The Gospel

We find good news in 1 Corinthians 15! This is one of our best descriptions of the gospel in the New Testament. And we’ll take a closer look today.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Today we’re discussing one of the key passages that outlines the gospel
It defines the gospel
It provides the essential ingredients of the New Testament “good news”
And it makes some declarations about it, that are important for us to remember

If someone were to ask about the gospel
This is one of the places in scripture to which you may point
It makes things very clear

A review today, of “The Gospel”
As found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

As Paul speaks to the Corinthian church in this chapter
He speaks to a group of people that have based their lives upon the “good news”
They have believed in Jesus
In what He did
And in its effectiveness to save them

So, he assures them of the gospel’s basis in scripture
And reminds them of the hard evidence for its authenticity

He begins this way…

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

This is the gospel Paul himself preached
And the Corinthian church members received
Presumably, basing their salvation upon it
Not simply saying they believed, then never taking it to heart

There are many issues
Many sinful issues, discussed earlier in the book
Not everyone in the church is living according to Christ’s standards
Therefore, it is only more appropriate to restate this good news

If a person believes, they continue in the faith
A reminder of that which the gospel means is important for us all
Because it is the good news on which we stand

Here he begins…

1 Corinthians 15:3

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

This gospel was not simply man’s idea
It came to Paul from God, delivered in the scriptures
Speaking of a Messiah who would pay for our sins

We can think of one passage immediately that tells this story
Beginning in Isaiah 53:2…

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

This passage, and others like it, are the basis for Paul’s assertion here
That Jesus, the Christ, died for our sins
And He did so based on Old Testament prophecy that said He would
That made it clear He could make a way for us to be redeemed and reconciled to God

This is where the gospel begins
It assumes all are sinful – as the scripture declares
And that a perfect, sinless sacrifice is needed
That we won’t be able to pay the sin debt ourselves

And so, someone must die in our place
That is the Messiah
Who will do so willingly

But he goes on…

1 Corinthians 15:4

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Jesus was buried because He was really dead
He died for our transgressions, not His own
But He was also raised from the dead
Because, as Acts 2:24 says “it was not possible that he should be holden of it”

This resurrection was foretold in scripture
And by the Messiah himself

But there is more to be said about this…

1 Corinthians 15:5-8

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

This resurrection was proven by many infallible proofs
Including by many eye-witness accounts
Just as His death was witnessed and confirmed
His life after death was witnessed and confirmed as well
And not of just a few

Not of just those know to this Corinthian church
But by others as well
Including Paul himself
Who was born out of due time

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