New Life Bible Fellowship Church
10/11/2026

      • Psalm 46:8–11ESV

  • Across the Lands
  • Come People of the Risen King

      • Luke 3:1–22ESV

  • Introduction:

    We know come to one of the most important chapters in all of the New Testament. This chapter called “The Resurrection Chapter” as we will see does not happen in a vacuum nor is it parenthetical.
    In all that has been said by Paul over the past 14 chapters, Paul is about to address—not as an abstract theological problem, but as a crisis threatening the Corinthian community’s very foundation.
    The Corinthians’ confusion about the resurrection isn’t simply one issue among many they face; it strikes at the heart of the gospel itself. Remember that throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul has been addressing practical problems—divisions over leaders, sexual immorality, disputes over food and lawsuits, confusion about spiritual gifts. But now, as he reaches the letter’s climax, he’s circling back to something more fundamental.
    The crucifixion and resurrection function as “sentinels” guarding the gospel, laying theological foundations for the church’s life and ministry while protecting it from error and division. This is crucial context: all those earlier problems Paul addressed—the status-seeking, the self-centered use of spiritual gifts, the failure to love—these stem from a deeper confusion about what the gospel actually means. Some Corinthians are exploiting spiritual gifts to enhance their status and tailoring their beliefs to match their culture, failing to live in the love Paul describes in chapter 13; they’re trapped in a system of conventional wisdom with its rewards and punishments, from which Christ’s death liberates us.
    So we begin chapter 15 by posing this question: What does it mean that Christ rose from the dead—and what difference should that make in how we actually live together as a church? This frames 15:1–11, The Gospel of First Importance, not as Paul defending a doctrine, but as him calling the Corinthians back to the power that should transform their entire existence.
    So this morning, we will see:
    The Gospel Delivered and Received (vv. 1-4)
    The Eyewitnesses (vv. 5-8)
    The Grace That Transforms (vv. 9-11)
    Let's open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15:1

    Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

    1 Corinthians 15:1–11 ESV
    1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy 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. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

    Main Idea: Since the gospel—Christ's death for sins, burial, and resurrection—is of first importance, it has the power to transform sinners into saints.

    Background:

    The Corinthian church’s confusion about resurrection didn’t emerge in a vacuum—it grew directly from the cultural soil of their city and the worldviews converts brought with them into the faith.
    On the specific issue of resurrection, influenced by Greek philosophy, some church members argued that the soul (immortal) returns to God but the body is mortal and descends into the grave, with the soul raised to eternal life while the body is annihilated. By denying bodily resurrection, the Corinthians were apparently still under the sway of their former pagan religious and philosophical views, as most of the Greco-Roman world believed in some form of post-mortem consciousness. Additionally, some reinterpreted resurrection by saying Christ’s resurrection was spiritual and that with Christ they were spiritually raised at baptism, making the resurrection already accomplished with only passing significance.
    The deeper issue was spiritual immaturity meeting cultural pressure. Paul’s restatement of the gospel in 15:1–11 wasn’t defending doctrine in the abstract; he was calling them back to a vision of redemption that claimed their entire selves—body and soul—and demanded they live differently than their culture.

    I. The Gospel Delivered and Received (vv. 1-4)

    1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
    Now (de [continuative conjunction]) - with all that has been said, I want to circle back to basics.
    γνωρίζω (gnōrizō) — "To make known / To remind" - Paul is not introducing new information but reminding them of what they already know and believed.
    εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) — "Gospel / Good news" - The noun form of the verb εὐαγγελίζω ("to proclaim good news"). This is not merely information but the saving announcement of what God has done in Christ.
    παραλαμβάνω (paralambanō) — "To receive / To take over" - Technical term for receiving tradition. The Corinthians received the gospel from Paul; Paul received it from those before him.
    ἑστήκατε (hestēkate) — "You stand / You have taken your stand" - The perfect tense indicates a past action with continuing results. They took their stand in the gospel and continue to stand in it. The gospel is not just their starting point but their ongoing foundation.
    2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
    σῴζεσθε (sōzesthe) — "You are being saved" - Present tense: salvation is ongoing. They are in the process of being saved through the gospel. This assumes perseverance.
    The tenses of our salvation:
    The present participle “are being saved” points to an ongoing process, not a completed transaction—and Scripture consistently presents salvation across three distinct temporal dimensions.
    The past component involves justification—what God accomplished decisively through Christ’s death and resurrection. Believers have been saved through faith by grace (Ephesians 2:8–9),
    Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
    8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
    and those justified by Christ’s blood are secured from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9–10) This is settled, accomplished, unrepeatable.
    Romans 5:9–10 ESV
    9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
    The present component encompasses sanctification—the continuous work of transformation occurring now. Believers are being transformed into Christ’s image from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18),
    2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
    18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
    and they work out their salvation while God works within them (Philippians 2:12–13).
    Philippians 2:12–13 ESV
    12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
    This is the “being saved” Paul emphasizes in 15:2—an active, progressive conformity to Christ that demands our participation and perseverance.
    The future component involves glorification—the final, complete salvation awaiting believers. God’s power guards believers through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5),
    1 Peter 1:5 ESV
    5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
    and what believers will be has not yet appeared, but when Christ appears they shall be like him (1 John 3:2).
    1 John 3:2 ESV
    2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
    Salvation is nearer now than when believers first believed (Romans 13:11).
    Romans 13:11 ESV
    11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
    This three-fold understanding transforms how the body of Christ understands their spiritual lives. They’re not waiting passively for future salvation while resting on past conversion; they’re actively participating in present transformation, held secure by what Christ accomplished and moving toward what He will complete. The gospel’s power operates across all three dimensions simultaneously.
    κατέχω (katechō) — "To hold fast / To retain / To keep possession of" - From κατά ("down, firm") + ἔχω ("to have"). To hold onto something firmly. The gospel must be retained, not abandoned.
    εἰκῇ (eikē) — "In vain / Without purpose / Randomly" - If they do not hold fast to the gospel, their belief was empty, purposeless, without genuine faith.
    3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
    παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi) — "To deliver / To hand over / To transmit" - Technical term for transmitting tradition. Paul faithfully handed on what he received.
    first importance - ἐν πρώτοις (en prōtois) — "Among the first things / As of first importance" - This phrase can mean:
    Chronologically first: "among the first things I taught you"
    Priority: "as of primary importance"
    Both meanings work, but the emphasis is on priority. This is the foundational gospel—the truth of first importance.
    παραλαμβάνω (paralambanō) — "To receive" - Paul received this gospel. From whom? Ultimately from Christ (Gal 1:12), but also through the apostolic community (Gal 1:18-19).
    Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν (Christos apethanen) — "Christ died" - The first of four verbs in the creedal formula. The death is historical fact.
    ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν (hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn) — "For our sins" - The death was substitutionary and atoning. Christ died for sins—dealing with them, bearing them, removing their penalty.
    κατὰ τὰς γραφάς (kata tas graphas) — "According to the Scriptures" - Christ's death fulfilled Scripture. It was not accident but fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. Compare Isaiah 53:5-6, 12.
    Isaiah 53:5–6 ESV
    5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
    Isaiah 53:12 ESV
    12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
    4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
    ἐτάφη (etaphē) — "He was buried" - The second verb. The burial confirms the reality of death. Christ truly died—He was dead enough to bury.
    The burial also prepares for the significance of the resurrection: the tomb that received His body would be found empty.
    ἐγήγερται (egēgertai) — "He has been raised" - The third verb—and the crucial one. Note the tense: perfect. - The perfect tense indicates a past action with continuing results. Christ was raised in the past and remains raised. He is not merely "risen" as a past event but "raised" as an ongoing state. The resurrection is not just history; it is present reality (compare Lazarus, in John 11).
    The passive voice indicates God raised Christ. The resurrection is God's act, vindicating His Son.
    τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ (tē hēmera tē tritē) — "On the third day" - A specific historical claim. Not vaguely "after some time" but precisely "on the third day."
    κατὰ τὰς γραφάς (kata tas graphas) — "According to the Scriptures" - The resurrection, like the death, fulfilled Scripture. Possible references include Psalm 16:10; Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17 (cf. Matt 12:40).
    Psalm 16:10 ESV
    10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
    Jonah 1:17 ESV
    17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
    Matthew 12:40 ESV
    40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
    Summary of the Gospel: (three verbs of the Gospel, with a fourth used to verify its truth)
    Christ died for our sins => Substitutionary atonement
    He was buried => Confirms reality of death
    He has been raised => Ongoing state—He remains alive
    He appeared => Historical verification as we see next by:

    II. The Eyewitnesses (vv. 5-8)

    5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
    ὤφθη (ōphthē) — "He appeared / He was seen" - The fourth verb. From ὁράω ("to see"). The passive form (ὤφθη) is used for divine appearances in the LXX (Gen 12:7; 17:1; Exod 3:2). Christ appeared—He allowed Himself to be seen, He made Himself visible.
    Exodus 3:2 ESV
    2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
    Κηφᾶς (Kēphas) — "Cephas" - The Aramaic name for Peter (from כֵּיפָא, kēphā', "rock"). Peter was the first apostolic witness to the resurrection (cf. Luke 24:34).
    Luke 24:34 ESV
    34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
    τοῖς δώδεκα (tois dōdeka) — "To the Twelve" - The apostolic group, though technically only eleven at this point (Judas having died). "The Twelve" had become a technical designation.
    6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
    ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ (epanō pentakosiois adelphois ephapax) — "To more than five hundred brothers at one time" - This is remarkable. A mass appearance to over 500 people simultaneously. This is not found in the Gospels but is historical testimony Paul includes.
    οἱ πλείονες μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι (hoi pleiones menousin heōs arti) — "Most of whom are still alive" - Paul is essentially saying: "If you doubt this, go ask them." The witnesses are available. This is not legend but living memory.
    ἐκοιμήθησαν (ekoimēthēsan) — "Have fallen asleep" - A euphemism for death common among Christians. Death for the believer is "sleep"—temporary, awaiting resurrection.
    7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
    Ἰάκωβος (Iakōbos) — "James" - Almost certainly James the brother of Jesus, who became leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; 21:18; Gal 1:19; 2:9). Before the resurrection, Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5 “5 For not even his brothers believed in him.” ). James's transformation into a leader of the church is best explained by the resurrection appearance.
    τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν (tois apostolois pasin) — "To all the apostles" - A broader group than "the Twelve"—perhaps including others like Barnabas, Andronicus, and Junia (Romans 16:7 “7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.” ).
    8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
    ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων (eschaton de pantōn) — "Last of all" - Paul's encounter with the risen Christ was the final apostolic appearance. There would be no more resurrection appearances of this kind.
    ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι (hōsperei tō ektrōmati) — "As to one untimely born" - The word ἔκτρωμα means "miscarriage," "abortion," or "untimely birth" (a child not coming to full gestation). It is a shocking, self-deprecating term. Paul sees himself as an abnormality among the apostles—one who did not follow the normal path of discipleship but was dramatically and unexpectedly brought to faith.
    It has been said that the resurrection is one of the most verifiable events in all history, as this list emphasizes:
    Multiple witnesses
    Various groups (individuals, small group, large crowd)
    Hostile witnesses (James, Paul—both initially unbelievers)
    Living witnesses available for questioning

    III. The Grace That Transforms (vv. 9-11)

    9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
    For (gar [explanatory conjunction]) - Paul is expanding verse 8 to show the transformational power of the resurrection.
    ὁ ἐλάχιστος (ho elachistos) — "The least" - The superlative of μικρός. Paul considers himself the smallest, the lowest, the least significant of the apostles.
    ἱκανός (hikanos) — "Worthy / Sufficient / Fit" - Paul is not merely humble; he considers himself genuinely unworthy. His past disqualifies him—or would, apart from grace.
    ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ (ediōxa tēn ekklēsian tou theou) — "I persecuted the church of God" - The reason for his unworthiness. Paul was not merely a skeptic but an active persecutor. He tried to destroy the very church he now serves (cf. Gal 1:13, 23; Phil 3:6; Acts 8:3; 9:1-2).
    Acts 8:3 ESV
    3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
    What was it that brought about this transformation? For certain, it had no human origin, it had to be diametrically opposite to any human achievement…
    10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
    χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι (chariti de theou eimi ho eimi) — "By the grace of God I am what I am" - This is one of the most powerful statements of grace in Scripture. Paul's identity is entirely constituted by grace. He is what he is not by achievement, merit, or qualification but solely by God's grace. Instead of God’s judgment, Paul received God’s mercy and salvation.
    ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ... οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη (hē charis autou... ou kenē egenēthē) — "His grace toward me was not in vain" - Grace was effective. It produced fruit. It did not fall on barren ground.
    περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα (perissoteron autōn pantōn ekopiasa) — "I worked harder than all of them" - Grace did not make Paul passive. It made him extraordinarily productive. He labored more than all the other apostles.
    οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί (ouk egō de all' hē charis tou theou hē syn emoi) — "Not I, but the grace of God that is with me" - Immediately Paul qualifies: even his hard work was not his own achievement. It was grace working in him. Grace is both the source and the sustainer of all Paul is and does.
    Philippians 2:12–13 ESV
    12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
    11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
    εἴτε... εἴτε (eite... eite) — "Whether... or" - It does not matter whether the Corinthians heard the gospel from Paul or from the other apostles. The message is the same.
    οὕτως κηρύσσομεν (houtōs kēryssomen) — "So we preach" - All the apostles preach the same gospel. There is no Pauline gospel versus Petrine gospel versus Jacobean gospel. One gospel, one message, one proclamation.
    οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε (houtōs episteusate) — "So you believed" - The Corinthians believed this gospel. If they now deny the resurrection, they are abandoning the faith they professed.

    So What?

    Do we understand that we are to grip the gospel tightly, and allow the resurrection to transform our entire existence?
    We must recognize that the gospel is not just for salvation but also is the very foundation on which we stand each day.
    The resurrection isn’t merely a past event to believe in or a future hope to anticipate—it’s a present power that should be reshaping conduct now.
    Do we understand that we must recognize grace as the foundation of our usefulness?
    What has God’s grace accomplished in you?
    In what one area of your life have you been stubborn about allowing God’s grace to work?
    Paul’s example shows that worthiness doesn’t determine effectiveness—grace does. You may feel inadequate for ministry or witness, but Paul’s model invites us to stop measuring ourselves and start trusting God’s empowerment.
    Do we understand that we are to pass on what we’ve received?
    Paul’s gospel, which hinges on Jesus’ resurrection, was the one he himself “received” in the tradition of the very early church, and this gospel alone gives shape to Christian living and value to Christian hope.
    We have received this gospel; now we’re responsible for faithfully transmitting it to the next generation—not as our own invention, but as the unified proclamation of the entire apostolic tradition.
    Romans 1:16 ESV
    16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

      • 1 Corinthians 15:1–11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:1–2ESV

      • Ephesians 2:8–9ESV

      • Romans 5:9–10ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 3:18ESV

      • Philippians 2:12–13ESV

      • 1 Peter 1:5ESV

      • 1 John 3:2ESV

      • Romans 13:11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:3ESV

      • Isaiah 53:5–6ESV

      • Isaiah 53:12ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:4ESV

      • Psalm 16:10ESV

      • Jonah 1:17ESV

      • Matthew 12:40ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:5ESV

      • Exodus 3:2ESV

      • Luke 24:34ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:6–8ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:9ESV

      • Acts 8:3ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:10ESV

      • Philippians 2:12–13ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:11ESV

      • Romans 1:16ESV

  • My Hope Is In The Lord
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
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