The Truth comes to Corinth

Paul Declares the Gospel of Christ Death, Burial, and Resurrection from the Dead

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. KJV

Paul now wants to remind them of the number one reason why he came to them as he wrote it to them earlier on in this manner, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Everything Paul writes to correct what has gone astray in the Corinthian congregation is for the sake of the gospel of Christ death, burial, and resurrection from the dead that he preached to them from the very beginning. Paul is now going to reiterate to them what he preached to them about Christ and how God the Holy Spirit took the Word of God and made them alive from being dead in their trespasses and sins which is what they stand in as does Paul and every believer everywhere in every generation. This English word stand Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word histemi which means to be fixed and established or to cause a person to keep his or her place.

Paul’s heart in this entire letter so far to these believers is flooded with every emotion pouring out from him in his words of black ink on white paper, but it’s not just words but these words are coming from the depths of his inner man. Paul has expressed joy, anger, grief, and sadness in his words written to these believers all because he loved them and longed to know that his preaching of the gospel of Christ was received by them in sincerity. Paul uses the English phrase “ye keep in memory” speaking of the condition of their hearts when the gospel of Christ was preached to them and this phrase is translated by the Greek word katecho which means to hold down (fast), to keep firm possession of, to retain, or to keep secure. Paul declares that his proclamation of the gospel of Christ to them is their salvation or the Greek word sozo which means their healing, deliverance, or being made whole and safe, if they took hold of it into their souls by being poor in spirit and mourning over their sin when God the Holy Spirit brought them under conviction. Paul knows that if they did not (and the things he has had to address, rebuke, and correct i.e. the sexual immorality, suing one another, envy, jealousy, strife, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, chaotic worship services, and the divisions or clicks) they may have just had vain faith. The English word vain Paul uses here is a very strong and even frightening word because it is translated by the Greek word eike which means without purpose or through the idea of failure or without a cause or without reason or without success or without effect. Paul wanted again to shake them in their spirits to examine the fruit of their behavior and conduct so that they might have the assurance that God the Holy Spirit was the One at work in them individually and collectively as a church.  

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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. KJV

Paul now declares to them again the gospel as he did when he first came to them as recorded for us by Dr. Luke in Acts 18:1-17. Paul writes of Christ Jesus being killed on a Cross for their sins and then being buried in a tomb. Paul then declares the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and out of that tomb. Paul writes that our Lord Jesus Christ died and this English word is translated by the Greek word apothnesko which means He was literally dead just as any other human being dies; the word denotes separation, departure, and cessation; His life in the Body stopped and ceased to exist. Paul wants to bear testimony to this Historical fact that has been documented even to this day by secular Historians. Paul declares that Christ died or apothnesko for our sins and the little English word for used here is the key word and it is translated by the Greek word huper which is a primary preposition used here in the genitive case (the case expressing ownership) meaning in behalf of us, or in our place. Christ, even though He was and is God at this time went voluntarily to death in the place of every sinner that would trust Him for the forgiveness of their sins. This was done completely as God the Father prophesied it through all of His Holy Prophets in the Old Testament (Psalms 22:15 & Isaiah 53:9-12). Paul declares that Christ Jesus our Lord was buried and this English word is translated by the Greek word thapto which means He (His Body) was placed in a tomb or grave. Christ Body was not stolen or some other dead Body placed in that tomb lifeless, but it was His Literal Body lying in the tomb lifeless (separated from His Spirit).

Paul now declares the most glorious and thrilling part of the entire gospel and that is that He rose again and this English phrase “He rose again” is translated by the Greek word egeiro which means to arouse, or to cause to rise or awake from death, or to recall the dead to life. Christ Jesus our Lord’s Body was roused from death by His Spirit re-entering His lifeless Body as declared by Paul to the Romans in this manner and testifies to the power we have available to us as regenerated born again believers, “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:10-11). Christ Jesus was raised by the Spirit and His Body a new One of Flesh and Bone as He declared to the early disciples in this discourse, “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’” (Luke 24:36-39).

“The gospel is not speculation but fact. It is truth, because it is the record of a Person who is the Truth.” Alexander MacLaren

“If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality.” Oswald Chambers

“Paul stresses most emphatically in his letters that the gospel he preaches does not originate with man: it is not acquired wholesale from one man’s mind and retailed to the mind of others but is discovered through revelation.” Watchman Nee

“The Gospel does not need defending. If Jesus Christ is not alive and cannot fight His own battles, then Christianity is in a bad state. But He is alive and we have only to preach His gospel in all its simplicity, and the power that goes with it will be evidence of its divinity.” Charles Spurgeon

“It was Paul’s sincere love for these brethren in Corinth that moved him to write even some very hard words to them because he wanted his preaching of the gospel of Christ death, burial, and resurrection from the dead to be real to each and every one of them and not see that some were not real, true, or genuine disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…