1 Corinthians 15-16 (The Daily Walk Bible).
The doctrine of the resurrection is under attack:
— The enemies of the gospel deny it!
— If there is no resurrection, one must be forced to accept the following horrible conclusions:
1. The Easter story is a lie.
2. Preaching the gospel is useless.
3. Preachers are all liars.
4. Believers:
a. Our trust in God is empty, worthless, and hopeless (15:14b).
b. We are still in our sin (15:17).
c. We are the most miserable of all creatures (15:19).
d. Those who live, suffer, and die for Christ are fools (15:29–31).
5. Departed believers are forever dead, never to rise again.
6. In regard to this present life — we should live it up, for tomorrow we may die (15:32)!
— Paul rebukes Christians who have been listening to the lies of unbelievers about the resurrection.
We are going to be resurrected, and what a difference it makes:
— Our old bodies:
1. Are perishable.
2. Are sown in dishonor.
3. Are sown in weakness.
4. Are sown as natural body’s.
5. Are sown bearing the likeness of the first Adam.
— Our new bodies:
1. Will be raised imperishable.
2. Will be raised in glory.
3. Will be raised in power.
4. Will be raised a spiritual body.
5. Will be raised bearing the likeness of Christ.
But some of us will be alive when Jesus comes back:
— Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s Kingdom (15:50).
— All believers alive at Christ’s coming will go to heaven without dying (15:51).
— This will occur in the amount of time it takes to blink an eye (15:52).
— The last trumpet will signify the fulfillment of this promise (15:52).
— Departed believers will exchange their corrupted bodies for incorruptible ones (15:52c).
— Living believers will exchange their mortal bodies for immortal ones (15:53).
— Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Hosea predicted this (Isa. 25:8; Hos. 13:14).
And he gives us a wonderful promise to remind us to keep working while we wait:
— Because of the resurrection, no labor done for the Lord is in vain (15:58)
*Paul has already talked about the rewards that come to believers (3:10-15)!