There Is A Resurrection of The Dead

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-58, it seems like some Corinthian Christians were saying that there is no resurrection of the dead body where Paul is presenting the implication of this wrong contention.

In the modern world, some authors and scholars tries to discredit the historical value of the resurrection of the Christ. In contrast to this, there are strong contenders who stood that the resurrection is historic and unquestionable.

As they try to explain, they say that the women went to a wrong empty tomb. However, the Bible says that it was not only the women who went there so as the other disciples and one of the first who saw the empty tomb was Peter. If it’s not only the women who saw the empty tomb, it would mean that there are too many disciples who went to the wrong tomb which would have been very unlikely.

Some scholar says that Jesus’ body was stolen by the disciples. If such then is true, then they would have died in vain trying to cover up Jesus’ body only to prove that resurrection was true. And such thing would more probably unlikely especially that this belief of Jesus as the Messiah is still nominal and being persecuted. They will only put more harm for themselves than good.

Finally, some scholar says that Jesus’ body was stolen by the Jerusalem government. However, this would be the least plausible thing to happen. If they really have stolen the body of Christ, then it would have been easier for them to stop the belief that Jesus resurrected in the early stage by showing the body of the Christ as an evidence that he really did not resurrected.

If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ will be raised.

When Christ came to us, he set an example to almost everything. He set an example for us to follow. He set an example to almost everything. He practice what he preached. He said love your enemies, then Jesus loved his enemies. He preached about forgiveness, and Jesus exemplified the ultimate forgiveness for mankind. He preached about honoring God, and he made an example on what extent are we going to honor God.

There are still lots of examples in the Bible that we can pinpoint that Jesus has become an example of what he preaches. He set an example on how to pray, how to have a Bible study, how to love, why need to be baptized, and included in all these is the resurrection. As for the meantime, I would not be discussing when is a person goes to heaven, right at the time when we die, or when Jesus comes back and resurrect the dead. I believe that the “when” is less important than the act of resurrection. However, as we go along chapter 15, we will be discussing about the kind of body we will be resurrected.

As I have mentioned above, there are people who tries to discredit the historicity of the resurrection yet they were unsuccessful in proving it since the evidence and the most likely things to happen is stronger than the skeptics’ assumptions.

Going back to the main topic, if resurrection for us indeed does not or would not happen, then as Paul said, Jesus himself would not have resurrected since he is the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep.

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless.

Now Paul is saying that if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless. All these labors that we do is completely useless. As I mentioned earlier, if the historicity of the resurrection is invalid because some of the disciples stole the body of Christ, then all those labor and cover up is in vain.

Even the things that we preach to you is in vain. Not to mention the coming here in the Church. All these things are in vain. All these is just a waste of time and a waste of energy.

But we preach and labor because we believe that the Christ is very real and very true. We do this because we believe that Christ indeed resurrected and such event took place about 2000 years ago. We believe that after the resurrection, Jesus revealed himself physically, in bones and flesh to his disciples before he went up to heaven.

Why would I be here if such things are not true? Why should I waste my time talking to people whom there is about 50-50 chance of accepting what I preach? Why should I waste my time and  put myself into shame preaching to others who doesn’t have any interest to hear about it?

But then again, we preach and labor in Christ because we believe that he is very true.

If Christ has not been raised, then your faith and ours is futile.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead obviously, your faith is futile (useless) and you are in a wrong faith. What then is the use of our faith when our Lord is dead? What then can a dead do for us? We all know that dead has no use at all.

The dead cannot hear, they cannot talk, they cannot respond. If indeed our Lord Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, then he is just an ordinary person where our salvation is not possible and he died in vain.

But Christ is alive, he conquered the grave. In him we have been saved through faith. In him, the Scriptures has been fulfilled in accordance to the will of God. And because all these happened, then our faith is not futile.