1 Corinthians 15:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

NIV: For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

NASB: For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised;

CSB: For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

NLT: And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.

KJV: For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

NKJV: For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

This restates the first implication of the idea that Christians will not be resurrected from the dead, even in the end times: If the dead are not raised, then Christ was never raised from the dead. Paul does not allow for the possibility that Christ's resurrection was somehow special and different from the resurrection of those who would believe in Him. Either both resurrections are valid, or neither is.

Paul has already followed that idea to its logical conclusion in one direction—without a resurrected Christ, the gospel is false and all who teach it are lying and all who believe it are deceived. In the following verses, he will explore the implications of worthless faith in a worthless, resurrection-free gospel.

This also reiterates the idea that Christianity is not, and has never been, a blind faith with no connection to either evidence or reason. Scripture itself ties the truth of the gospel to an objective historical claim—something few, if any, other religious faiths would dare attempt.

First Corinthians 15:12–34 describes all the implications for Christians if there is no resurrection, at all. Most importantly, that would mean that Christ was not raised from the dead. If Christ was not raised, then Paul's preaching of the gospel was false, and the faith of those who believed it was worthless. All remain in their sins. Christ, though, was raised from the dead, and when He returns for those who are His, all who have died in Christ will be resurrected to new life, as He was after the crucifixion. Finally, Christ will reign on earth before delivering the kingdom to the Father.

Paul provides thorough teaching about the resurrection of Christians from the dead. This is a direct counter to some group of Corinthians who did not believe in such a resurrection. He shows that natural death is not the end of life for Christians; it is the last step before receiving a glorified, resurrected body like that of the risen Christ. That ''spiritual'' body will be as different from our current bodies as a star is from a fish. In that moment, for all who have believed in Christ, living and dead, death will be defeated for good.

In chapters 12, 13, and 14, Scripture focused on the concept of spiritual gifts and how best to use them. This follows several other ideas where Paul corrected errors in the Corinthians' thinking. Chapter 15 contains extensive teaching on one last issue about which some Corinthians were confused or misled. Apparently, they harbored some doubts about the physical resurrection of Christians from the dead. After clearing up these confusions, Paul will address various other items, of a less doctrinal nature, and close out his letter.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.

Accessed 5/6/2024 12:44:21 AM