Meditation
DOUBTS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
Text: 1 Corinthians 15
23 April 2023
THE DEFENCE OF THE RESURRECTION
The doctrine of the Resurrection began to be questioned by people. If unbelievers questioned this doctrine, that is understandable. They do not know the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
But when “believers” start to question the doctrine of the Resurrection, Paul decided that he would defend the doctrine of the Resurrection.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
a) It is the message preached by the Apostles
b) It is the word that brings salvation to all who believe
- According to the Scriptures
a) Paul used this phrase emphatically
b) Two major things highlighted by the Scriptures
i) The Lord Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures
ii) He also rose from the dead according to the Scriptures
c) To reject the Resurrection is tantamount to rejecting the Scriptures
- Ample evidence
a) The Risen Saviour was seen by Cephas (Peter)
b) The Twelve (Not the original Twelve but a reference to Matthias; Acts 1:26)
c) He was seen by 500 people at once
d) Paul also saw the Risen Saviour
These cumulative reasons were raised up to combat and defeat the false teaching that there was no Resurrection!