New Life Bible Fellowship Church
10/18/2026

      • Psalm 89:5–8ESV

  • One Day When Heaven Was Filled
  • I Serve A Risen Savior

      • Luke 4:1–15ESV

  • Introduction:

    Last week, as we began this glorious chapter 15 on the resurrection, we examined the gospel of first importance: Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day—all according to the Scriptures. Paul listed the eyewitnesses: Peter, the Twelve, over 500 brothers at once, James, all the apostles, and finally Paul himself. The resurrection is historical fact, verified by living witnesses.
    But some in Corinth were saying there is no resurrection of the dead. They believed in Christ, they participated in the church, yet they denied bodily resurrection. Perhaps they thought the soul was immortal but the body disposable. Perhaps they believed they had already experienced spiritual resurrection and needed nothing more. This creates the perfect tension for Paul’s words here: They’ve heard the message, but they haven’t understood what it actually means.
    Paul will now show them the catastrophic consequences of their denial. If there is no resurrection, there is no gospel and the entire Christian faith collapses. Everything falls.
    Paul’s Corinthian readers thought they could accept Jesus’ resurrection while rejecting everyone else’s. But Paul will show them that these two beliefs cannot be separated. In fact, what we believe about our own future resurrection reveals what we actually believe about the gospel itself.
    Today we trace Paul’s devastating argument and his triumphant affirmation. If Christ has not been raised, we are lost. But Christ has been raised—and everything changes.
    Let’s open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15:12.

    Text: 1 Corinthians 15:12-28

    1 Corinthians 15:12–28 ESV
    12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

    Main Idea: Because Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection and demands that we live accordingly, it also initiates God’s plan to restore all things and defeat death itself.

    Background:

    1. The Problem Restated (v. 12)

    Some Corinthians denied the resurrection of the dead. They did not deny that Christ rose; they denied that dead believers would rise. This may seem illogical—how can you affirm Christ’s resurrection while denying resurrection generally?—but Greek philosophical assumptions made this possible.

    2. Greek Anthropology

    Greek thought typically viewed the body negatively:
    The body is a prison for the soul (σῶμα/σῆμα wordplay)
    Death liberates the soul from bodily existence
    Immortality belongs to the soul, not the body
    Bodily resurrection was crude, unnecessary, even repugnant
    When Paul preached in Athens, the audience listened until he mentioned resurrection—then some mocked (Acts 17:32).

    3. Corinthian Over-Realized Eschatology

    Some Corinthians believed they had already arrived spiritually (4:8). They may have thought:
    We already reign with Christ
    We have already experienced “resurrection” in conversion
    We are already spiritual beings
    Physical resurrection is unnecessary

    I. The Devastating Consequences of No Resurrection (vv. 12-19)

    Paul begins with a series of seven if-then statements to logically unpack this devastating consequence:
    12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
    Now (de [logical transitional conjunction]) - with verse 11 in mind (1 Corinthians 15:11 “11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”), Paul will now transition into the implications of what this means.
    κηρύσσεται (kēryssetai) — “Is proclaimed” - Present passive: Christ is continually proclaimed as raised. This is the standard apostolic message.
    ἐγήγερται (egēgertai) — “Has been raised” - Perfect tense again (as in v. 4): raised in the past, remaining raised now. This was the third essential element of the gospel.
    τινες (tines) — “Some” - Not all Corinthians denied resurrection, but some did. Paul addresses the minority view that threatens the whole church.
    ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν (anastasis nekrōn ouk estin) — “There is no resurrection of the dead” - They denied the general principle of bodily resurrection, not specifically Christ’s resurrection. But Paul will show that denying one entails denying the other.
    13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
    The Logic - If resurrection is impossible as a category, then Christ could not have risen. Christ was human; He died; if dead humans cannot rise, neither could He.
    14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
    (14) our preaching is in vain - κενόν (kenon) — “Empty / Vain” - Not merely ineffective but without content. If Christ is not raised, the apostolic message has no substance. It is hollow, meaningless.
    (15) found to be misrepresenting God - ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ θεοῦ (pseudomartyres tou theou) — “False witnesses of God” -
    The genitive could mean:
    False witnesses about God (testifying falsely concerning Him)
    False witnesses against God (contradicting His character)
    Both meanings apply. If Christ is not raised, the apostles have lied about what God did. This is a big deal, which Paul as a Jew, and anyone else in the church who were Jews would understand.
    Deuteronomy 19:15–19 ESV
    15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. 16 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. 18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
    Proverbs 19:5 ESV
    5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
    But Paul’s logic cuts both ways: If the apostles have not given false testimony about God (because he did raise Christ from the dead and the dead are raised), then those who say that there is no resurrection of the dead are guilty of being false witnesses against God and should not expect to go unpunished. The Corinthians denying the resurrection aren’t merely wrong theologically—they’re positioning themselves as false witnesses against God’s character and work.
    Paul continues to dig into the implications of denying the resurrection:
    16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
    (17) your faith is futile - ματαία (mataia) — “Futile / Worthless” - Stronger than κενός (“empty”). Not just contentless but useless—faith that accomplishes nothing.
    ἔτι ἐστὲ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν (eti este en tais hamartiais hymōn) — “You are still in your sins” - This is devastating. If Christ is not raised, His death did not atone for sin. You remain unforgiven, guilty, under condemnation.
    Romans 4:25 states: Christ “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Resurrection validates the atonement. Without resurrection, the cross is just another execution.
    18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
    οἱ κοιμηθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ (hoi koimēthentes en Christō) — “Those who have fallen asleep in Christ” - Believers who have died. “Sleep” is a Christian euphemism for death—temporary rest awaiting resurrection.
    ἀπώλοντο (apōlonto) — “Have perished” - From ἀπόλλυμι (“to destroy, to perish”). If there is no resurrection, deceased believers are not sleeping—they are destroyed, gone forever.
    ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων (eleeinoteroi pantōn anthrōpōn) — “More pitiable than all people” - Christians sacrifice for a hope. They suffer for Christ. They deny themselves. If this life is all there is, they have given up present pleasures for nothing. They are fools to be pitied. Then all that the world says about us is true, we are morons without the resurrection.
    Praise the Lord, Paul does not leave us there, for he states:

    II. The Glorious Reality of Christ's Resurrection (vv. 20-23)

    20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
    Νυνὶ δέ (Nyni de) — “But in fact” - The triumphant reversal. The hypothetical disaster is not reality. Christ has been raised. This is the present reality!
    ἀπαρχή (aparchē) — “Firstfruits” - Agricultural term from the OT sacrificial system. The firstfruits were the first portion of the harvest, offered to God, guaranteeing that the full harvest would follow (Lev 23:10-11).
    Leviticus 23:10–11 ESV
    10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
    Christ is the first of the resurrection harvest. His rising guarantees the rising of all who belong to Him.
    21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
    Adam-Christ Typology - Paul develops this more fully in Romans 5:12-21. Two representative heads:
    Romans 5:12–21 ESV
    12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
    In Adam: all die (death enters through his sin)
    In Christ: all are made alive (resurrection comes through Him)
    πάντες... πάντες (pantes... pantes) — “All... all” - The scope differs:
    “All die in Adam” = all humanity (universal)
    “All made alive in Christ” = all who are in Christ (believers)
    The parallel is representative headship, not universalism. Verse 23 clarifies: “those who belong to Christ.”
    ζῳοποιηθήσονται (zōopoiēthēsontai) — “Will be made alive” - Future passive: God will give resurrection life. This is eschatological—at Christ’s coming.
    23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
    τάγμα (tagma) — “Order / Rank” - Military term: troops in formation. Resurrection happens in ordered sequence.
    παρουσία (parousia) — “Coming / Arrival / Presence” - Technical term for Christ’s return. At His appearing, the dead in Christ will rise (51).
    This reality is not just hope for us to look forward to, but it is part of a greater purpose in God’s eternal plan that he will bring about:

    III. The Final Victory (vv. 24-28)

    24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
    (24) Then - When all of those in Christ are made alive after the order of Christ, the firstfruit, at his appearing.
    (24) comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father - Paul is describing the culmination of history, the moment when Christ’s mediatorial work reaches completion. The “delivery” of the kingdom doesn’t mean Christ surrenders authority he currently possesses; rather, it signifies the moment when the work of redemption and cosmic restoration becomes fully accomplished.
    (24) after destroying every rule and every authority and power. - καταργέω (katargeō) — “To destroy / To abolish / To render inoperative” - Christ will abolish all hostile powers—spiritual and structural—that oppose God’s reign.
    (25) put all his enemies under his feet - Psalm 110:1 Allusion - “Until he has put all his enemies under his feet” echoes Psalm 110:1, the most-quoted OT verse in the NT. Christ reigns now and will continue until all enemies are subdued.
    Psalm 110:1 ESV
    1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
    (26) ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς... ὁ θάνατος (eschatos echthros... ho thanatos) — “The last enemy... death” - Death itself is an enemy. It is not natural, not good, not merely transition. Death is hostile to God’s purposes. And death will be destroyed.
    Death itself stands as the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor 15:26), making clear that Christ’s mediatorial (acting as an intermediary, go-between, or reconciler) reign targets not merely political or spiritual opposition, but the fundamental disorder introduced by sin. The church benefits from this reign—Christ was given as head over all things to the church, which is his body (Eph 1:20–23)—but the scope extends far beyond the church to encompass cosmic restoration.
    Ephesians 1:20–23 ESV
    20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
    Verses 24–26 describe the culmination and purpose of Christ’s mediatorial reign.
    Christ currently reigns, actively subduing his enemies (1 Cor 15:24), but we do not yet see everything in subjection to him (Heb 2:8).
    Hebrews 2:8 ESV
    8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
    This is the tension Paul establishes. When the end comes, Christ will deliver the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power (1 Cor 15:28)—this describes the completion of a process already underway, not its commencement.
    27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
    Psalm 8:6 Citation - “God has put all things in subjection under his feet” quotes Psalm 8:6, which speaks of humanity’s dominion. Paul applies it to Christ, the true human, who fulfills what Adam failed to achieve.
    Psalm 8:6 ESV
    6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
    it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. - the all things in subjection does not include the Father since Christ’s mediatorial reign—his work of subduing enemies and restoring creation—serves the Father’s purposes and ultimately displays the Father’s glory.
    The Son’s Subjection to the Father - When Christ has completed His mediatorial work, He will hand the kingdom to the Father.
    The ultimate purpose becomes clear in verse 28: when all things are subjected to Christ, the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28).
    This isn’t Christ losing authority; rather, it describes the restoration of perfect cosmic order where the Father’s sovereignty encompasses everything, including Christ’s mediatorial work. Christ’s reign serves a purpose beyond itself—the establishment of God’s complete and undisputed dominion over all creation. Christ willingly operates within this framework, which is why his subjection to the Father represents not humiliation but the perfect fulfillment of his mediatorial role, and preserves the doctrine of the Trinity and God’s ultimate sovereignty.
    (28) ἵνα ᾖ ὁ θεὸς πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν (hina ē ho theos panta en pasin) — “That God may be all in all” - The goal of redemption: God’s uncontested, unmediated, complete reign. No enemy, no rebellion, no death—God is everything in everything.
    So verses 24–26 reveal the trajectory of Christ’s present reign: it moves toward a definitive conclusion where all opposition ceases, death is eliminated, and God’s authority becomes visibly supreme across all creation.

    So What?

    Do we understand what is at stake—our faith and subsequent hope is grounded in Christ’s resurrection?
    Resurrection is not a secondary doctrine. Remove it and Christianity collapses—preaching is empty, faith is futile, sins remain, the dead have perished. Guard this truth.
    He is risen—perfect tense: raised and remaining raised. Your faith rests on historical fact, not wishful thinking.
    Christ is firstfruits. The first sheaf guarantees the full harvest. If He rose, you will rise. Your future is as certain as His past.
    Do we understand that there are only two humanities—those dying in Adam and those made alive in Christ?
    Which humanity represents you?
    Do we understand that Christ is reigning now, subduing every enemy, and realize that death the last enemy will also be subdued?
    He rules at the Father’s right hand, subduing every enemy. We live between His resurrection and His return—already victorious, not yet complete.
    Death is not natural, not friend, not release. It is enemy—and it will be destroyed. The grave will not have the final word.
    Do we understand that we are to look forward to God being all in all?
    History has a goal: God’s uncontested, unmediated reign. Every enemy abolished, every knee bowed, God everything in everything. This is where we are headed.

      • 1 Corinthians 15:12–28ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:12–15ESV

      • Deuteronomy 19:15–19ESV

      • Proverbs 19:5ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:16–19ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:20ESV

      • Leviticus 23:10–11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:21–22ESV

      • Romans 5:12–21ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:23ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:24–25ESV

      • Psalm 110:1ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:26ESV

      • Ephesians 1:20–23ESV

      • Hebrews 2:8ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:27–28ESV

      • Psalm 8:6ESV

  • Because He Lives
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
dick.bickings@gmail.com
(302) 945-8145
https://newlifebfcde.org
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