When scripture said Christ was gloriously raised

The writings of Paul are sometimes hard to understand, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:16. We read in verse 15 of second Peter 3 that wisdom was given Paul to fulfil his part of the inspired scriptures.

It is very interesting to look at the different times that those who God used to write the New Testament scriptures spoke of others who were also being used by God to do this work.

Sometimes they wrote to correct false teaching or wrong practices or, on a more positive note, a word of encouragement for those who were suffering under persecution. The scriptures are a great help to those who are in difficult and various trials. In fact, there is not one of us who are not dealing with some kind of difficulty at one time or another.

I would like to look at a portion of scripture that would be a help to us in many ways — 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

In this chapter are a number of places that would need some

JOHN EGGERS You Gotta Have FAITH

instruction to explain what is being written. We would not have time or space to go over all of chapter 15 in this column, but we can look at the two verses mentioned above.

It would be good to look at the context of these verses. There is a question raised by Paul in verse 12.

The question is: “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead?”

There were false teachers among the believers in the Corinthian assembly who were teaching that there is no resurrection of the dead. In the verses prior to verse 12, Paul writes of the many people who actually saw Christ after he was raised from the dead.

There were not simply a few people here and there, but many who also testified to the actual resurrection of Jesus. In the early part of this portion, Paul also reminds them of the message he preached to them in verses 3 and 4. Paul preaches that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Now, that’s not hard to understand or difficult to grasp. It is deadly teaching that would deny the bodily resurrection of Christ.

It would take away the hope that all believers have of ever being in heaven.

Then, after verse 12, Paul brings out the consequences of this false teaching. Paul explains that if there is no resurrection from the dead, it would mean that Christ had not risen.

Also in verse 14, we read that another consequence is the believer’s faith is empty or vain. Another is that the believer is still in their sins, as we read in verse 17. Verse 18 says if there is no resurrection, then all those who had already died were perished.

In verse 19, the consequence of no resurrection is that the believer is of all men “most miserable.” And on and on it goes.

The truth of the matter is that Christ did die for our sins and that he was buried and that he was gloriously raised from the dead.

It is no secret what God has done for the human race. There is room for all in God’s salvation that he offers. Even Paul, who was a persecutor of the early Christians, came to trust Jesus as his saviour.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that “by the grace of God I am what I am” and in verse 57 “but thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

John Eggers is an elder in the assembly that meets in Westsyde Gospel Hall in Kamloops. KTW welcomes submissions to its Faith page. Columns should be about 700 words in length and can be emailed to editor@kamloops thisweek.com. Please include a very short bio and a photo.