SNBS - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 1 CORINTHIANS 15

The Gospel as First Importance and the Purpose of 1 Corinthians 15

Good evening and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study with Pastor Josiah Shipley of Witten Baptist Church. I'm glad to be with you guys. I love doing these with you. As always, please continue to share these videos and to like them on Facebook and YouTube.

It really helps us with our ministry here. We're not making any profit of it. We just want people to hear the message of the cross. Okay, so we just got done with a few weeks on the life of Paul. Last Sunday in the in-person Bible study here at Witten, we went over the Jameses of the New Testament, but we spent the first half of class going over 1 Corinthians 15, which is what I want to do here.

I always want to make sure that you guys get the same message that the guys in person get. We're going to go over 1 Corinthians 15 today. It has some to do with the Apostles. As you know, we're talking about the Apostles and their life.

Right now, we're going to start the Canon of Scripture, you know, why we have some books in the Bible, not others. We're going to start that very soon. But 1 Corinthians 15 is where we're going to be today, and we're going to read the first eight verses of that.

Again, I always love doing these videos. I hope they're helpful to you. I do go back and read every comment, so always make sure to comment, interact. Sometimes I find questions on your comments that we use on the question and answer sessions on Saturdays, and those are always fun.

We had one on the Book of Life a couple weeks ago. It's on YouTube as well, Witten Media Ministry. If you ever have any questions about what's the Book of Life, and Revelation specifically, go check that out.

It's pretty cool. But for today, we're going to be in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, and I'm going to read 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1 through 8. So here we go. Now, I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I received, that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as the one untimely born, he appeared to me. I'm going to go ahead and read verse 9. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Exegesis, Doctrine, and Theology

So, let's just go verse by verse here, and like we do so often, just go verse by verse through text, and talk about it. We call that exegesis, where you take out of the text whatever is there. You don't try to put in any opinions or any of that, you just teach what the text is saying.

That's what we're going to do here. So, a little mini expository on 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 8. First off, remember that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. He wrote it in the mid -50s. He actually had written a letter before this, so if you want to think of this, this is really 2 Corinthians.

That letter we don't have anymore, but we know they responded to it, and 1 Corinthians is his response to their response. We know that because of the way he speaks about it. He says as much, and he addresses a lot of their questions in it.

This is towards the end. He's addressed a lot of their questions about marriage, and divorce, and communion, and spiritual gifts, and the roles of women in the church, and all this kind of stuff. Now, he sums it all up in chapter 15 by saying this, "...I want to remind you, brothers, of the gospel.".

Brothers. Those are believers. Guys, this is something maybe we haven't done as great of a job in the church. The gospel is not just for lost people. That's the first time they see the light of the gospel.

The gospel is how Christians live now. "...For I am not ashamed of the gospel," Romans 1 .16, "...for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.". First to the Jew and then to the Greek.

So, the gospel is the power of God, the salvation for all who believe. Paul is talking to the brothers and says that he wants to remind them of the gospel. When Paul speaks to the beloved called as saints, loved by God in Romans 1, he says he can't wait to come preach the gospel to them.

You teach and preach the gospel to believers. You say, why? They're already saved. Because the gospel is how we live now. That's how we're sanctified. Philippians 2, 13 and 14, "...Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, "...for it is God who is working in you, enabling you to desire and work out His good purpose.".

We're going to see that more in just a second. So, brothers, I'm reminding you of the gospel I preached to you, that you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved. If you hold fast to the word I preached, unless you believed in vain.

Remember, when the Bible speaks of you being saved before the foundation of the world, it's telling the truth. You were. You were saved. Past tense. When the Bible speaks of you being saved, it's telling the truth.

You're being saved right now. When the Bible speaks of you awaiting your future salvation, it's telling the truth. You're saved past, present, future. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1, 4, to be holy and blameless in His sight.

In love He predestines us. That's why we can say, 2 Timothy 1, 9, we are saved before the foundation of the world. God said, He's mine. Our sanctification, the process of being made more like Christ, is happening right now.

So, positionally, positional sanctification, that first stage of sanctification, positional, is you being in Christ Jesus. Well, Ephesians 1, 4 says, He chose us in Him, positionally, in Jesus. There's therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So, you're positionally in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now, chosen to be in Him before the foundation of the world. Your progressive sanctification is what's happening right now. That's why you look for those I-N-G words.

You are being saved according to verse 2. You are working out your salvation with fear and trembling in your time of temporary residence. And then your perfected sanctification, or your final sanctification, your glorification happens at the end when He calls us home.

So, the gospel is how we were saved and how we're being saved, sanctified. If you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. Guys, remember, the New Testament tells us a lot to persevere, to endure, to hold fast.

And it warns us about forsaking, warns us about apostatizing, warns us about all these things. But we can be sure of this, that He who started the good work in us, He will carry it on to completion. You see, we can work out our own salvation with fear and trembling because God is working in us, enabling us to desire and work out His good purpose, not our own.

The method by which God sanctifies you is by you every day denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Him daily. So, what does it mean to believe in vain? Well, I believe it's the same thing as James 2, that dead faith.

That faith with no action, no results, no fruit. It's not a real faith, it's a fake faith, it's a dead faith. Just like this belief, if there's no action, no perseverance, no sanctification, it's a vain belief.

The Gospel, the Old Testament, and Substitutionary Atonement

Verse 3, Guys, I've spoken about this so many times, but I'm going to keep doing it because it's important. The difference between doctrine and theology. A doctrine is a fundamental teaching of the Word of God found from Genesis to Revelation.

So, it can't contradict any other doctrines. A theology is the study of God. It's the study of God and the things of God that come from those doctrines. See, a doctrine is what the Bible says, it doesn't matter about anyone's opinion about it, it's true.

Jesus Christ is coming back, second coming, second advent. It doesn't matter what your opinion is, the Bible says He will. A theology is the study of that. Like, when exactly are we going to be raptured?

Pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, but that's a theology because the Bible doesn't specifically say it will happen at this exact time in history, for example. And we can agree to disagree on that. But I can't agree to disagree with you if you say Jesus isn't coming back because the Bible says He is.

That's where we've got to be careful what we define as doctrine and theology. That's what I mean by that. And if you need more examples on that, I'll be glad to give it. If I'm ever not clear, please put it in the comments because that's something I think is very important.

Guys, you can't make things the law of God that are not the law of God. That's legalism. You can't say, for example, the Earth is exactly 6 ,438 years old because the Bible doesn't say it's 6 ,438 years old.

What the Bible does say is that before Adam there was no death. So any system you believe in where there was death before Adam can't be because Romans 5 .12 says, Therefore sin in the world through one man and death through sin.

Death is a result of sin. So there wasn't single-celled organisms dying for millions and billions of years before Adam. That didn't happen because the Bible says death is a result of the sin of Adam.

Okay. I hope that makes sense. If it doesn't, please let me know because that's important. And right here, Paul is saying the same things. He's delivering that which is of first importance. That means there are things that are of second and third importance that aren't as important as others.

The Gospel is of first importance. What is the Gospel? That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. That He was buried and He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

That He appeared to Cephas. That's Peter. That He appeared to Peter. Then 2 .12, Then He appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. I keep stumbling right there.

Remember, fallen asleep is a New Testament euphemism for they died. Then He appeared to James. Then to all the apostles. Okay. So, what is the Gospel? That Christ died for our sins. That's substitutionary atonement.

He died the death that we deserved. And that was in accordance with the Scriptures. Now, what Scriptures is Paul talking about? See, a lot of the New Testament hadn't been written yet at this time. Speaking of the Old Testament, Paul is saying the Old Testament speaks of Christ coming and dying for our sins.

Isaiah 53 is a perfect example. Zechariah 3. Moses spoke about it. Deuteronomy 18. Genesis chapter 3. We have multitudes of prophecies and of foretelling. Psalm 22 in the Old Testament. So, what Paul is saying here is that the Bible, the Word of God, specifically the Old Testament here, speaks about Christ coming and dying for our sins.

That He was buried and raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. You see, the Gospel is the fact that Jesus came and died, was buried and rose again on the third day, and that's all in accordance with what God said would happen in the Bible, in the Old Testament.

So, the Gospel is also what the Bible is. Do you see that? The Gospel includes that He appeared to Peter, Emma 12, and more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this in the 50s.

Remember, that's only 20 years or so after Jesus left. Some of them had died. Then He appeared to James. Okay, now this is the part that's kind of cool. There are several Jameses in the New Testament.

We have James, son of Zebedee. His mother's name was Salome. We have James, the son of Alphaeus, or Clephaeus, I guess is the other way to pronounce it. His mom's name was Mary, but don't get that confused.

Then we have James, the brother of Jesus, or the half-brother of Jesus, if you will. This is the James that I believe wrote the Epistle of James in the Bible. Obviously, James' mom was Mary. No, I'm sorry, Roman Catholics, don't mean to be rude.

Mary was not a perpetual virgin. You read Mark 6 .3 and Matthew 13 .55. I'll say those again if you want to write them down. Mark 6 .3 and Matthew 13 .55. It shows that Jesus had at least six, if not more, siblings.

Four brothers and at least a few sisters. We don't know exactly how many. At least two, maybe more, because it says sisters. I think Matthew makes it clear it says all of his sisters, so it was more than two.

He had at least seven siblings. There are two of the twelve named James. There are two disciples, two of the twelve disciples named James. The son of Zebedee and the son of Alphaeus. They are listed in Matthew 10 .1 -4 and Mark 3 .16 -19.

The list of the twelve apostles, Matthew 10 .1 -4 and Mark 3 .16 -19. So, with that being said, there are two James. But notice here, it says this. In verse 5, he appeared to the twelve. Well, that's both James, son of Zebedee, and James, son of Alphaeus.

And then verse 7 says he appeared to James. Well, since he's already appeared to the other ones, this is talking about James, his brother. And here's what's amazing. I know a lot of scriptures, but get this in your head.

John 7 .5 said Jesus' brothers did not believe in him when Jesus was still alive. John 7 .5 said Jesus' brothers did not believe in him when he was still alive. It's exactly what it says, I'll read it for you.

John 7 .5, for even his brothers, even not his brothers believed in him. His brothers didn't even believe in him at first. They rebuked him another time. This James in 1 Corinthians 15 .7, he's appeared to as his brother.

You know what that means? Some point after his resurrection, before he ascended in those 40 days that he stayed, he appeared to his brother. See, James eventually became a believer. So when James writes the epistle of James, James 1 .1 says this.

James, a slave or a servant of Christ Jesus. He realized at one point that his brother wasn't just his brother. He was the eternal son of God. This James is the James, I believe, that became the pastor of the church at Jerusalem in Acts 15.

And presided over the Jerusalem council which decided that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Even though Jesus had already taught on that. Sometimes it takes the church a while to get used to it.

Or a while to obey. Right, Christian? Me too. Now, that James was not one of the original twelve, but he became an apostle. A pastor and a leader of the early church. It is said that his knees were so calloused from praying so much that they looked like the knees of a camel.

That's what some of the early church fathers say. Sometimes he'll be called James the Just. Oftentimes, sorry guys, James son of Alphaeus would be called James the Lesser. Mark 15 .40 says that. It could simply mean he was the younger brother.

James the son of Zebedee is John's brother. Yes, that John. They were called the sons of thunder and all that stuff. But this James here in 1 Corinthians 15 .7, I believe, has to be the Lord's brother because he already appeared to the other ones.

And this James, I do believe, was the leader of the church at Jerusalem. And also the James that wrote the epistle. And just one more time, just for proof of why I believe that. Galatians chapter 1 and chapter 2.

Let me just read a couple little verses from here. Galatians 1 says this. Galatians 1 .19. This is when Paul went to Jerusalem three years after he was saved and he stayed at Peter's house for 15 days.

He says this,. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. Okay. James 2 .9. And when James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived that grace was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas.

Okay. Therefore, the James he's talking to in chapter 2, I believe, would be the same James in chapter 1, meaning Jesus' brother. A couple more things for you. James, the son of Zebedee, is the James that Herod killed in Acts chapter 12.

He killed him with a sword. So, since James was written a little bit later in the 40s, like 48, most likely, he couldn't have written that. He was already dead. So, there's that. And then just to finish up, 1 Corinthians 15.

Verse 7. And then he appeared to James and the other apostles. Verse 8. Josiah, why do you not believe there are apostles anymore? Well, the word apostle just means messenger. So, if you mean, are there messengers?

Well, yes. 2 Corinthians says we're all ambassadors for Christ. But apostle as in the title? The title apostle? The office of apostle? No, I believe that has ended. Why? 1 Corinthians 15 .8. Paul said, Last of all, he's appeared to me.

Part of being an apostle was to physically see the risen Christ. That's why Jesus, after he ascended, made an appearance to Paul. He was a special case. And he was an apostle to the Gentiles, not to the Jews, of course.

Though he did witness to Jews. My point is, if someone were to tell me, Josiah, I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ. He has physically appeared to me. I would say, okay, brother. I respect you, but no, I disagree.

You're not an apostle of Jesus Christ in that sense. You're an apostle as in you're a messenger. But the office of apostle? No. Because Paul right here says, Last of all, he appeared to me. Sorry, I hit my microphone, guys.

My point is this. We are all apostles in that we're all messengers. But as far as the office of apostle, I believe that ended with Paul. Because it says, Last of all, he appeared to me. Okay, so let's read it one more time.

I want to remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved. Progressive sanctification. If you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain, perseverance, keep going.

For I delivered to you as of first importance, doctrine and theology, doctrines of first importance, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried and raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, that he appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.

Then he appeared to 500 brothers at one time, more than 500, excuse me, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. This is about 20, 25 years after Jesus ascended. Then he appeared to James, that was Jesus' brother.

Then to all the apostles, last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Verse 10. But by the grace of God I am one and His grace towards me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preached and so you believed. All right. There's 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 8, and there's just a little snippet into James and the three James of the New Testament.

You have James, son of Zebedee, who was John's brother and the fisherman. You have James, son of Alphaeus. We have the least amount of knowledge of him, but he was one of the Twelve, and his mother's name was Mary.

And then we have James, the Lord's brother, who's obviously his mother's name was Mary also, and he's the one that I believe was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem and wrote the epistle of James. All right.

Closing Exhortation: Read the Bible, Love God, and Serve the Church

So there is our Bible study for this week on 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 8. I hope that was beneficial to you. I hope that ministers to you in some way. Guys, go back and read the Bible. Study the Bible.

Forget about what I say. Forget about what I say. Remember what God says. I want all of you who watch this to benefit from this, to gain knowledge from this, to learn from this, and to love God more from this.

But please never let this replace you assembling with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Never let that happen. If you live in Memphis, I encourage you to come to Witten Baptist Church Sunday mornings at 1030 or Sunday nights at 6 p .m. or Wednesday nights at 630.

Now this is still for you. If you can't make it for whatever reason and have to watch it later, totally get that. If you live out of state, this is for your benefit too. But keep in mind, if you live out of state, I'm not your pastor.

I'm a pastor. I'm not your pastor. You need to be part of a local church body. That's what God always intended. Still watch this. Still learn from this. All that stuff. That's why we do this, especially for people who live out of town.

Then we can minister to people outside the city limits of Memphis. But do that and listen to this and learn with the knowledge that you still need to be part of a local church body. How do I find a local church body?

Find somewhere you can serve the people of God and that preaches the truth from the Word of God. All right. I love you all very much. Don't forget, like and subscribe. Witten Media Ministry on YouTube and Witten Baptist Church on Facebook.

It helps us with this ministry. I love you all very much. I pray you all continue to learn to love God, not just with words or Facebook posts, but to love Him by obeying Him. That's how we show obedience.

Remember, to obey is what the Lord desires more than anything. 1 Samuel 15 .22 Jesus said, John 14 .15, If you love me, you'll keep my commands. Love Him by obeying Him. Obey Him by serving His people like He told us to.

Talk to you guys later. Bye.