WITHOUT George Bailey

You've seen It's a Wonderful Life, right? (spoilers ahead) - Beloved hometown good guy, George Bailey, hits hard times and wishes he'd never been born. In granting his wish, George's guardian angel shows him how (without George's life and impact) Bedford Falls would have deteriorated into ruin and chaos. In the same way, this next long section of 1 Corinthians 15 shows us what our lives would be like without any possibility of a resurrection. This week, we're in 1 Cor 15:12-34. 

1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-19

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

• "IF NO RESURRECTION" - Read verse 12 to begin. What seems to be the primary debate Paul is addressing here? (remember, this is just one of many problems Paul has written about this letter.)

• "IN VAIN" - There it is again, in verse 14, Paul uses the same phrase (twice) that he did last week in v 2 and 11. And here, Paul begins continues his train of thought from verse 13: If NOBODY gets raised from the dead, Jesus isn't raised ... and if that's true, what does v 14 say is "in vain"?

• VERSES 15-18 - Keep this train of thought running to the end of the paragraph ... what else does Paul erase from existence IF the resurrection is a myth?

• VERSES 19 - If the story of Jesus was a myth, would living like a Christian be worth it anyway? How you answer that question says a lot about your motivation. According to verse 19, how would Paul answer anyone who says, "Yeah, it would still be worth it"?

1 CORINTHIANS 15:29-34

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

• "OTHERWISE" - Ok, track with what we've done here (I skipped the middle paragraph for a minute). Verses 20-28 are Paul's assertion that "George Bailey DOES exist!" But then Paul goes back here in verse 29 and starts to unpack the personal implications of "no resurrection". Anyway, no question, just wanted you to see the flow.

• "BAPTIZED" - Verse 29 is a good reminder of how far removed we are from 1st Century Christian culture. Apparently, people were being baptized (in their living bodies) on behalf of the dead (and their decomposing bodies). Why? Maybe we can't ever fully know. But still - even without knowing that- we can answer this: What point is Paul making about this practice that relates to the resurrection topic at hand?

• "DANGER" - In verses 30-32a, Paul begins to list out his personal sacrifices. What from his own history does he say would be pointless without the hope of a resurrected life? Personally, speaking, how does this help you to see your own sacrifices for God's Kingdom?

• "EAT/DRINK" - Then in verses 32b-34, Paul identifies the final implication: There's lots of good food, good drink, and good times to be had since death brings the end to any opportunity for pleasure. Re-read verses 33-34. Does Paul seem to think of this as a "potential, abstract" threat or as a "practical, actual" threat in Corinth? If he saw the pattern of your life, would he call this threat "potential" or "practical"?

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-28

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

• "BUT IN FACT" - Here it is, Paul's retort about why everything else in verses 12-34 has been hogwash: Chris HAS been raised! But his point doesn't end there. Paul lays out a step-by-step train of thought that moves from Jesus' Bodily Resurrection to God's Ultimate Victory. Take time to fill out a summary of his argument below:

  • v 20 "if Jesus has been raised, then ___"

  • v 21 "Jesus' shared resurrection undoes ___"

  • v 22 "The dying force of ___ is undone by the life-giving of ___"

  • v 23 "This resurrection power has an order: 1st - ___, then ___"

  • v 24 "But all this leads to final end marked by ___"

  • v 25 "This reminds me of an OT text that says, ___"

  • v 26 "And of course that process ends in the ___ of death."

  • v 27 "Which reminds me of another OT text that says, ___"

  • v 28 "And this process of increasing authority leads to ___"

• WELL THAT CHANGES THINGS!  If you can relate to any of the first two paragraphs, if you can understand that sense of wondering if there is purpose in anything we do as a church or any sacrifices you make as a believer, or if you have been wondering if our culture is correct when it mocks Christians who take God's Word seriously ... TAKE THIS TO HEART! The battle isn't over, the final word hasn't been spoken. God still reigns and is working his righteous plan to its final conclusion. The End will make all the difference!

THE FOREST: As we continue in 1 Corinthians 15 this April, take a little time to just read the chapter this month. Get the flow of it in your head, listen to it on an app, mull over the implications of it. Our world is terrified of death and obscurity ... and the Resurrection of Jesus has freed you to a new life.

Fighting for faith with you,

Pastor Darren