1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Want Proof?

The Gospel as First Importance in 1 Corinthians 15

First Corinthians chapter 15 starting in verse 1 here the word of the Lord. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you which you received in 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 a first importance. What I also received that Christ died for your sins in accordance with the scriptures.

That he was buried that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas. Then to the twelve then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time most of whom are still alive.

Oh some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James then to all the Apostles. Last of all as the one untimely born he appeared also to me for I am the least of the Apostles. Unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God.

But by the grace of God, I am what I am and his grace toward 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 preach and.

So you believed? May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. But do you want proof? Someone makes a claim. Particularly a claim that at first you may find hard to believe you that team is the best.

Well, you know prove it. Supported what sports is all about right? That's why they play is to prove who's the best. Or maybe the claim is that something? Should require something for you. It's worth something from you.

It's worth your money your time your commitment. Your life your soul your all. You're gonna want proof for that right if someone says to you I guarantee you that this business is going to be huge in the next few years.

Invest every cent you have into it. Well. You're gonna want proof, right? You know show me show me show me what they make. Explain to me what they do and and why people are going to want to pay for it.

There are all kinds of things that people want. Proof for some people still want more proof that is out there prove that Elvis is dead. One person was demanding proof that Lady Gaga was not a man. Some people want proof that we actually went to the moon, you know 50th anniversary last July prove we actually went there.

It was a stage. One girlfriend demanded proof from her boyfriend that he really thought that she was beautiful. If I were him I would want proof that she's not totally self-absorbed. Proof is important.

The courts have elaborated precise rules about what constitutes proof and how it can be presented as proof. There are witnesses, you know, there are exhibits and if they aren't handled correctly, they can sometimes be disallowed as proof.

We all have to present proof of being able to drive, you know. You can't drive without proof and to get that proof in the form of a driver's license. We have to present proof that we live where we say we do airlines demand proof that we are the people who bought the ticket.

Once on a flight back here my wife Mary ran into the problem because she bought the ticket under the name Mary Carpenter and her Singaporean passport says Mary yo. Because women in Singapore being mostly Chinese don't typically change their family name to that of her husband when they get married.

But you know She bought the ticket under Mary Carpenter because sometimes here in America us she goes under that name. She then had to present proof in the form of a marriage certificate that Mary Carpenter was indeed Mary yo, because we realize that people can misrepresent Facts when it is to their advantage we constantly demand proof.

The Gospel Proved by Scripture, Witnesses, and Grace

Now here in 1st Corinthians 15 Paul offers proof of what he says is the most important thing the thing of first Importance for his ministry for the church and that is the gospel. What is the proof though?

That this good news is true news. Well, he tells us that in verse 3 for I delivered to you as a first Importance and then he describes the gospel. The gospel is the purpose for which he is writing this chapter because an important part of that gospel Was being doubted by some in Corinth.

Some were rejecting the doctrine of the resurrection. They didn't see how it was important to their faith, you know in their culture Greek culture. You don't you don't even want your body to be raised.

You want to get free of it after death and you want to you're a spirit trapped in a body and you want to get Out of it. And so that's not something that they naturally had to get their minds transformed to understand differently.

They didn't think it was believable. And so this Paul feels that he must address. There's no evidence that the Corinthians asked him about about this issue. Most of the first Corinthians about issues that they asked him about and he then answers.

This issue is when he says for last Is that what he just had heard that people some of the people in Corinth were doubting this doctrine. Maybe they were thinking Sure, maybe Jesus was raised but that doesn't apply to us we won't be and he feels that this is so significant even though they didn't ask about it that he has to Before he closes the letter that he has to take up at this this issue and address it.

It's so important. It's the first thing that he offers proof and there are many things that Christians can disagree on political opinions you know opinions about how things will pan out at the end the last days about how Literally or symbolically to take certain passages but about the resurrection.

It is so important that Paul turns to offer evidence. Proof to convince the skeptic. So he begins reminding them of the gospel when a church forgets this first thing. They need to be reminded of the gospel the good news and in just the first four verses He lays out seven elements of the gospel to describe What he is proving?

First He says it was evangelized to them. That's literally what it says in verse 1. He is reminding them of the good news that was reported to them as good news. The word they're translated is preached, you know, the gospel I preach to you.

It's that's the English translation. That's a little deceptive. Because it makes it sound like Paul is referring to a specific style of communication. To preaching a sermon like what I'm doing right now.

But the literal word there is simply a verbal form of the word gospel the good news. In other words, he he gospel to them. He good newsed them. He evangelized them. That is he reported the good news. So it's not so much about a style of communication as it is about what is being communicated.

He is reminding them about the original message of God's grace that he brought them. However, he brought it that is beside the point second they they received it that is they accepted this message and everything he says in the rest of the chapter is Reminding them of the original message that they accepted at first, but are now starting to deny Particularly one key point of it.

They have forgotten What is a first importance. Perhaps now they think it is perhaps now they think the most important thing is being more than conquerors. Or maybe it's to that they can eat whatever they want with no thought of anyone else.

Maybe they think that's the most important thing or to have knowledge. For the smug assurance that I know better than they do. To come to the Lord's Supper only thinking about themselves. Maybe that's what they think about and it's just you know Me and the Lord walking together on the beach only two sets of footprints of the sand.

Maybe think that's the first thing of first importance to seek spiritual gifts. Maybe they spiritual gifts are the most important thing. Right, you know speaking the tongues is most important prophecy.

But whatever gives me the thrill the bottom line was themselves and their sense of exaltation, but Paul reminds them. That when they first heard the gospel and were converted the gospel they received is this at the end of this passage in verse 11.

He says this this is what I am Reviewing for you. Christ died for your sins and was raised for your life. That's the gospel that I reported to you and and he says don't get hung up on me. It's the same gospel the other Apostles reported now.

Now you received it and whether it came from me the least or they the best. That's what we preach in the past what we preach now, and that's what you believed at the beginning that message He says hasn't changed.

It's the thing of first importance. It's like a mailman. Witnessing the recipient. Receive a package. I guess Wayne has to do that. Sometimes you ask people to sign to show that they've actually received it.

So there's evidence. There's proof that they actually got this thing in the mail here. He says I have the proof that you got this message like you're seeing short of certified mail slip proof that the people of Corinth received the gospel now though.

Did they receive it in vain? That's the question third they they stand By this gospel. There's other they are founded upon it. That is they have their standing before God the ability to approach the Lord and to be accepted by him.

Stand before his presence without being struck down in terror before a God who was a consuming fire. They can stand before God. Not because they're such great people. Because they're not because they have some kind of secret knowledge that others lack but because the good news.

That they've received that the wrath of God that could have rightly destroyed them has now been dealt with. So they can stand before God Forth through this gospel. He says they are they are being Saved.

Notice that it the second half of verse 2 you're there being Saved it's a current Process something going on. That's what literally says in the first first half of verse 2 through the gospel. You are being Saved which is different from the way many people talk about salvation today, but here is a present continuous ongoing process salvation consists of the whole journey of Making someone born again giving the gift of repentance.

Making them right before God so that they can stand making them holy working in their lives to change them to be more and more like Christ and finally in the future to Glorify them and raise them from the dead and all that happens.

Through the gospel through the good news of what God has done for us in Christ in God's eyes. Of course it is it is as good as already done. Because he is certain he's going to do it and he cannot be defeated.

It is already done for his people in God's point of view so he can speak of them as already saved. There's nothing wrong with that. But from our point of view, it is still something we are undergoing that we are in the process of experiencing.

We are now currently being Saved through the gospel. That's why we need to be reminded of it. Right, that's why we come to church for be reminded of the gospel so we could continue being saved. Fifth the gospel is in verse 3 that Christ died for our sins.

That seems simple enough, but this is often denied today. That is he died for our sins as our substitute to pay for our sins. He made atonement for our sins his death wasn't just a demonstration of love.

You know like look this is how much I'm willing to experience for you. But look I'm willing to die for you if I have to know the gospel tells us that he did indeed have to die. If we had any chance of being saved because our sins must be paid for God could not be righteous and just kind of wink at our sins, you know, let him slide.

He had to punish them and he could punish Christ for them. Instead of us the gospel is the good news that he did just that he punished his sinless son. Rather than punish us sinful rebels and by doing so he takes away our sin.

Our Sins have been paid for this. Christ died for them. And so we are now made at one. With the father he provided for our atonement. So we're reconciled so we have a good relationship so we're adopted into his family that's why he's our father.

Six the gospel tells us that he was put in the grave. He's buried. And that's because he was really dead. He was so dead. They buried him. It wasn't just knocked unconscious or You know fainted because of all the agony he was suffering.

He was pronounced dead by a professional executioner. He had a spear stuck in his side to test that diagnosis. He was wrapped in cloths and smothered in ointments that would have suffocated him. Even if somehow he wasn't already dead and then he was placed in the grave for three days before being raised.

He so he was totally coldly dead. Seventh the gospel is that Christ rose from the dead that the grave did not keep him. And that's. That last point is what some of them are doubting in some way. They probably thought it maybe they thought it well, it's not so important really isn't he was physically dead.

Maybe it's just like a metaphor for spiritual triumph or maybe maybe okay, maybe he Was raised but he's not really the firstborn from the dead. You know, we won't follow him. It's just it's just for him not for us.

Proof from the Old Testament and the Eyewitnesses

So Paul reminds them that the resurrection is part and parcel of this whole package of the gospel which is this thing of first importance and Some likely demanded proof. Okay, that's what you say prove to me that Jesus was literally physically raised from the dead.

That then is precisely what Paul does in the remainder of this passage the Apostle Paul describes three proofs. That this good news is true news first the word. Second the witness and third the work. First the word by which he means scripture.

What we now call the Old Testament, but they had scripture already. But in the early church in both verses three and four Paul uses the phrase uses it twice in accordance with the scriptures. To show that Jesus amazingly fulfilled Old Testament prophecies delivered centuries before he was born.

So many passages of the Old Testament either anticipated or prefigured him or even overtly described Christ. That Paul and the other Christians of the New Testament Church read the Old Testament as a book about Christ.

That's what the Old Testament is. That's what I'm trying to show now in the Old Testament survey. This is all about Christ. The word taught that Christ would die as Isaiah said hundreds of years before Christ.

Isaiah 53 he was wounded for our Transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes We are healed. Psalm 16 tells us that God would not let his Holy One the Messiah see corruption.

His body would not rot. Jesus himself said that his Jonah was three days in the belly of a great fish and was Jonah himself Was a model of what he's going through. He was like he was a in the fish for three days.

So Jesus said he would be in the grave for three days. This is the word That Paul used wherever he went. We've seen that in Acts. Before the Apostles go out they use the word they use the Old Testament.

To prove that Jesus was Messiah that he provided the sacrifice for our sins so that we could stand before God. That's what we stand on that. He rose from the dead and So is Lord. We lose some of the impact of that we can when we think wrongly as many people today think that the Old Testament is Just the record of God's dealings with Israel.

It's just about him trying to teach though those people way back there those hard-hearted people how to live. That it's a whole other plan of salvation. That can then be unhitched from the gospel that comes all only in the New Testament.

Well, that's all wrong. Okay, that that way of thinking is entirely wrong and it makes us miss one of the important proofs of the resurrection. What Paul is saying is that from the beginning? From the Old Testament that first Old Testament promise of Salvation when it would God threaten Satan in the garden that the son of the woman will crush his head.

It's a son of a woman about it's the only one born of a virgin, isn't he? He will crush his head. Did from that time from the very first sin for the fall that there has been only one plan of salvation and God himself has been focused from the beginning on paying for our sins through Jesus on Undoing the curse of death through the resurrection and that this plan is called now the gospel.

That's the word The proof of the old the proof in the Old Testament another proof is in the witnesses the word was scripture on pages the witnesses were people who saw what happened and Can attest to it with their lives if they have to first there's Cephas and we usually call Peter.

Now what accounts for this man this Peter? Whom every gospel shows us. Was the natural. I mean this guy was a coward. Left to himself. He was scared a little servant girl comes up to him. Probably like 12 years old asking, you know, are you with Jesus.

And he's so scared of a little girl that he Won't tell the truth to her. What accounts for this this man is coward suddenly. Becoming bold and brave standing before crowds. Standing up to the threats of rulers before the very same people who crucified Jesus he was whom he is scared to death about before Confessing to them that now he believes that Jesus is Lord and that you killed him and you should repent.

How does how does that happen? How does how does someone so cowardly be transformed so bold unless the course? He saw Jesus himself Risen from the dead. The 12 Apostles will bear witness to it at least one of them by the time Paul wrote this James the son of Zebedee.

It was the brother of John. Had already been murdered for confessing that we saw that in Acts 12. Why why why would they do that? Why would these Apostles lose everything lose even their lives? If it were not true You know who would die to protect a lie a Fabrication.

Why aren't you gonna say no, okay. I'm not getting him. I'm not getting more advantage out of this. I'm gonna stop telling it it makes no sense. No, we rightly demand proof from people when they when we know they have something to gain by by claiming something.

But maybe telling us to invest in some stock or something buy this from them. But doesn't the fact that these Apostles would is all of them did Suffer for the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. At least 11 of them were killed and John that John may have been the only one that wasn't killed for being an Apostle.

But he suffered Exile on this deserted island. Doesn't the fact that each of them would be willing to suffer so much. For claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. Does it that that willingness? Itself stand as evidence.

You know in court they have a in the law they have a rule of evidence called declaration against interest. That is if someone testifies to something it's just totally against their interest to say it.

Maybe it makes them look bad to say it or makes them lose property makes them lose money. Makes them makes them admit to a crime, you know, how do you tell us where to tell the truth? Yes, how do you know that guy robbed the bank?

Because I was his getaway driver, okay, you know if they're willing to give a testimony that's against their own interests implicates themselves. Make them suffer something that testimony is given more weight.

The assumption is that no one testifies against their interest unless they are convinced that what they're saying is true. 500 people will bear witness that Jesus the risen Jesus appeared to them at one time.

Now even if a few people, okay. Maybe you can say there's a few people who were just so loved Jesus and they were just so traumatized by his crucifixion. And that they kind of made up and their wishful thinking this delusion that he rose from the dead.

Maybe a few people could hallucinate and do that to themselves, but surely not 500 at the same time and If you doubt his report Paul says you don't believe me go ask him go ask him yourself. Most of them are all still alive.

The Corinthian doubters want to go verify the claim. Go take a trip to Jerusalem. Go go ask them. They're still there and in our day, of course. You know, they're all dead. They were asleep as Paul now calls it after the resurrection.

But doesn't Paul's bold challenge that we see right here. He's challenging them. You could go ask these people yourself. Doesn't the fact that he's willing to challenge them to say go ask them doesn't that itself constitute some proof.

He was willing to tell skeptics in Corinth. No, go check it out for yourself. That's the kind of challenge people make when they are confident that if you do check it out. You will find proof. Then the reason Jesus appeared to James.

His own younger brother and some of us may think well, what's the big deal about out of you 500 others? Yeah, but James along with his other brothers. He was not a believer. Before that anyway, and James had scoffed at Jesus saying at one point, you know that Jesus had gone insane.

James along with the brothers Challenged Jesus to prove himself because they didn't really believe and Jesus said you're just part of the world. That's why you doubt me his natural brothers including James were nowhere to be found at the crucifixion.

James wasn't a believer. He wasn't a disciple in the first place. It wasn't someone who just so wanted to believe that he made it to be true in his imagination. He made up the delusion. No, he was a doubter but then suddenly James is part of the church.

He becomes a leader. He probably wrote the book of James. So what happened? Well the resurrection happened. Then the risen Christ appeared to all the Apostles again so that there were multiple Encounters with the risen Christ by numerous people some even doubters most notably Paul himself.

Paul says in verse 8 last of all. If you need even any more witnesses, I'm the last one he appeared to me like James. Paul was a doubter to. Unlike James. He was actually much more than a doubter. He was a he was a persecutor.

But Jesus appeared to him so that like the other Apostles he too could be an eyewitness of the resurrection. But unlike the others Jesus appeared to him at an unusual time, you know years later. He was born late as an Apostle his development and arrival as an Apostle was was unnatural compared to the others.

Because he was first an enemy. Proving that even a hostile witness like Paul could be converted by seeing the risen Jesus. The word pointed to him from the beginning. The witnesses give overwhelming testimony.

He rose from the dead. Finally Corinthians, you know if you're if you're still doubting after all that. Well, there's the testimony of the work the work is the work of grace. How does a persecutor become an Apostle?

Of all the faithful believers that there were. You know then and there have been through the altars history and still are today. Why did why did Christ appear? To a persecutor. It's intent on arresting and even killing believers.

Why why did Paul because of grace. But this is that the empty grace that some believe in today the grace. That's just an excuse to keep on living any way we want with no change. No transformation. No, no work coming out of it.

Some will say many of today will say sure or save through faith alone, and that's true. But faith that saves is never alone. Yes, you can debate what works you will show. Must you be baptized or miss you give or be a member of a church or read your Bible you can debate.

Which works you will do? But if you're looking for evidence of the resurrection Grace will work in you. So that you will work. Do you want evidence of the resurrection? Well, look at Paul says look at my life.

Why is it that I? The last and least of the Apostles work so hard and produce so much fruit. Because he says the same power the same grace that raised Christ lives in me and works with me. Evidence of the resurrection is in the word.

The witnesses and the work and the work is the working of grace with believers and Paul points to himself to all that he did his many journeys and personal sharings is counseling his sermons his speeches as letters as Debates is enduring persecution and false accusations as imprisonment.

I'm gonna travel so far is is giving up things. Making tents or whatever he had to do for Paul that the grace of that grace of God was not in vain that it didn't produce nothing and that was proven by the fact of All his work his work was evidence of grace in his life.

He traveled he conversed. He spoke to people in their houses at the markets and riversides. He preached before crowds. He wrote letters. He he worked and worked and worked. Now many today imagine that grace is an excuse not to work, you know, it's the reason you could say I don't have to work.

But work is the proof of grace. All that work that he did is grace. Working in him. It was evidence of the resurrection. You want proof? Of the resurrection. Well last and least. He's an apostle he's a witness who says he's not fit to be an apostle and that's not just modesty not just humility.

It's the truth. He persecuted the church and thought it was doing service by to God by doing it. He is last and least but he worked and produced most because of the grace of God grace produces work. He had already hinted at this in verse 2, you know speaking of their faith their own apprehension of the gospel.

The gospel had been delivered to them. They received it. They stand because of it and They are being saved through it, but only if grace is working in them. To make them hold fast to the gospel grace produces the work of holding on to the gospel because by grace.

The father is holding on to us. You want proof of the resurrection? Just look at the lives. Holding on to Jesus. Because he's holding on to them the gospel is that you are being saved right now from the wrath of God from the death of sin if You are persevering.

Perseverance is the grand mark that separates true believers from the old old-fashioned language superficial professors. People who profess superficially today some have made the gospel so superficial.

It is only about being a superficial professor professing a doctrine that they don't hold fast to that doesn't change their life. That doesn't show itself working with them. But right here we see in verse 2.

That if we are not holding fast to the gospel. That we have believed in vain we believe for nothing we are a Superficial professor. Otherwise, we're not in the process of being saved. Salvation is not a one-time kind of spiritual jolt that we can be sure of that because we all we remember we felt that thrill.

Years ago when we prayed the right prayer. Yes. Your journey of salvation can and often does begin like that. Start like that as you turn from when you were going to death to going to life, but after that.

If there's no perseverance if there's no clinging to the gospel and to Christ. If there's no grace Working in you no work coming out of you. Then such people need to wonder if they have believed in vain if they had a faith that was empty and useless.

Today the idea of false converts of an empty faith and a vain grace. Yeah, kind of that idea is just foreign to many people today. If you think all one needs to do is profess. To say you believe that that is all the proof you need of really believing the Paul's words here was seen.

Just kind of strange. What are you talking about? I'm being saved if I Persevere the idea that faith must produce evidence and tangible at proof exhibits. You can hold up in a courtroom. That skeptics could see.

That idea is unknown by many today we've been teaching of faith without proof and wondering why. We produce so many doubters. But here Paul says that such a professor With no grace working within them causing them to work is someone who has believed he says in vain.

I was believed. For nothing. There's no end product their faith in verse 2 is useless. It produces nothing. Certainly not salvation. Others though. Prove the resurrection. Beautifully people whose lives have been transformed by grace.

They show that grace with what they do that grace is working with them. Hopefully the lives of many of you here. Show that grace at work. Because grace makes you work. I Believe if someone wants to see proof of the resurrection.

He or she needs only to look and many of your lives. You want proof for the resurrection. Just look at the lives in which grace is working. You want proof of the resurrection? Look at the life give one life as an example the life of Tehui I.

She was born in Singapore when it was just basically a basket case in the 50s was a poor Country threatened by communists and internal ethnic riots. She was born into a family of 12 children. They were so poor.

They decided they couldn't have another mouth to feed so they literally sold her. Not official adoption process. They just sold her away. Imagine a child so unwanted the parents would prefer the money they could get from her so they sold her to a couple that had no children and she was a sickly child and her adopted parents feared for her and so being Superstitious not at all Christian as pagan as any of these Corinthians have been they dedicated her to the Chinese goddess the Queen of Heaven Tian Ho there there was not as far as I know a single Christian and her entire extended family in a country that at that time had very very Very small percentage of Christians about 2 Christians.

So the the chances of you even running into another Christian is pretty pretty uncommon there. She was. She's in poverty in paganism dedicated to a literally a pagan goddess. Seemingly helpless and hopeless even out of the reach we would think of God's grace.

She had a cousin. Although he he was not a Christian. He was attending a Christian school for that school was supposed to read the New Testament and The girl loved to read and so picked up the Bible picked up the New Testament began to read it and began to fall in love with the person of Jesus.

She believed in Jesus. No church. No evangelist coaxing her to walk an aisle while the organ was playing just as I am just the Word of God Jesus according to the Scriptures. But she was alone. She began to look for information for help, what does it mean to believe in Jesus?

How do you follow Jesus? She had read the word. She had the Jesus had died for her sins according to the Scriptures. She wanted to know more. Look for help. But unknown to her the groups that most quickly sent her magazines and studies through the mail were cults are Distorted cultic kind of groups.

Would she believe in vain? Or could she hold on to the gospel? Delivered to her. One day when she was a confused about 14 years old or thereabouts a Methodist lady. Just randomly going through the thousands of high-rise apartments knocked on her door.

Spreading the gospel. A coincidence all the thousands of apartments in that that overcrowded island knocks on her door. She soon found herself in a sound church, which nurtured her. To hold fast to the gospel.

She was soon baptized and trained in the faith. Came a leader helping to plant evangelistic Bible study groups and schools in Singapore taking part in the massive spread of the gospel there in the 70s and 80s and then look to become a missionary.

Which she is today and garnering with all her hard work. Not merely hers, but the grace of God. Working in her the respect and love of a group of friends that would support her for decades to come. Support even helping to buy and refurbish a building for her mission Church.

Imagine a baby sold away. Dedicated to a pagan goddess and a family void of Christian witness. No Christian friends anywhere to be found the grace of God sought out and found and by the way. Her adopted family gave her the name Mary and I gave her the name carpenter.

And if you want proof of the resurrection Just open your eyes. Because you could see that the grace of God toward her was not in vain.