1 And I make known to you, brethren, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which also ye did receive, in which also ye have stood,
2 through which also ye are being saved, in what words I proclaimed good news to you, if ye hold fast, except ye did believe in vain,
3 for I delivered to you first, what also I did receive, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Writings,
4 and that he was buried, and that he hath risen on the third day, according to the Writings,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve,
6 afterwards he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain till now, and certain also did fall asleep;
7 afterwards he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 And last of all -- as to the untimely birth -- he appeared also to me,
9 for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I did persecute the assembly of God,
10 and by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that `is' towards me came not in vain, but more abundantly than they all did I labour, yet not I, but the grace of God that `is' with me;
11 whether, then, I or they, so we preach, and so ye did believe.
12 And if Christ is preached, that out of the dead he hath risen, how say certain among you, that there is no rising again of dead persons?
13 and if there be no rising again of dead persons, neither hath Christ risen;
14 and if Christ hath not risen, then void `is' our preaching, and void also your faith,
15 and we also are found false witnesses of God, because we did testify of God that He raised up the Christ, whom He did not raise if then dead persons do not rise;
16 for if dead persons do not rise, neither hath Christ risen,
17 and if Christ hath not risen, vain is your faith, ye are yet in your sins;
18 then, also, those having fallen asleep in Christ did perish;
19 if in this life we have hope in Christ only, of all men we are most to be pitied.
20 And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead -- the first-fruits of those sleeping he became,
21 for since through man `is' the death, also through man `is' a rising again of the dead,
22 for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive,
23 and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence,
24 then -- the end, when he may deliver up the reign to God, even the Father, when he may have made useless all rule, and all authority and power --
25 for it behoveth him to reign till he may have put all the enemies under his feet --
26 the last enemy is done away -- death;
27 for all things He did put under his feet, and, when one may say that all things have been subjected, `it is' evident that He is excepted who did subject the all things to him,
28 and when the all things may be subjected to him, then the Son also himself shall be subject to Him, who did subject to him the all things, that God may be the all in all.
29 Seeing what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? why also are they baptized for the dead?
30 why also do we stand in peril every hour?
31 Every day do I die, by the glorying of you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord:
32 if after the manner of a man with wild beasts I fought in Ephesus, what the advantage to me if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die!
33 Be not led astray; evil communications corrupt good manners;
34 awake up, as is right, and sin not; for certain have an ignorance of God; for shame to you I say `it'.
35 But some one will say, `How do the dead rise?
36 unwise! thou -- what thou dost sow is not quickened except it may die;
37 and that which thou dost sow, not the body that shall be dost thou sow, but bare grain, it may be of wheat, or of some one of the others,
38 and God doth give to it a body according as He willed, and to each of the seeds its proper body.
39 All flesh `is' not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds;
40 and `there are' heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but one `is' the glory of the heavenly, and another that of the earthly;
41 one glory of sun, and another glory of moon, and another glory of stars, for star from star doth differ in glory.
42 So also `is' the rising again of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption;
43 it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body;
45 so also it hath been written, `The first man Adam became a living creature,' the last Adam `is' for a life-giving spirit,
46 but that which is spiritual `is' not first, but that which `was' natural, afterwards that which `is' spiritual.
47 The first man `is' out of the earth, earthy; the second man `is' the Lord out of heaven;
48 as `is' the earthy, such `are' also the earthy; and as `is' the heavenly, such `are' also the heavenly;
49 and, according as we did bear the image of the earthy, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly.
50 And this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood the reign of God is not able to inherit, nor doth the corruption inherit the incorruption;
51 lo, I tell you a secret; we indeed shall not all sleep, and we all shall be changed;
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we -- we shall be changed:
53 for it behoveth this corruptible to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality;
54 and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written, `The Death was swallowed up -- to victory;
55 where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?'
56 and the sting of the death `is' the sin, and the power of the sin the law;
57 and to God -- thanks, to Him who is giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;
58 so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 15
In this chapter the apostle treats of that great article of Christianity-the resurrection of the dead.
1Cr 15:1-11
It is the apostle's business in this chapter to assert and establish the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which some of the Corinthians flatly denied, v. 12. Whether they turned this doctrine into allegory, as did Hymeneus and Philetus, by saying it was already past (2 Tim. 2:17, 18), and several of the ancient heretics, by making it mean no more than a changing of their course of life; or whether they rejected it as absurd, upon principles of reason and science; it seems they denied it in the proper sense. And they disowned a future state of recompences, by denying the resurrection of the dead. Now that heathens and infidels should deny this truth does not seem so strange; but that Christians, who had their religion by revelation, should deny a truth so plainly discovered is surprising, especially when it is a truth of such importance. It was time for the apostle to confirm them in this truth, when the staggering of their faith in this point was likely to shake their Christianity; and they were yet in great danger of having their faith staggered. He begins with an epitome or summary of the gospel, what he had preached among them, namely, the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon this foundation the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is built. Note, Divine truths appear with greatest evidence when they are looked upon in their mutual connection. The foundation may be strengthened, that the superstructure may be secured. Now concerning the gospel observe,
After this digression, the apostle returns to his argument, and tells them (v. 11) that he not only preached the same gospel himself at all times, and in all places, but that all the apostles preached the same: Whether it were they or I, so we preached, and so you believed. Whether Peter, or Paul, or any other apostle, had converted them to Christianity, all maintained the same truth, told the same story, preached the same doctrine, and confirmed it by the same evidence. All agreed in this that Jesus Christ, and him crucified and slain, and then rising from the dead, was the very sum and substance of Christianity; and this all true Christians believe. All the apostles agreed in this testimony; all Christians agree in the belief of it. By this faith they live. In this faith they die.
1Cr 15:12-19
Having confirmed the truth of our Saviour's resurrection, the apostle goes on to refute those among the Corinthians who said there would be none: If Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? v. 12. It seems from this passage, and the course of the argument, there were some among the Corinthians who thought the resurrection an impossibility. This was a common sentiment among the heathens. But against this the apostle produces an incontestable fact, namely, the resurrection of Christ; and he goes on to argue against them from the absurdities that must follow from their principle. As,
1Cr 15:20-34
In this passage the apostle establishes the truth of the resurrection of the dead, the holy dead, the dead in Christ,
1Cr 15:35-50
The apostle comes now to answer a plausible and principal objection against the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, concerning which observe the proposal of the objection: Some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? v. 35. The objection is plainly two-fold. How are they raised up? that is, "By what means? How can they be raised? What power is equal to this effect?' It was an opinion that prevailed much among the heathens, and the Sadducees seem to have been in the same sentiment, that it was not within the compass of divine power, mortales aeternitate donare, aut revocare defunctos-to make mortal men immortal, or revive and restore the dead. Such sort of men those seem to have been who among the Corinthians denied the resurrection of the dead, and object here, "How are they raised? How should they be raised? Is it not utterly impossible?' The other part of the objection is about the quality of their bodies, who shall rise: "With what body will they come? Will it be with the same body, with like shape, and form, and stature, and members, and qualities, or various?' The former objection is that of those who opposed the doctrine, the latter the enquiry of curious doubters.
1Cr 15:51-57
To confirm what he had said of this change,
1Cr 15:58
In this verse we have the improvement of the whole argument, in an exhortation, enforced by a motive resulting plainly from it.