our own lives!

 

Vss. 3-4 - Now, here is the Gospel of redemption.

It is so simple.

It is summed up in three very short sentences.

 

CHRIST DIED.

CHRIST WAS BURIED.

CHRIST ROSE AGAIN.

 

...Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

 

The Scriptures here refers to the Old Testament.

The Old Testament through the various sacrifices, like the Passover, pictures the death of Christ.  Also, there are direct prophecies concerning the death of Christ.  Here is a very familiar one:

 

Isaiah 53:3-6 - He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

The Old Testament Scriptures not only predicted the death of Christ for our sins, but also His resurrection.

 

Isaiah 53:10-11 - Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

 

Psalm 16:10 -  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 

So, you send your check to the power company, how do you know the company accepted your check?  The lights stay on!

 

Christ died for your sins. How do you know God accepted the payment?

 

Through the resurrection, of course!

 

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION

THE REALITY OF RESURRECTION Vss. 5-7

 

Alexander Maclaren said, "A DEAD CHRIST COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN THE BASIS OF A LIVING CHURCH."

 

If Christ had not risen, the disciples would not have risked life and limb to take this message to the world.

 

Here, Paul cites many, but not all of the resurrection appearances of the Lord Jesus.

 

Vs. 5 - He was seen by Cephas, or Peter.

           This happened the very first day!Why Peter? 

After Judas, he had been the biggest failure among the disciples. He needed to sense forgiveness.

He needed to see the reality of the resurrection the most!

 

He was also seen by the twelve. This was a collective term used for the Apostles. Although, at this point there were only eleven.

I think the appearance being referred to is the upper room.

 

John 20:19-20 - Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them [his] hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

 

Vs. 6 - As Paul is bringing forth his witnesses of the resurrection, he includes an astounding event.  There was a time, not recorded anywhere else, when Jesus appeared to some 500 believers at one time.  Most of the witnesses were alive at the time Paul wrote, although a few had gone  home to be with the Lord. They were asleep.

 

As Alexander MacLaren pointed out, Sleep is a beautiful picture of a believer's death.

·       When one is asleep, he is no longer conscious of his surroundings. Neither are we when we pass away.

·       When one is asleep one is at rest.  The dead Christian is at rest in the presence of God.

·       When one is asleep he continues to live.

     When the Christian is dead, his spirit lives on in the   presence of Christ.

·       When one is asleep, a person will wake up.

     When we, as Christians are dead, our bodies will awake

      at the resurrection. "The dead in Christ shall rise first."

 

Vss. 7 - He was seen of James.  There are several mentioned in the New Testament. I feel that it's more than likely that the James mentioned here is the Lord's half-brother, Mary and Joseph's son.  He was the head of the Jerusalem Church, and the author of the Epistle of James.

 

He and other siblings of the Lord Jesus were not believers in the Gospels.  As Jesus appeared to an unbelieving Paul, it seems that he appeared to an unbelieving James as well. Both became believers.

 

Paul then mentions another meeting with all the apostles.

 

Acts 1:3 - To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

 

Let's face it, the resurrection is a reality. The proof is there.

It is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus that gives us hope for our own resurrection!

 

John 14:19  - Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

THE REALITY OF RESURRECTION

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION

THE REALITY OF REGENERATION Vss. 8-10

 

Paul has one last witness of the resurrection to mention.

It is himself!

Paul did not encounter his risen Lord until years later.

But when he did, he showed the world the power of God's

regeneration!  When he was born-again, there was change!

N.A.S.B. - And last of all, as it were to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.

 

Perhaps Paul considered it an "untimely" birth or a miscarriage, because he was not your typical apostle.  An apostle was a person who was a witness of the Lord's resurrection, sent forth to tell what he had seen.  The others had seen Jesus before his ascension, Paul saw Him after His ascension into Heaven.

 

Vs. 9 - Paul knew he was forgiven, but he never forgot what he once was, a persecutor of the Christ.  Remember, Jesus asked Paul, "Why persecutest thou me." Through   persecuting a believer, a person persecutes Christ!” 

 

Although you and I are forgiven, we too, should never forget, just how lost and miserable we were before we came to know Christ.

 

Paul realized how unworthy he was. We should realize how unworthy we are.

 

Vs. 10 - Who gets the credit for Paul being gloriously saved?

Who gets the credit for Paul being a great missionary?

Who gets the credit for Paul being a great theologian and writer of Scriptures.

Who gets the credit for Paul being a great pastor?

 

It is God who gets the credit!

Paul was saved because of God's unmerited favor extended toward Paul.

Paul was an apostle and all the other things we just mentioned because of the grace of God.

Paul didn't deserve any of it, but God gave it all!

 

Paul could say, "By the grace of God, I am what I am."

 

Paul could say "I labored more abundantly than they all."

 

Paul could say, "Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

 

What about your life?

What has God done for you?

How has He changed you?

How has He used you?

 

Does the reality of regeneration show in you life?

Then you have something to share with others.

They should want what you have in Christ.

 

SOMETHING TO SHARE:

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION

THE REALITY OF RESURRECTION

THE REALITY OF REGENERATION