Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:3 begins with the startling claim by Paul that he is about to say the most important thing. Not something that is important, or kind of important, but the thing of very first importance. One Bible translation calls it “the heart of the Gospel.” Then, Paul says something so…familiar…to Christians: Jesus died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and a lot of people saw him.

In the verses following that statement, Paul goes on to emphasize the overwhelming importance of the reality of Jesus’s resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:17-19, Paul says that if Jesus’s resurrection isn’t real, the faith of Christians is futile and they are to be pitied above all people.

This chapter of 1 Corinthians is toward the end of the letter. In the preceding 14 chapters, Paul tries to impart basic knowledge to the Corinthians so they can address their many problems. Chapter 15 is the final foundational piece. It’s as if Paul is saying that if they get this right, everything else will fall into place.