1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Brothers and sisters, I make known to you all the Good News that I proclaimed to you all – that you all also received and in which you all steadfastly remain and through which you all are being saved – if you all should continue to believe and practice that word which I proclaimed to you all – unless you all believed in vain.  For I gave to you all in the first time that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to scripture, that He was being buried, that He was being raised up on the third day according to the scriptures, that He was being seen by Peter and then the Twelve.  Then he was being seen by more than five hundred brothers and sisters at the same time – most of whom remain to this day, but some are being dead.  Then He was being seen by James and then by all the apostles.  And last of all – as to one of an untimely birth – He was also being seen by me.  For I am the least of the apostles, one who is not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.  But I am who I am by the grace of God.  And His grace into me did not become in vain.  Rather, I toiled even more than all of them.  It was not me but the grace of God that is with me.  Whether me or those ones, in this way we preached and in this way you all believed.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought

Paul opens and closes this section of scripture with the same thoughts.  As people, we hear the Good News, receive the Good News, and believe the Good News.  We must remember that the Greek word for “believe” means both “faith” and “faithfulness.”  This is why Bonheoffer says that “only those who believe obey and only those who obey believe.”  This is also why Paul tells us in this scripture that we are being saved if we continue to believe and practice what we are taught.  Faith is taught, received, believed, and practiced.  That is the natural order.  Of course, through our practice we teach it to others so that the natural order can continue in them as well.

Is the natural order of faith in you?  Do you hear, receive, believe, and practice?  Do you open up your life so that through your practice others might hear, receive, believe, and practice as well?

Second Thought:

I love the summary of Christ’s work that Paul gives in these verses.  Remember that this letter is written because the church of Corinth is divided among its members.  So here is what Paul says is important: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, He rose again according to scripture, and He appeared to a bunch of people as a witness to God’s power.  That’s what is important.  Do you know what isn’t important?  Notice Paul doesn’t mention how or when a person is baptized.  Paul doesn’t mention whether we sing hymns or not.  Paul doesn’t mention whether we use a piano, an organ, guitars, or don’t even use instruments at all!  He doesn’t mention whether it is a man or a woman speaking.  He doesn’t mention if we meet on Sunday or Saturday or during the day or in evening.  He doesn’t mention whether we dress in a fancy manner or casually.  I can continue to go on, but I think the point is clear.  What is important is that Christ died, was buried, rose again, and appeared as a witness to God’s power.  When we make it more than that, we typically split the church, get into arguments, and create division.

Why are we not content letting faith be as simple as Paul explains it here?  Why do we like to argue about less important things?

Third Thought:

At the end of this section Paul talks about the contrast between himself and all of the other apostles.  He fully acknowledges that he has no right to be a part of what God is doing.  He was persecuting the church.  God could have let him continue to do so, for at the time persecuting the church made sense to Paul!  But by God’s grace, Paul was called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Then we hear Paul start to brag.  But pay special attention here.  Paul isn’t bragging about himself.  Paul is bragging about the grace of God.  It is the grace of God that has allowed him to talk to people about the Good News of Jesus Christ.  It is not his own ability but the grace of God that has made him to be who he is.  We have every right to brag, so long as we are bragging about the greatness of God and not ourselves!

Are you worthy to be called a follower of God?  Why are you able to follow God?  To whom do you give the credit for things in your life?  When you brag, about whom do you brag?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19