1 Corinthians 15:12: Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Some of these people with backgrounds of Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Platonism were denying the Resurrection. It wasn’t that they were specifically denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but they did not believe in any resurrection at all.
Now Paul begins a series of “ifs”—“if Christ be not risen.” Paul faced the fact. My Christian friend, don’t hide your head like an ostrich under the sand and say, “Well, we can’t be sure about the Resurrection, so let’s not say too much about it. Let’s walk as if we were walking on eggshells.” My friend, I am on a foundation; that foundation is the Rock, and the Rock is Christ. He came back from the dead. Paul is not afraid that Christ might not have risen from the dead. He puts down these “ifs” as a demonstration of the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1
Application
- Read Romans 8:11. Meditate on this verse, quietly, for the next five minutes.
- Fact: Since Christ rose from the dead, that same resurrected power dwells in you though the Holy Spirit, giving you His power to overcome any temptation and sin.
Thought to Share
His power is greater than any grip of sin that tries to dominate your life. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Lord, thank You that Your resurrected power is dwelling within us.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 Corinthians) (electronic ed., Vol. 44). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.