1 Corinthians 15:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

NIV: After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

NASB: After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

CSB: Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.

NLT: After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

KJV: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

NKJV: 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.

Apparently, some misunderstanding about the truthfulness of Christ's real, physical resurrection from the dead had crept into the Corinthian church, or at least confusion about the resurrection of the believers. Paul has insisted that in order to be saved, a person must believe the entire gospel, including Christ's death for our sin and resurrection from death by the power of God.

Now Paul has begun to make the case that belief in Jesus' physical resurrection from the dead should be achievable by those in the first-century church. They had the advantage of speaking directly to some who had seen Christ alive after His burial!

In the previous verse, Paul reminded them that Jesus appeared to Peter and the other disciples (1 Corinthians 15:5) before appearing to more than 500 others. Most of the people who saw Jesus alive after He was confirmed dead (John 19:34–35) were eyewitness to the truth that Jesus lives, though some of those witnesses had died already—"fallen asleep"—at the time Paul wrote this.

First Corinthians 15:1–11 describes the gospel as it was delivered to Paul and as he delivered it to the Corinthians. It begins with the death of Christ on the cross for our sins, but it continues to His burial and, significantly, His resurrection. The alive-again Christ appeared to many people still alive at the time Paul wrote his letter. Paul establishes that the Corinthians believed the gospel, including faith in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul will connect that faith to belief in the resurrection of all believers from the dead.

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 8:53:48 AM