(THIS WAS EMAILED LAST WED, 4/1.)

RAISED to life

For the month of April, we'll be studying 1 Corinthians 15 - one of the key texts in Scripture on the Resurrection of Jesus and of Paul's hope in a future resurrection. And in our times of loss, war, grief, and destruction, we're eager to dive in and access the Light of the Gospel for our own future. This week, we're in 1 Cor 15:1-11. 

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

v 1-2 -  "I WOULD REMIND YOU"

• "THE GOSPEL" - More than just "music" or "good news", the "gospel" in Paul's writing takes on a narrative of shorthand that summarizes both the transformative message of what Jesus has done and the power of that message to change the world. What comes to mind for you when you hear "gospel"?

• "PREACHED/RECEIVED" - Paul begins with what the Corinthians heard from him. If you go back and look at Paul's first 14 chapters (I'll wait, go ahead ...), you find that Paul has a long history with this church and that they're in the middle of a contentious dialogue about a number of hot topics. And yet, Paul addresses the resurrection by talking about his "preaching" ... how does this priority on teaching and being taught change how we should think about what we're hearing and learning today?

• "STAND/SAVED" - Paul sure seems to think the "gospel" can accomplish a lot in this church. Re-read v 2; why do you think Paul puts so much weight on what they believe?

• "IF" - While we often think of our salvation as a certain thing that has been accomplished, Paul lays out a conditional clause here, starting with the word "IF"! What is the contrast Paul uses to conclude verse 2? What are the stakes of this big "if"?

v 3-7 - "I DELIVERED TO YOU"

• A PASSAGE OLDER THAN THE BIBLE - Most people tend to think that (in verses 3-7) Paul is quoting a passage that he most likely didn't create - instead, it's an ancient hymn already in service by the time Paul writes 1 Corinthians. Read those verses out loud (a couple times). What do you hear in this passage that seems "poetic" to you?

• "DELIVERED/RECEIVED" - This is another term that's unusual to Paul (he often talks about being sent directly from God and NOT from men.) But here, he ascribes to something he learned and wants to pass on. How does this idea (that Paul didn't create these words) affect you?

• SAY IT AGAIN  One of the poetic elements of this is the repetition of different phrases in these verses. Look for the repetition of the phrases below ... what does that "redundancy" highlight?

  • "that ... "

  • "in accordance with the Scriptures"

  • "he appeared"

v 8-11 - "I AM UNWORTHY"

• PAUL'S ROLE - When you read verses 1-7, you might be impressed with Paul. Few of us have ever officially delivered a message quite as important as this! What impression might you get about Paul as a result?

• PAUL'S STORY - And yet, here in verses 8-11, Paul is quite humbled that Jesus appeared to him. What indications do we get from these verses that Paul thinks of himself as unworthy?

• PAUL'S BACKSTORY - In case you've not remembered, read Acts 9:1-9 ... and then 1 Cor 15:9 again. What does this remind you about Paul?

• OUR STORY - If this kind of a person can be entrusted with this kind of a message, how might this encourage you, whose own backstory is probably filled with a lot of "I'm unworthy" moments as well?

LOOKING AHEAD: As we embark into a new book and a new topic this April, I pray God opens all our eyes to the glories awaiting us in the good news about Jesus and the great hope for us!

Fighting for faith with you,

Pastor Darren