Does the resurrection
of Christ matter? Does it truly make a difference? The apostle Paul sure
thought so. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul was faced with the
startling news that some in Corinth denied the future resurrection of
the body. Such a view was adopted by many in the Greco-Roman world.
Death was the end. Actually, not much has changed since the first
century. Today, the same view is held by skeptics of the faith.
What was so shocking, however, is that in Paul's day, some Christians,
who affirmed the bodily resurrection of Jesus, nonetheless denied the
future resurrection of the body. Paul responds with boldness, arguing
that you cannot have one without the other. If there is no future
resurrection for believers, then Christ himself has not been raised! And
if Christ has not been raised, then everything changes. Let's explore
the consequences of the resurrection of Christ for the Christian life.
1. The resurrection of Christ is inseparable from the gospel of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul begins by reminding his brothers of the
"gospel I preached to you . . . by which you are being saved" (15:2).
This gospel, Paul says, revolves around the death of Christ, who "died
for our sins in accordance with the Scripture" (15:3). But notice, Paul
does not end there. Christ did not remain dead, but he was also "raised
on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (15:4), before
appearing to his disciples. Continue at Matthew Barrett
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