Day 148 – Friday, July 25, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

1 Corinthians 15

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹ Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 

(1 Corinthians 15:1–11, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This chapter speaks of hope. Paul tries to establish the hope of eternal life found through Christ. He starts out talking about the gospel he preached, which—if one believes—will save the soul.
• He outlines this gospel, speaking of Christ’s vicarious death, His temporary burial, and His triumphant resurrection. He was seen by many afterward, and eventually by Paul on the road to Damascus.
• Paul admits that he is the least of all the apostles. But by God’s grace, he is able to preach the gospel and lead the people to salvation.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope

¹² Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! ¹⁸ Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 

(1 Corinthians 15:12–19, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul turns his attention back to the risen Christ, confirming the resurrection. If Christ was not resurrected, then we have no hope for salvation, the message preached by Christians is false, and no one will go to heaven.
• He sums up this argument by saying that if we have hope only in this life, we are worthy of great pity.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰ But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸ Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 

(1 Corinthians 15:20–28, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul then affirms strongly that Christ did raise from the dead, and that He was the first fruits of all the resurrected. Adam brought death, but Jesus brought life.
• Jesus will deliver the earth from the enemy and to the Father. All enemies will be under His feet.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

²⁹ Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? ³⁰ And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? ³¹ I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ³² If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

³³ Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” ³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. 

(1 Corinthians 15:29–34, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Those who deny the resurrection have no hope, and are operating in futility. Paul would not be fighting the fights he did in defense of the gospel if there was no resurrection.
• He then warns the Christians not to associate with evil company, for they do not know God and will corrupt their lives.

A Glorious Body

³⁵ But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” ³⁶ Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. ³⁷ And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

⁴⁰ There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are ²made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 

(1 Corinthians 15:35–49, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul then leads into a discussion of the resurrected body. Just like a seed cannot produce new life unless it dies in the ground, a physical body must be changed into a spiritual, glorified body.
• The dead in Christ are resurrected to an incorruptible body. The human body dies in weakness, but is raised in power. The natural body becomes spiritual in the resurrection.
• Adam became a living being, but Christ became a life-giving spirit. “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, so we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Our Final Victory

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

(1 Corinthians 15:50–58, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This final section is a song of triumph over death. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but we shall be changed at the resurrection.
• When the last trumpet sounds, we will be raised incorruptible. Corruption will put on incorruption, and mortal will put on immortality. When all this is completed, we will gladly and triumphantly say, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
• The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law. The victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Finally, Paul encourages the Corinthians to be faithful, steadfast, immovable, completing the work of the Lord. Our labor is not in vain!

__________________________________________________________________________

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.