Greetings Sisters and
Brothers
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
15:1Now I want you to understand, brothers and sisters, the good
news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you
stand,
15:2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to
the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.
15:3For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn
had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures
15:4and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third
day in accordance with the scriptures
15:5and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve.
15:6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and
sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
15:7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
15:8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Apostle Paul presents
argument as to why we should continue in the faith of the Good News. Again, not
going on blind faith, but by witness.
These words here in the
15th chapter of 1 Corinthians are not intended as material for
evangelism. They are intended to encourage believers to remain in the faith.
Much of what Paul wrote was to keep Jews from going back to Judaism (and
excluding gentiles), or to keep converted gentiles from returning to previous religious
practices.
The message for us today
is to remain in the faith of the Good News of the resurrection of Jesus Christ rather
than exchange that faith for worldly and idolatrous ways and means.
Folks, I do not know
specifically what “Scriptures” Paul is referring to in verses 3 and 4. When we
read the word “Scriptures” in the New Testament” they refer to what we call the
Old Testament because the four gospels had not yet been written, Revelation had
not been written. Paul’s letters were the first writings of the New Testament
(This I have checked with many commentaries and Bible scholars). Therefore, he
was referring to something unspecified in the Old Testament.
The closest I can find
would be Isaiah 53 which is known as the Suffering Messiah chapter. Likely,
Paul was referring to other written material that has been lost or did not make
it into the Old Testament.
But, yet more interesting
to me is verse 2 in which we read “through
which also you are being saved”
Paul
understood salvation as a continuing process rather than a “one single moment
and event in time”.
So, all the more it
becomes important that the point of his writing in chapter 15 here is to
encourage believers to remain in the faith.
Keep the faith brothers
and sisters…keep the faith!!!
Peace, Pastor Mike
