v1-2: The clear, objective message of the gospel, which we have received, and by which we are saved, and by which we can stand day by day. We are to "hold fast" to the truth of the gospel (Col 1.23; Heb 3.6); we then enjoy our relationship with Christ more. Without this gospel any use of spiritual gifts is useless and chaotic.

v3-4: The message of Christ is reasonable; the resurrection, without which there is no Christianity, is also thoroughly reasonable. Paul gives reasons; the predictions within the O.T.; the witnesses; the facts of Christ's character and nature. He also answers human denials and doubts concerning the resurrection.

'Believe or be lost', for faith in Christ makes the difference; we trust ourselves to Him, the One who is alive, Rom 10.8-9.

The centre of our faith is Jesus Christ, He died, was buried, He rose again, and He will come back (v23). Christ is utterly unique, not just the 'first Christian', nor just an example to try to emulate.

The resurrection is "of first importance" (contrast Matt 23.23-24 where some had the wrong priorities); we must therefore put it in its proper place.

According to the Scriptures; we must remember that the different events were all predicted accurately beforehand, see Luke 24.27, 44. The O.T. refers extensively to Him, and those things were given by God that they might be fulfilled in Christ.

In Acts, the theme of prophecy being fulfilled in the resurrection:

Acts 2.27, 31 - His body was not left in Hades;

Acts 13.29-33 - all things fulfilled; God raised up Jesus;

Acts 13.36-37 could not refer to David, and could only refer to Christ;

Acts 17.2-3 - Paul reasoned from the O.T. Scriptures that Christ had to rise again;

Acts 23.6 - the resurrection from the dead - a truth accepted by many Jews;

Acts 26.22-23 - Christ the first to rise from the dead, fulfilling the Scriptures.

v5-8: Witness to the resurrection. This is not a full list. Acts 1.3 refers to numerous appearances of Jesus after His resurrection, not all of which are recorded in Scripture. This list includes where Jesus was "seen by James" (v7), which is not mentioned anywhere else. Five other appearances are mentioned here:

• By Cephas (Peter), see Luke 24.12; John 20.6-10, although it may refer to a different incident;
• By the twelve (strictly the eleven); and by all the apostles, see Mark 16.14; Luke 24.36; John 20.26;
• By over 500 brethren; not recorded elsewhere, and
• "last of all He appeared to me also", on the Damascus road, as in Acts 9.

The appearances on the Emmaus Road, and to women are not mentioned. The appearances to apostles or to larger numbers would give greater authority to their testimony. Apostolic authority was an issue for the Corinthians, and Paul addresses the subject in more detail in his second letter.

v9-11: The Lord Jesus did appear to Paul. Paul was different from the other apostles, for he had persecuted "the church of God". The power of God's grace is such that a person can be changed. Paul received grace through the risen Son of God. Without the resurrection there is no grace, and no hope.

Our conversion and our subsequent service for Christ are through His grace, rather than human decision or strength. Grace in conversion leads to grace in service, for we are empowered to serve Him. Without grace I am nothing; the grace of God through Jesus Christ produces fruit in my life, and fruit in others. Grace is not restricted to entering into relationship with God; grace is for us always, and God’s grace is constant.

By his words, Paul gives glory to God. In contrast, others seek the crown of glory belonging to another; Joab in 2 Sam 12.28, seeking the crown which should have been David's; Herod in Acts 12.23, seeking the glory that belonged to God alone.

The truth of the resurrection was proclaimed, and many believed. Whether it was Peter or James or Paul was not important; rather it is the message of Christ which changes lives. The servant is the messenger, not the message (see 3.7).

v12-19: Some at Corinth denied the resurrection of the dead (v12); this is a serious issue, and has doctrinal consequences.

If there is no resurrection,

• then Christ is not risen (v13),
• our preaching is useless (v14),
• our faith is useless (v14),
• we are false witnesses (v15),
• we are still in our sins (v17),
• our faith is futile (v17),
• there is no hope after death (v18), and
• we are of all men the most pitiable (v19).

All the promises of the gospel become empty words, Christianity itself is proved empty. Christ looked forward to the joy set before Him (Heb 12.2), such joy He could only enjoy if He were alive; so was He deceived also?

False doctrine is not just a theory that is wrong, but it is something that attacks our enjoyment of the salvation of Christ. At the worst, it robs people of salvation; it may offer something, but it delivers nothing.

There are a number of popular theories that deny the resurrection. The answers are found in Scripture.

• the 'swoon theory', that Christ did not die, but passed out, and later revived in the tomb; it was prophesied that someone would have to die (Is 53.7-9); Christ commended His spirit to God (Luke 23.46); soldiers realised that He was dead (John 19.31-33).
• The disciples stole the body; there were soldiers guarding the tomb (Matt 27.66); Mary told the disciples of the resurrection (John 20.1-2); Peter and John came to an empty tomb (John 20.4-9).
• The resurrection appearances were hallucinations; Christ ate with them (Luke 24.30-31, 43); and He was seen by over 500 at one time (1 Cor 15.6).
• Someone else died on the cross; Jesus spoke to "your mother...your son" (John 19.25-27); there was the evidence of the darkness, the earthquake, and the torn veil (Matt 27.51; Mark 15.33); the title of His accusation (John 19.19); the testimony of the chief priests (Matt 27.41-43); the testimony of the thief (Luke 23.39-43).

v20: The truth is clear; Christ has risen, and this has certain consequences, today and in the future. It reverses those things mentioned in v12-19; if there is the resurrection of the body, and Christ has indeed risen, our preaching has value, our faith has value, we are witnesses of truth, we are delivered from our sins, there is hope after death, and our lives are worthwhile.

Christ is the first fruits; this means that that others will follow. One man, Christ, has been raised. Other men and women, who are in Christ, will also be raised.

v21-22: Adam brought death to all men, but Christ has brought life. Resurrection is through a man, therefore there is the promise for us.

v23: The resurrection of those who are in Christ is at His coming, as in 1 Thess 4.16. Christ's return is as certain as His resurrection.

v24: Then the end will come. Chronologically there is a gap, while prophecies relating to the Jewish people are fulfilled. For the Christian, the resurrection is followed by endless joy in the presence of Christ. All rule and authority and power will be in the hands of Jesus Christ.

v25-26: He must reign (Rev 20.4-6); all enemies will be made subject to Him, finally death itself will be destroyed (Rev 20.14). There will be a time of total obligatory submission to Jesus Christ. After this He will dwell with men (Rev 21-22).

v27-28: The Son subject to the Father; God will be all in all, the final consummation of all things (Eph 1.10); history is moving towards its inevitable conclusion.

v29: Paul links baptism with the resurrection, as in Rom 6.4-5.

It seems that some were "baptised for the dead", thinking that would secure eternal life for them. (The exact details of this error are not known.) Such doctrine, although false, depended on the truth of the resurrection.

v30: As Christians were martyred, others were immediately converted and baptised. This hints at a climate very different from our own, with widespread and severe persecution, and significant numbers of people being converted, in a thoroughly pagan and hedonistic society. It may be said that we are returning to that sort of society.

But one proof of the resurrection is the willingness of Christians to remain faithful even in suffering.

v31-32: Paul's own life was driven by the truth of the resurrection, "I die every day"; his personal commitment and sacrifice would be worthless without the resurrection.

If the resurrection is not true, then we can simply live a life of selfishness, eating and drinking. Denial of the resurrection means denial of any existence beyond death; the consequence is materialism and selfishness.

Such is the power of scripture that it here exposes the hedonistic western culture; 'let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.' This is a dominant influence in British culture as well as elsewhere. 

In contrast, the resurrection means that we are accountable to God (Rom 14.12). There is a life beyond this life; there is an eternity to be won, or lost.

v33-34: False doctrine promotes sinful behaviour, for truth promotes godliness. The resurrection motivates to godly living, and provides strength for godly living. The evil company of false teachers corrupts any good habits; rather we need to seek the truth of Christ, and cling to the truth of the resurrection. Those who denied the resurrection actually promoted sin.

v35-38: 'Will we keep the body we have now?' Paul answers another question. These verses also strongly imply the existence of an eternal soul.

v35: The question may be genuine. Alternatively, where people cannot grasp the concept of a new spiritual body, they may deny the resurrection as a way of dealing with their lack of understanding.

v36: Paul sees the Corinthians' ignorance as foolish and culpable. The body dies and is buried; it can then come to life again.

v37: The body is likened to a seed. What is sown in the ground is different to what grows later. The seed is generally small, the plant is greater and more wonderful.

v38: God is the author of the resurrection, for Christ has been raised from the dead. God gives us a new body as He pleases.

v39-41: Paul illustrates the different types of body from nature; humans, beats, fish, birds, all have different bodies. And looking up, celestial bodies have different kind of splendour.

v42-44: Important spiritual principle - first the natural then the spiritual;

Corruption then incorruption; dishonour then glory; weakness then power; no wonder Paul wanted to attain the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3.11). The very existence of a natural body therefore requires a future spiritual body. However, the future body is ‘more than physical,’ in that it will be incorruptible. ‘Spiritual’ does not mean ‘non material.’

The principle is also followed in Bible characters, for example, Cain then Abel, Ishmael then Isaac, Esau then Jacob, John Baptist then Jesus.

v45: The first Adam, physical, characterised by corruption, dishonour, weakness. In contrast, Christ the last Adam, a life-giving spirit, incorruption, glory, power. These descriptions of Christ are to do with His humanity, rather than His deity.

Adam brought death; Christ brought life. We need to be "in Christ", and experience the new creation through His resurrection.

v46: Repeating the principle from v42-44 above.

v47-48: The first man, Adam was the man of dust, created from the dust of the earth. The second man, Christ, is the Lord from Heaven. The second man implies others who will follow, just as Christ being the first fruits (v20), and the first born (Rom 8.29; Col 1.18).

By nature we are in Adam, and we die; by grace we are in Christ, and we live.

v49: We are seated in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus; we have been like Adam, and we shall be like Christ. The glory of the resurrection is that we shall be like Him physically.

v50: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; the natural cannot inherit the spiritual, so the natural man is excluded from Heaven (the kingdom of God). The natural must therefore be changed.

v51-52: The mystery of Christ's return. There will be the final trumpet (1 Thess 4.16-17), and we shall be changed in an instant. The dead are raised first (1 Thess 4.15-16), and their bodies re-united with the soul and spirit. We who remain shall first be changed, and then be taken up. It seems that there will be some time after we are changed before we are taken up; thus there will be a final testimony to the unbelieving world.

v53: We will be changed; we were born in corruption, we live in corruption, our bodies will die in corruption, but we shall be raised imperishable and in incorruption; nothing can stop God's mighty work in us. If the heavens will be discarded like an old garment (Ps 102.25-27) and changed, then we too will be changed. See Rom 8.18,23; 2 Cor 5.4-5; Eph 1.13-14, about the guarantee of our resurrection.

Unbelievers remain in corruption, Dan 12.2; John 5.28-29.

v54-56: The defeat of the greatest enemies, death, hades, and sin, will be made manifest. Death will be swallowed up in victory.

v57: The victory of Christ is something we all share in. God gives us the victory, we do not have to work for it, either to achieve it or to earn it. But we do have to live in it.

v58: The truth of the resurrection makes our service worthwhile; Prov 23.18. Here is vital motivation to faithful and zealous service.