December 3

1 Corinthians 15-16 (biblegateway.com)

The Triumph of the Resurrection

After teaching the church about spiritual gifts and the supremacy of love, Paul now turns to the foundation of the Christian faith. 1 Corinthians 15–16 concludes Paul’s letter by grounding the entire Christian life in the truth of Christ’s resurrection and by calling believers to steadfast service. In chapter 15, Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians of the gospel he preached: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. In chapter 16, He offers practical instructions flowing from this hope. He updates them on his travel plans and commends faithful ministers such as Timothy and Apollos. He warns them to remain watchful, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, and be strong. Above all, they are to do everything in love. The chapter closes with greetings from the churches and believers who partner in the gospel and with Paul’s heartfelt desire that they remain faithful to Christ until His coming.

1 Corinthians 15 — The Resurrection Stands at the Center of the Gospel

Paul turns to the central doctrine of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians had embraced the gospel, yet some were confused about the resurrection of the dead. Paul reminds them of the message he preached, which they received, on which they stand, and by which they are being saved, if they hold fast to it (v. 1–2). The gospel is not a personal idea or religious preference; it is a historical announcement grounded in God’s action.

Paul summarizes the gospel in four key truths: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He appeared to many witnesses (v. 3–5). The resurrection is not speculation or myth. It is supported by eyewitness testimony. Jesus appeared to Peter, then to the twelve, then to more than five hundred brothers at once, many of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this letter (v. 6). He also appeared to James and, last of all, to Paul himself (v. 7–8). Paul's inclusion of himself highlights the transformative power of the risen Christ, who turned a persecutor of the church into an apostle of the gospel.

Paul insists that his labor is not his own doing, but the result of God's grace working through him (v. 10). Whether he or the other apostles preached, the message was the same, and the Corinthians believed it (v. 11). There is no Christian faith without the resurrection. It is the foundation of gospel preaching, the confirmation of Christ's identity, and the guarantee of believers' future hope.

Paul turns to the confusion in Corinth: some claim that “there is no resurrection of the dead” (v. 12). Paul takes their statement to its logical conclusion. If the dead are not raised, then Christ Himself cannot be raised, for He took on human nature and truly died. A denial of the resurrection of believers is, whether intended or not, a denial of Christ’s own resurrection (v. 13). If Christ is not raised, then the apostles’ preaching is empty, mere religious talk with no saving power, and the Corinthians’ faith is equally empty, grounded in a falsehood (v. 14). Christianity does not rest on moral teaching or spiritual experience but on a historical event: the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

The consequences do not stop there. If Christ is not raised, then the apostles become false witnesses about God, because they have testified that God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 15). The apostles are not mistaken, but lying, if the resurrection is untrue. Moreover, if Christ is not raised, faith accomplishes nothing. Sin is not forgiven, for death remains undefeated (v. 16–17). Without the resurrection, the cross does not save; it only condemns. Those who have died believing in Christ have not entered eternal life; they have simply perished with no hope beyond the grave (v. 18). The gospel becomes nothing more than temporary comfort for a dying people.

Paul presses the point even further. If believers hope in Christ only in this life, then Christians are “of all people most to be pitied” (v. 19). A faith that demands sacrifice, endurance, and suffering makes no sense if it ends in death like every other earthly endeavor. If there is no resurrection, Christians have given up the pleasures of this world for nothing. The resurrection is not an optional doctrine that can be dismissed without consequence. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Remove it, and everything else, including faith, forgiveness, hope, and the very identity of Jesus, collapses.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who belong to Him (v. 20). The term firstfruits recalls the Old Testament offering in which the first portion of the harvest was given to God as a pledge of the full harvest yet to come (Lev. 23:9–14). Paul uses this image deliberately. Christ’s resurrection is not a solitary event but the beginning of a greater harvest. What happened to Him guarantees what will happen to all who are united to Him by faith. His rising is the pattern, the assurance, and the beginning of the new creation God has promised.

Paul then contrasts Adam and Christ. Through Adam came sin and death, the inheritance of all humanity (v. 21–22). Death is not simply the end of physical life; it is the result of separation from God and the corruption introduced into creation by Adam’s disobedience. But where Adam brings death, Christ brings life. The resurrection is not merely the undoing of mortality; it inaugurates an entirely new mode of existence in which death has no claim. Paul does not teach that every person will be saved; rather, he teaches covenantal reality: all who are in Adam die, and all who are in Christ will be made alive. Identity determines destiny.

Yet this resurrection unfolds according to God’s determined order. Christ is raised first, the undeniable beginning of the resurrection age (v. 23). The next movement in God’s plan occurs “at His coming,” when all who belong to Christ will be raised bodily. Paul leaves no room for symbolic interpretations: the resurrection is not a metaphor, nor a spiritual awakening, nor the gradual progress of humanity. It is a future, physical event grounded in Christ’s historical resurrection.

Then comes the end—the moment when history reaches its divine goal, and Christ hands the kingdom to the Father after destroying every opposing authority (v. 24). Paul does not describe a world improved by human effort but a world brought under the rule of Christ. Every rival power, earthly or spiritual, will be subdued. What was inaugurated at Christ’s first coming will be openly and universally displayed at His return.

Christ must reign until every enemy is subjected beneath His feet (v. 25). Paul cites Psalm 110:1, the most frequently quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament, to emphasize that Jesus’ reign is active now. He is not waiting to be king; He is reigning as king and will continue to reign until His victory is complete. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (v. 26). Death is not natural; it is the wages of sin, the great intruder into God’s creation, and it will not survive Christ’s reign.

Paul presses his point further: God places all things under Christ’s feet (v. 27). Nothing escapes His authority. He rules over every world system, every spiritual power, every force that resists God. Yet Paul preserves the relational order within the Godhead. The Son is eternally equal with the Father, but in His role as Redeemer, He submits the kingdom to the Father so that the triune God may be “all in all” (v. 28). This does not suggest inferiority of essence but harmony of purpose. The Son’s submission consummates redemption, not His equality.

In this way, Paul grounds the Corinthians’ faith not in mystical speculation or philosophical notions of immortality but in God’s unfolding plan, from creation through Adam, through Christ’s resurrection, to the consummation of history. The gospel is not a spiritual idea detached from reality; it is God restoring the world to its intended order through the risen Christ. The resurrection is the hinge of history, the guarantee that sin, death, and every opposing power will fall before the reign of the risen Lord.

Paul appeals to the Corinthians’ own behavior: if there is no resurrection, why are some of them being baptized “on behalf of the dead”? Whatever this practice involved, Paul neither commends it nor explains it; he simply uses it to expose the inconsistency of denying the resurrection (v. 29). Their actions reveal an assumption they claim not to believe.

Paul then points to his own life as evidence. Why would he face danger every hour if death ends all things? (v. 30). His daily dying, the constant exposure to hardship and persecution, is rational only if Christ is risen and eternal life is real (v. 31). Without resurrection, sacrifice becomes absurd. If this world is all there is, then the only sensible motto is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (v. 32). A life without resurrection hope naturally descends into self-indulgence and despair.

Paul warns them not to be deceived: corrupt beliefs lead to corrupt living, for “bad company ruins good morals” (v. 33). They must wake up from spiritual confusion and stop sinning, because some in Corinth are living as though God does not exist (v. 34). Where the resurrection is denied, righteousness falters; where the resurrection is believed, obedience endures.

Some in Corinth raise objections: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” (v. 35). Their question does not arise from a desire to understand but from doubt. They cannot imagine bodily resurrection without assuming the old body continued unchanged. Paul answers by appealing to a familiar reality: a seed must be buried before it can sprout (v. 36–38). The seed that goes into the ground does not look like the plant that emerges, yet it is truly the same organism. Death is not the end of the seed but the condition for its transformation. In the same way, the body that is sown in burial is not discarded but becomes the starting point of what God raises. The resurrected body is connected to the present one; it is still you, but changed into what God always intended you to be. Resurrection preserves identity while producing transformation.

Paul moves from agriculture to creation itself. “Not all flesh is the same” (v. 39). God has fashioned different kinds of bodies, including human, animal, bird, and fish, each suited to its environment. The diversity is not accidental; it is purposeful. Likewise, there are “heavenly bodies and earthly bodies,” each possessing a distinct glory (v. 40). Even the sun, moon, and stars differ in brilliance; “star differs from star in glory” (v. 41). Paul is not teaching astronomy. He shows that God has already demonstrated His ability to create bodies in different forms and splendors. If the present world contains such variety, there is no difficulty in believing that God can fashion a glorified body suited for the age to come. The resurrection does not strain God’s power; it displays it.

“So it is with the resurrection of the dead” (v. 42). The body placed in the grave is perishable—fragile, aging, and decaying. The body God raises is imperishable—untouched by sickness, deterioration, or death. The body sown in dishonor—marked by sin’s consequences—is raised in glory, restored to reflect God’s original design. The body sown in weakness—subject to fear, fatigue, and limitation—is raised in power, capable of fulfilling God’s eternal purposes. The body sown as a natural body—fitted for this fallen world—is raised a spiritual body—fully animated and empowered by the Holy Spirit (v. 42–44). Spiritual describes the source of life, not the absence of substance.

A spiritual body does not mean a non-physical, ghostlike existence, but a real, glorified body transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is a body freed from every trace of corruption. No sickness, decay, weakness, or death remains, for “this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53). The change is not the loss of the body but its perfection.

The risen Christ confirms this truth. After His resurrection, He tells His disciples, “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). He allows them to touch Him. He eats with them (Luke 24:42–43; John 21:12–13). Yet He also appears in their midst despite locked doors (John 20:19). His glorified body is physical, recognizable, and capable of interaction, yet no longer limited by the constraints of mortality. Christ’s resurrection body is the pattern for ours. “We shall be like Him” when He appears (1 John 3:2). The resurrection is not a return to frailty but entrance into glory, a body suited for eternal fellowship with God.

Paul roots this transformation in the contrast between Adam and Christ. “The first man Adam became a living being,” receiving life from God; “the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit,” imparting life to others (v. 45). The difference is not in substance but in source. Adam possessed natural life, good but limited; Christ possesses resurrection life, and by His Spirit, He shares that life with His people. Adam is the origin of humanity, marked by weakness and death. Christ is the origin of a new humanity marked by glory and immortality. Adam represents what is earthly, temporal, and corruptible; Christ represents what is heavenly, eternal, and victorious (v. 46–47).

All who are born in Adam bear the image of the man of dust—frail, mortal, and subject to sin’s effects. But those who belong to Christ will one day bear fully “the image of the man of heaven” (v. 48–49). The work that begins inwardly through the Spirit will culminate outwardly in a resurrected body that matches the redeemed soul. God’s grace does not merely restore human spirits; it completes His design for humanity by transforming body and spirit into the likeness of Christ. Salvation is not escape from creation but the renewal of it, beginning with us.

Paul explains why this transformation is necessary: “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (v. 50). The present human condition, marked by corruption and decay, is incompatible with the eternal kingdom. What is perishable cannot dwell in an imperishable realm. Therefore, God must act. Paul unveils a mystery: not all believers will die, but all will be changed, instantaneously, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (v. 51–52). The dead will be raised imperishable, and the living will be transformed to match them.

When the mortal becomes immortal, Isaiah’s vision will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (v. 53–54). Death loses its claim, its sting, its power to separate. Paul mocks the once-dreaded enemy: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Christ’s resurrection has undone death by removing the weapons it wielded, sin, which brings guilt, and the Law, which condemns the guilty (v. 55–56). Through Jesus Christ, God gives His people victory (v. 57). The resurrection is not merely future comfort; it is present assurance. It anchors obedience because believers serve a living Lord whose triumph guarantees the outcome of their labor. What Christ has conquered cannot ultimately conquer them.

Paul ends by urging the Corinthians to stand firm, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that their labor is not in vain (v. 58). The resurrection guarantees that nothing done for Christ is wasted. Grace enables perseverance, and hope fuels faithfulness. Because Christ lives, believers live and serve with confidence, trusting that God’s power at work in them now will complete what it began when the trumpet sounds and Christ calls His people into the fullness of resurrection life.

1 Corinthians 16 — Paul Gives Final Instructions and Strengthens the Church for Faithful Living

Paul turns now to practical matters and begins by addressing the collection for the saints in Jerusalem, a ministry of compassion that unites churches across cultural and geographic lines (v. 1). He instructs each believer to set something aside on the first day of every week, storing it up as the Lord prospers them (v. 2). Giving is organized, intentional, and proportional, not forced, but a genuine expression of grace-enabled generosity. Paul plans to send approved men with letters to deliver the gift to Jerusalem and, if the opportunity arises, to accompany them (v. 3–4). The offering becomes a tangible expression of unity between Gentile and Jewish believers, displaying Christ’s love in action.

Paul explains that he will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost because a wide door for effective ministry has opened to him, even though opposition is strong. He hopes to visit Corinth after traveling through Macedonia and, if the Lord permits, spend the winter with them (v. 5–9). Paul’s plans are always held with open hands, trusting God’s leadership rather than insisting on his own timing. Paul models a ministry guided not by convenience but by the Spirit’s direction.

He urges them to welcome Timothy when he comes, treating him without fear, for Timothy is doing the Lord’s work just as Paul is (v. 10). They must not despise him but send him on his way in peace so he may join Paul and the others (v. 11). Timothy is young, but he serves faithfully in the Lord’s work. The church is not to measure ministry by age or personality but by fidelity to Christ. Paul’s counsel reflects a pastor’s heart, concerned that gifted servants be received, encouraged, and supported.

He then speaks of Apollos, explaining that although Paul strongly urged him to visit Corinth, Apollos is not willing at the moment but will come when the time is right (v. 12). Paul respects the Spirit’s leading in others’ callings and ministries. He neither controls Apollos nor competes with him. Leadership in the church is not a contest. Different servants have different assignments, and the Lord directs each according to His will.

From there, he exhorts the Corinthians to be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act with courage, and do everything in love (v. 13–14). These commands capture the essence of Christian maturity: vigilance against error, steadfastness in truth, courage in adversity, and love governing all actions. Strength without love hardens; love without strength falters. Paul calls for both.

Paul commends the household of Stephanas, the first converts in Achaia, who have devoted themselves to serving the saints (v. 15). He urges the church to submit to such people and to others who labor faithfully in the work of the Lord (v. 16). Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have refreshed Paul’s spirit and supplied what the Corinthians could not at a distance (v. 17–18). Faithful believers strengthen the body, and Paul honors those who encourage him and who, with steadfast service, uplift the church.

The churches of Asia send greetings, as do Aquila and Priscilla, together with the church that meets in their home (v. 19). All the brothers and sisters greet the Corinthians as well (v. 20). Paul invites the believers to greet one another with a holy kiss, a cultural expression of Christian affection and unity. He then takes the pen himself to write the final greeting, marking the letter with his own hand (v. 21). He warns soberly that anyone who does not love the Lord is set apart from the life of God, yet, immediately, he balances the warning with a cry of hope: “Our Lord, come!” (v. 22). The expectation of Christ’s return shapes Christian living, calling believers to earnest love and steadfast devotion.

Paul ends with a blessing: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you” (v. 23). Grace sustains, strengthens, and enables faithfulness. He follows with a final expression of affection: “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen” (v. 24). Even in correction, Paul’s heart is pastoral and deeply invested in the spiritual well-being of the church. The letter that began with grace and correction ends with grace and love. Paul leaves them not with demands but with the assurance that God’s grace sustains His people, and with a pastor’s love that seeks their maturity in Christ. The Christian life begins, continues, and ends with grace lived out in a community shaped by the love of Jesus.

Conclusion

1 Corinthians 15–16 anchors the Christian life in the victory of Christ’s resurrection and calls believers to live in light of that triumph. Because Jesus conquered death, our faith is firm, our hope is secure, and our service has eternal significance.

For believers today, these chapters remind us that the resurrection is not just a doctrine. It is the power that sustains Christian living. It fuels endurance, courage, generosity, and love. It assures us that death does not have the final word and that every act done for Christ will be rewarded. As we wait for His return, we are called to stand firm, serve faithfully, love deeply, and continue the work of the Lord with confidence. His victory guarantees ours.