by Timothy W. Burnett
The rest of chapter 15 expounds on the resurrection from the dead. Apparently there were some in the churhc teaching the resurrection was not possible. he said, "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (verse 12). Notice how Paul uses basic logical reasoning.
He continues, "but if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not raised. And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He rose up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not." All of their labors and benefits in the Lord Jesus are in vain if there truly is no resurrection from the dead. It all falls short of any purpose or worthiness "for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised also. And if Christ is not raised, your believing is vain. You are yet in your sins."
If there is no resurrection then all of mankind is still under the eternal bondage of death and there is ultimately no hope, and "they who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (verses 13-19). In essence, even if our hope is in Christ only while we are alive, we are still in a miserable state because we will eventually die. And without the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, there is no hope of resurrection for all of mankind.
Try to keep in mind that the letter was addressed to believers who had already been taught the gospel of Jesus the Christ. They believed the truth and were filled with holy spirit. Many of them were even born-again. They no doubt were benefiting from what God did for them by appointing His first born son to be Lord and Savior.
yet they began to forget the gospel. Some were teaching that there is no resurrection from the dead. Maybe they lost site of the hope of the return of Christ Jesus. Whatever the case, things were so bad that Paul devoted a great deal of attention to the resurrection.
Chapter 15 is packed with amazingly simple and powerful information about the resurrection from the dead that is through Christ Jesus. Next week we will look at verses 20-28 that paranthetically deviate to a comparison between the first man Adam and the second man who is our Lord Jesus, showing what was available through each one (for more study on this subject, see also Romans 5:12-21).
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