1 Corinthians 15:12-34

(1 Corinthians 15:12-34)

 

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.  Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our LORD, I die daily.  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

 

When the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian Church, there were many stories about Jesus' resurrection within the Corinthian Church. They confused the believers and the church by making various speculations and claims about the resurrection. So, Paul spoke firmly to the members of the Corinthian church who doubted the resurrection of Christ. Jesus Christ was clearly resurrected. There were more than 500 witnesses who witnessed his resurrection, and more than half of those witnesses were alive, so they could testify directly of Jesus' resurrection at any time.

 

The Apostle Paul once again confirms the Gospel of Christ's death and resurrection to the members of the Corinthian Church. Paul clearly preached the gospel of Christ's death and resurrection and built their faith on it. If there is no resurrection of the dead, if Christ did not live again, then all Christian faith would collapse in one moment. He said, "If all we hope for in Christ is the life of this world, we will be more poor among all people." If the resurrection is not true, it means that Christians who hope for the next life on the basis of that resurrection will be the poorest. “But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of the sleeping.” The resurrection is a fact.

 

Resurrection is not something that will happen in the future, it is a present resurrection. Those who have died with Jesus Christ have a present resurrection (rebirth). The believers who live believing in the present resurrection do not expect for the future, that is, do not just believe that they will live again. will be. The reason that Paul was able to give up his prosperous and honorable life and live a life of vocation, headed to Jerusalem despite the detention of many saints, and did not stop preaching the gospel until he was beheaded was because of the faith of the present resurrection.

 

Those who are in Christ died with Jesus, resurrected together, and seated together in heaven. Romans 7:4 says, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 』. 『Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 』(Rom. 6:8), and 『And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 』( Ephesians 2:6) He said, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 』(2 Corinthians 13:5), Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) If you hear, know, and believe the power of the resurrection, you will not go the way you want to live.

 

Paul said to the Philippian church, "I want to know that I will share in Christ's resurrection power and suffering." He always wanted to know now. We too must have a desire to know Christ every day. It is not to know the knowledge and information of Christ, but to personally know Him and enter into it. So, we want to know the power of resurrection and participation in suffering. If Jesus really died for me, I would be compelled to know His suffering. Otherwise, you are in contradiction in reality. Otherwise, you have to repent of the means of life.

 

Many people want to know Paul's letter, but very few people want to live that way and see it that way. It is to study what salvation Paul refers to, but few will live like Paul. This means that it can be the leaven and hypocrisy (hypocrisy, contradiction) of the Pharisees that Jesus is talking about. Paul confessed, "I die every day." If you do not die every day, there is no daily resurrection. Jesus said daily that unless you deny yourself, you are not worthy unless you take up your cross.

 

Jesus was resurrected, but the disciples did not recognize him every time he appeared. The Lord left nail marks and bowel marks in his hand. No matter how much we say that we are spiritually changed, those who do not have Jesus' nail marks and intestines have never been saved. No spirituality can erase the traces of the cross. Even if he enters Canaan, he makes him live in a cottage, saying, ``Dwell in a cottage once a year, do not set your heart on the house of your success or the house of comfort. He told them not to forget that they lived in the wilderness after they pitched their tents. Only when there is a wish, ``I die every day,'' this writing comes into my eyes.

 

We must try to find the place in us that this Word becomes life and dies day by day. Those who visit the place every day will be able to know whether the life that controls us is the life of the spirit or the life of the soul. The soul's life becomes "I will live every day." A soulful being is trying to find a more comfortable and satisfying way, a better way. That is the body. The fleshly thoughts must die. Become enemies with God. The body always wants to be comfortable. He who is in the flesh, everything is my center. Even if Jesus preached the Gospel, "I have come to this earth to suffer as a ransom, and I will die and rise on the third day", like Peter, people of the flesh will say, "Don't do that, this should never happen to you." '

 

In Matthew 16:23, ``But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 』Like Peter, who went with Jesus every day, staying in the flesh has not changed. He is merely a body that has no choice but to think about human affairs. The problem of sin is dealt with only when our body is united with Jesus, who died on the cross. No matter how high the knowledge of the Bible is without going through the process of the tomb, the body is not processed even if you experience miracles throughout your life.

 

In 16:24, ``Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 』This is salvation. When all our thoughts, choices, and opinions come from the soul, we perish. By the way, if you live while thinking about “Is the content correct or wrong,” you will deceive yourself. The thoughts of the flesh become enemies with God. Peter lived with Jesus for three years, but he couldn't get away from the thoughts of his flesh. Salvation can live only through the process of death that is united with the death of Jesus. “No one will come to me unless the Father leads us.” Without repentance and self-denial, we cannot enter the process of death.

 

Jesus confirmed again before he died on the cross. “In a little while, you cannot come on my way. But after a while, you can come.” The Lord said to his disciples, "Follow me," but before the cross, he said, "You cannot follow me now." He said, “All will forsake me”. Everything is an opportunity of repentance for salvation. Peter said, "I will follow you to death." But they all ran away. The fleshly man cannot follow Jesus' words. We can live only when we see the fruit and realize what kind of tree we are. That is why we can live only when we realize it and repent. Repentance is self-denial and taking up one's cross. Without repentance, life regenerated by the Holy Spirit cannot come out.

 

Those who repent do not do it to be saved, but become followers of the cross of Jesus, who died because of me. The Gospel of Luke said, "Every day, take up your cross and follow me." Jesus chose twelve disciples and said, ``Do you think that I am here to bring peace, I have come to throw swords into the world'',
He said, "The family members of the household will be their enemies." In order to become a disciple of Jesus, it means giving up your fleshly thoughts. But people say, "That's what the disciples do, and how can we do that?" It is the image of the unrepentant. You cannot be saved unless you become a disciple of Jesus. To be saved, you must become a disciple.