The Resurrection of the Dead

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 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.” 1Corinthians 15:3-6

The Bible teaches us these wonderful verses and in this great chapter of God’s Word, a life-transforming truth. We learn that Jesus Christ, the Son of God (He is also called the Holy One in Acts 3:14—a name for God Himself found in the Old Testament in 2 Kings 19:22; Peter here in Acts 3:14 proclaims the deity {Godhood} of Christ Jesus) truly died on Calvary’s cross, though He had never sinned, that is, broken God’s law. God’s law is summarized in loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. The Scripture says that He truly was buried, evidencing a real death not merely a lapse of consciousness or pretence. And wonderfully for us, Christ is raised to life from the dead to save men from death, as the Scripture foretold (Psalm 16:9-11; Psalm 68:18)!

The resurrection of Christ and the saints is the central truth of 1Corinthians 15. Acts 24:15 and other verses in the Bible tell us of the resurrection of all people who have ever lived: “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” The resurrection of Jesus and those who believe in Him is a cornerstone in the structure of God’s plan of salvation—His great purpose in saving men from spiritual and physical death. “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). We understand from God’s word that we die physically because of our sin and that our souls also die and are eternally punished because of our sin—unless we are saved (rescued) from physical and spiritual death by God.

Let’s note some key truths from these revealing Scriptures in 1Corinthians, Chapter 15.

A) Christ is resurrected (meaning “raised up or “the rising up”) from the dead—“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?” 1Cor. 15:12.

B) Christ’s resurrection was eye-witnessed by many people—“After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once…” 1Cor. 15:6.

C) Paul preached Christ’s death and resurrection—“Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” 1Cor. 15:11.

D) Christ’s resurrection is not just a possibility, but a reality, a historical fact—“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37. “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” 1Cor. 15:42. “But now Christ is risen from the dead…” 1Cor. 15:20.

E) Christ’s resurrection evidences and confirms the resurrection of all—“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.” 1Cor. 15:13.

F) Christ has conquered death in His resurrection and will raise up all men in His dominion—“For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet.” 1Cor. 15:25.

G) Christ’s resurrection persuades us to believe in Him and repent of our sins—“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth;” John 16:13. “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor. 15:56-57.

H) The resurrection involves a transformation of the person spiritually and physically—as a planted seed is transformed into grain—“And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.” 1Cor. 15:37-38. So is the resurrection. As there are differences in types of flesh and change from one type to another—“All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, another of birds.” 1Cor. 15:39. So there will be a change from a corruptible to and incorruptible body (flesh) for the resurrected. “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” 1Cor. 15:42. As the heavenly bodies vary in appearance (there are differences, change and variation evident between the sun, moon and stars, for instance) so the human body will be changed at the resurrection and will be at great variance with the present body. “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1Cor. 15:44.

I) The corruptible, mortal and earthly human body will be transformed by God into an incorruptible, immortal, and spiritual body—fitted for eternity or a “glorified” body which cannot decompose and which will exist forever in heaven or hell. “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1Cor. 15:53.

J) God calls us to prepare for the resurrection of the dead by finding eternal life and forgiveness of sins through faith (trust) and repentance (a change of mind resulting in giving ourselves fully to God, to truly live for God and no longer for ourselves) in Jesus—“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” 1Cor. 15:1-2.

By James Robinette