1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 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. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy 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; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Commentary
Vs. 1-21 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
The Apostle now reminds the Corinthians of the Gospel which he preached to them has at the heart of it the bodily Resurrection of the dead through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For it is through the Gospel of Christ that God has abolished death and brought light and immortality to life to us all (2 Tim 1:10). And so just as Christ rose from the dead in bodily form, so will every believer be transformed (Job 19:25-27; Psalm 16:9-10; 49:15; Isaiah 25:8; 26:19; Hosea 13:14; John 6:39-40, 44, 54; 14:19; 1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14; Phil 3:21; 1 Thess 4:13-18 etc.). The Holy Spirit being the seal and assurance of this to us all until then (Rom 8:11; 23; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 5:1-5; Eph 1:13-14). Now the unbelieving world will also rise from the dead, but their Resurrection will be to everlasting condemnation at the finial judgment (Isaiah 26:20-21; 66:14-16, 24; Daniel 12:1-3; Matt 13:38-43, 47-50; 24:31; 25:31-46; 24:35-36; John 5:24-30, Rev 20:4-6, 11-15 etc.). And so the Apostle Paul's stating all this is to refute the false teachers in Corinth who were denying this. First denying Christ's own Resurrection, and then by default that we also would experience the Resurrection from the dead with Himself (1 Thess 4:15-18). And so by their doing so they were denying the very Gospel which Paul preached to them, and to all. The very Gospel which the Corinthians themselves had believed and been saved by! And so to prevent the Corinthians from having their own faith undermined anymore by them (see 2 Tim 2:18), the Apostle Paul will now give a glorious discourse on the Resurrection of dead. For the Resurrection of the dead is not just foundational for ones salvation (Rom. 10:9-10), but it is foundational for how we now live. For the Gospel's promise of the Resurrection of dead not only effects the lives we live down here as God's redeemed people, it will effect the lives we will live and experience there (Matt 16:27; Luke 14:12-14; Acts 24:15; 2 Cor 5:9-11; Eph 6:8 etc.).
Vs. 3-7 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 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. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
The Apostle Paul begins his discourse by stating the three main parts of the Gospel. First is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. Now this is foundational. For if Christ does not suffer the atoning Crucifixion death for every persons sins and transgressions; that God has foretold through the prophets (Psalm 22:6-8, 17, 18; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 13:7 etc.); then no-one could be saved. And that is why John 3:16 is so powerful a verse, for in it the Lord Jesus Christ Himself promises that because He was going to do just that, that salvation from sin and death and everlasting life would be given to all who believe in Him. Now Jesus' didn't just suffer Crucifixion death on the cross, if that was all that He had done then He would've accomplished salvation for us all; because sin atoned for in of itself does not bring anyone everlasting life, it only provides atonement for us so that we might be restored back to God. Everlasting life on the other hand must come by first conquering death. And this Jesus did when He was first buried according to the Scriptures, and then He was raised from the dead according too the Scriptures. All which is clearly portrayed and prophesied in the Scriptures (see Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14; also see Matt. 12:40; 20:17-19; Heb 2:9-10 etc.). And having risen from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ then went on to appear to first the Apostle Peter (i.e. Cephas), then Jesus was seen by the twelve, that is the other Apostles with Peter present (vs. 5). After that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, which the Apostle Paul states here as many remaining alive at the time of his written this epistle to them, while some had fallen asleep (i.e. died, vs. 6). After that Jesus was seen by James (i.e. Jesus' half-brother), then by all the apostles again (vs. 7). And finally the last person the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to was the Apostle Paul himself, as he says as one born out of due time, that is commission him as His last Apostle in the full sense of the word (vs. 8). And so we have here many eye witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection. Thus if the false teachers within the Corinthian ranks were going to deny the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection, they were going to do so alone, because there simply were to many living witnesses to it.
Vs. 9-11 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy 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; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Paul now humbly addresses his own calling as an Apostle of Christ. In spite of the Paul's own misguided zeal in persecuting the church of God, the Lord knew him and choose him to be His Apostle. Thus Paul's humility and sense of unworthiness here comes from his knowing that he did nothing to deserve either the Lord's salvation, or the Lord calling him to be His Apostle (vs. 9). Instead as Paul states here, "by the grace of God I am what I am". Thus it was God's grace that not only saved him, but it was through that same grace that Christ called him, and then Spirit equipped him to serve Him as His Apostle. Now it was because of having experienced God's grace that the Apostle Paul will now say that that it was not in vain, rather because of it, he then set his life course to the glorious work of the Gospel. And thus though he himself was the last Apostle called by Christ, and was himself considered the least amongst them all, yet he would labor more abundantly then them all. And yet it was not I, (i.e. Paul himself in his own zeal), but the grace of God which was in me. Thus whether the Corinthians believed the Gospel through the Apostle Paul, or one of the other Apostles is all basically irrelevant, because it was the grace of God working through them all that made it available to them all. And so the Apostle Paul says, "so we preach; because of the grace of God which they had all experienced; and so you believed" (vs. 11). And that is what the Gospel is all about restoring sinners, even the worst of sinners and enemies of God back to God Himself when they repent and believe in the Gospel. Yet that is not the end of salvation, but just the beginning of our new life with Christ. For God does not reconcile people to Himself, and then tell them to go sit in the corner, rather He has plans for everyone of us to to serve the Lord Jesus Christ here and now! And that is what I hope you do with the grace of God given you. Serve Christ through the Spirit gifts and talents given you so that the grace of God and the love of God through the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ maybe made known to one and to all through you.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
The Apostle now reminds the Corinthians of the Gospel which he preached to them has at the heart of it the bodily Resurrection of the dead through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For it is through the Gospel of Christ that God has abolished death and brought light and immortality to life to us all (2 Tim 1:10). And so just as Christ rose from the dead in bodily form, so will every believer be transformed (Job 19:25-27; Psalm 16:9-10; 49:15; Isaiah 25:8; 26:19; Hosea 13:14; John 6:39-40, 44, 54; 14:19; 1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14; Phil 3:21; 1 Thess 4:13-18 etc.). The Holy Spirit being the seal and assurance of this to us all until then (Rom 8:11; 23; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 5:1-5; Eph 1:13-14). Now the unbelieving world will also rise from the dead, but their Resurrection will be to everlasting condemnation at the finial judgment (Isaiah 26:20-21; 66:14-16, 24; Daniel 12:1-3; Matt 13:38-43, 47-50; 24:31; 25:31-46; 24:35-36; John 5:24-30, Rev 20:4-6, 11-15 etc.). And so the Apostle Paul's stating all this is to refute the false teachers in Corinth who were denying this. First denying Christ's own Resurrection, and then by default that we also would experience the Resurrection from the dead with Himself (1 Thess 4:15-18). And so by their doing so they were denying the very Gospel which Paul preached to them, and to all. The very Gospel which the Corinthians themselves had believed and been saved by! And so to prevent the Corinthians from having their own faith undermined anymore by them (see 2 Tim 2:18), the Apostle Paul will now give a glorious discourse on the Resurrection of dead. For the Resurrection of the dead is not just foundational for ones salvation (Rom. 10:9-10), but it is foundational for how we now live. For the Gospel's promise of the Resurrection of dead not only effects the lives we live down here as God's redeemed people, it will effect the lives we will live and experience there (Matt 16:27; Luke 14:12-14; Acts 24:15; 2 Cor 5:9-11; Eph 6:8 etc.).
Vs. 3-7 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 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. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
The Apostle Paul begins his discourse by stating the three main parts of the Gospel. First is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. Now this is foundational. For if Christ does not suffer the atoning Crucifixion death for every persons sins and transgressions; that God has foretold through the prophets (Psalm 22:6-8, 17, 18; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 13:7 etc.); then no-one could be saved. And that is why John 3:16 is so powerful a verse, for in it the Lord Jesus Christ Himself promises that because He was going to do just that, that salvation from sin and death and everlasting life would be given to all who believe in Him. Now Jesus' didn't just suffer Crucifixion death on the cross, if that was all that He had done then He would've accomplished salvation for us all; because sin atoned for in of itself does not bring anyone everlasting life, it only provides atonement for us so that we might be restored back to God. Everlasting life on the other hand must come by first conquering death. And this Jesus did when He was first buried according to the Scriptures, and then He was raised from the dead according too the Scriptures. All which is clearly portrayed and prophesied in the Scriptures (see Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14; also see Matt. 12:40; 20:17-19; Heb 2:9-10 etc.). And having risen from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ then went on to appear to first the Apostle Peter (i.e. Cephas), then Jesus was seen by the twelve, that is the other Apostles with Peter present (vs. 5). After that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, which the Apostle Paul states here as many remaining alive at the time of his written this epistle to them, while some had fallen asleep (i.e. died, vs. 6). After that Jesus was seen by James (i.e. Jesus' half-brother), then by all the apostles again (vs. 7). And finally the last person the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to was the Apostle Paul himself, as he says as one born out of due time, that is commission him as His last Apostle in the full sense of the word (vs. 8). And so we have here many eye witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection. Thus if the false teachers within the Corinthian ranks were going to deny the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection, they were going to do so alone, because there simply were to many living witnesses to it.
Vs. 9-11 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy 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; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Paul now humbly addresses his own calling as an Apostle of Christ. In spite of the Paul's own misguided zeal in persecuting the church of God, the Lord knew him and choose him to be His Apostle. Thus Paul's humility and sense of unworthiness here comes from his knowing that he did nothing to deserve either the Lord's salvation, or the Lord calling him to be His Apostle (vs. 9). Instead as Paul states here, "by the grace of God I am what I am". Thus it was God's grace that not only saved him, but it was through that same grace that Christ called him, and then Spirit equipped him to serve Him as His Apostle. Now it was because of having experienced God's grace that the Apostle Paul will now say that that it was not in vain, rather because of it, he then set his life course to the glorious work of the Gospel. And thus though he himself was the last Apostle called by Christ, and was himself considered the least amongst them all, yet he would labor more abundantly then them all. And yet it was not I, (i.e. Paul himself in his own zeal), but the grace of God which was in me. Thus whether the Corinthians believed the Gospel through the Apostle Paul, or one of the other Apostles is all basically irrelevant, because it was the grace of God working through them all that made it available to them all. And so the Apostle Paul says, "so we preach; because of the grace of God which they had all experienced; and so you believed" (vs. 11). And that is what the Gospel is all about restoring sinners, even the worst of sinners and enemies of God back to God Himself when they repent and believe in the Gospel. Yet that is not the end of salvation, but just the beginning of our new life with Christ. For God does not reconcile people to Himself, and then tell them to go sit in the corner, rather He has plans for everyone of us to to serve the Lord Jesus Christ here and now! And that is what I hope you do with the grace of God given you. Serve Christ through the Spirit gifts and talents given you so that the grace of God and the love of God through the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ maybe made known to one and to all through you.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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