The Bible Recap - Day 337 (1 Corinthians 15-16) - Year 3

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap. Today we wrapped up First Corinthians, which is Paul's second letter to the Corinthians at least because there's also the book we're calling Zero Corinthians. If you're doing our new Testament plan, you just finished your ninth book and if you're doing the whole Bible, you just finished your 48th book. Congratulations! Paul spends most of chapter 15 driving home the importance of the resurrection, which was a point of debate in the Churchic Corinth. Some even seem to be on the same train of thought as the Sadducees, who don't believe in the resurrection of anyone.

Starting point is 00:00:38 So Paul lists a bunch of evidence proving that Jesus rose from the dead, including the 500 witnesses, many of whom are still alive at this time. In other words, Paul is saying, you can go ask them. He calls Christ resurrection the most important thing about our faith. If Jesus didn't have victory over death, we would be hopeless. But because he did, that hope permeates every area of our lives. But Paul knows it's easy to forget this with everything that happens in life, so he reminds them that time is the test of what we truly believe.

Starting point is 00:01:07 If God has given us new hearts, then he's given us his spirit, and his spirit reminds us of the truth, and his spirit seals us for the day of redemption. So if we truly belong to God, we will persevere in the faith. He will finish what he started in us. But those who only affirmed the truth without it taking root, like the rocky soil and the thorny soil we read about in Mark IV, those are the ones who believed in vain. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, Paul says, then much of what he has been doing is lying about God. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, then everyone is still in bondage to sin.

Starting point is 00:01:40 If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, there is no afterlife and there is no hope. He points to the hope that Christ resurrection demonstrates. to sin. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, there is no afterlife and there is no hope. He points to the hope that Christ resurrection demonstrates. He calls it the first fruits. This is a nod to Leviticus 23 and the Feast of First Fruits. This is where the priests and the people praised God for the first harvest of the season because it represented a greater harvest still ahead. They trusted there was more coming. The resurrection of Jesus foreshadows the resurrection of all God's kids into eternal life. While Adam brought death, Jesus, who is referred to as the second Adam or the last Adam, brings life.

Starting point is 00:02:14 He will put all his enemies under his feet. He will destroy death itself. And he will reign forever. Then Paul says something that isn't referenced anywhere else in Scripture. So our rule of thumb here is, we don't scream or scripture whispers. We don't build a doctrine or practice around something unclear. This idea in particular refers to being baptized for the dead. Paul never endorses what they're doing. He just addresses it. Some people say they were washing the bodies of the dead as a kind of baptism, and others say they were personally being baptism stand-ins for people

Starting point is 00:02:44 who were already dead and buried. But either way, Paul uses their actions to make his point, which is, if you don't believe in the resurrection, then why are you doing that? If there's no afterlife, then those people are ended. Because some of the Corinthians don't believe in the afterlife, they're living it up in the meantime, doing whatever they want. One of the wicked side effects of disbelieving the resurrection is that people often feel like whatever they do doesn't matter. So Paul says, knock it off, don't deceive yourselves. This life isn't all there is.

Starting point is 00:03:11 He knows they'll want him to explain what these resurrected bodies look like. So he uses descriptive words, but without really painting a full picture, it's powerful, glorified, imperishable, distinct. Our resurrection bodies are more glorious than our earthly bodies, because the image of God isn't tainted by our sin nature. And here's a polygies and comparison that might be semi-accurate or helpful. If our earthly bodies are like acorns, our resurrection bodies are like oaks, except oaks that can't die. All the material needed to grow the oak exists in the acorn,

Starting point is 00:03:44 like us with the spirit, but what grows is a completely bigger, better thing all together, like our resurrection bodies. Paul wraps up in chapter 16 with some greetings and final instructions. He's been instructing the churches to collect money to help support the believers in need in Jerusalem, kind of like a reverse missionary fund, because they all share with whoever is in need, and they each give according to their means. Lots of scholars point out that Paul's instructions for them to collect this money on the first day of each week indicates that the church is meeting

Starting point is 00:04:13 on Sundays in honor of the day Jesus rose from the dead, as opposed to the traditional Jewish meeting day of the Sabbath, aka Saturday. Paul says he'll come visit them as soon as he finishes his time in Ephesus, but he wants to stay in Ephesus for a while because there are lots of enemies of the gospel there, which Paul considers a great opportunity to share the gospel. Probably not my perspective, but that's why I'm not Paul. He tells them he's sending Timothy to see them first, though. Timothy has two strikes against him. First, he's Paul's mentee, and there's all this obvious tension between Paul and Corinth in this letter, so there's a chance they may treat him as guilty by association. And second, he's a bit of a spring chicken.

Starting point is 00:04:50 He's a young guy, so Paul tells them to treat him with honor and help him. Paul wants a polis to come visit them, but the fact that a polis is resistant to it gives us even more of an indication of the tension going on in this church. They're kind of a mess, but Paul loves them them and says he hopes to stay with them for a while if the Lord permits. What was your God shot today? Mine was in 159-10, where Paul talks about his role as an apostle. He acknowledges that he doesn't deserve to serve God as an apostle because of his past.

Starting point is 00:05:20 He has a right view of himself and of God, and this shows us God's great mercy that he doesn't punish Paul like he deserves, but instead gives Paul a high calling and a huge role in building up the early church. Paul knows his unworthiness doesn't call the shots. His God calls the shots, and he jumps at the chance to serve the kingdom. Through all he's done, he has seen God working through him. He says, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. He gives all the credit to God for the works he has done. He knows it's grace-driven effort, not Paul-driven effort. God not only appoints us and equips us, but he sustains us as we work for his glory. He is the source, supply, and goal, and he's where the joy is. Tomorrow will be starting second Corinthians.

Starting point is 00:06:07 It's 13 chapters long. We're linking to a short video overview in the show notes that will set you up for success, so check that out if you've got eight minutes to spare. Our friends at Christianbook.com are having a special promotion just for TBR listeners. We're about to release an updated, new and improved version of both the whole Bible Daily Study Guide and the journal. You can use code Cobble, C-O-B-B-L-E, to say 50% on either or both of these, so you can get one at half-off or you can get the bundle at half-off. Click the link in the show notes to see all your options will go to thebibelrycap.com forward slash books.

The Bible Recap - Day 337 (1 Corinthians 15-16) - Year 3

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