Wednesday: The Cross and the Resurrection
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified
(1 Cor. 2:2, NKJV).
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
No question, the Cross of Christ was central to all that Paul lived and taught. But Paul didn’t teach the Cross in a vacuum; instead, he taught it in the context of other teachings, as well; and one of them, perhaps the one most intricately linked to the Cross, was the resurrection, without which the Cross would have been in vain.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-22. What do these verses say which shows how crucial the death and resurrection of Jesus are to the gospel? Why is a proper understanding of death as a sleep crucial for making sense of these texts? That is, if the dead in Christ are already in heaven, what is Paul talking about here?
Unfortunately, the majority of Christian traditions, as well as non-Christian religions, believe strongly in the immortality of the human soul. Against this belief, however, Paul emphasized repeatedly that:
- Only God has immortality (1 Tim. 6:16);
- Immortality is a gift from God to the saved (1 Thess. 4:16);
- Death is a sleep until Christ returns (1 Thess. 4:13-15; 1 Cor. 15:6, 1 Cor. 15:18, 1 Cor. 15:20).
Worship in almost all religions includes numerous false teachings based on the false concept of the immortality of the soul. These errors include things like reincarnation, praying to saints, veneration of ancestral spirits, an eternally burning hell, and many New Age practices such as channeling or astral projection. A true understanding of the Bible’s teaching on death is the only real protection against these great deceptions. How unfortunate, too, that those who show the strongest inclination against accepting this truth are Christians of other denominations.
A believer closes his or her eyes in death and, after what seems like a moment of darkness and silence, he or she is awakened to eternal life at the Second Coming. What does the truth about the state of the dead reveal to us about God’s character?
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One may wonder why faith is futile without the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:14-18). The Bible records resurrections before Christ was crucified, and so there should not be too much doubt about the reality (John 11:43-45). Concerning the penalty for sin that was paid by the death of Christ, and Jesus did say it is finished then (John 19:30). So what more?
Actually the plan of redemption did not begin and was not done at the cross, nor at the resurrection, and still is not done. True Jesus took the place of the fallen race and necessarily walked perfectly as mankind should have walked. He then died as the sinner’s substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yet importantly the saved were not automatically given independent new life.
The new life available was the Son of God’s and only as Christ regained it could it be shared with the saved. Humans needed to become partaker’s of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and share the life of the Self-existent One who has unborrowed and underived life (John 1:4; John 11:25).
Laying hold on a life not their own the faithful may yet stumble, but lean on the qualified mediator, not another faulty mortal, to bear the tempted soul above. They grow to resemble their Redeemer until He decides it is enough and affixes the seal to indelibly mark His own (Ephesians 4:30; Revelation 14:1).
Whether the path is through the tomb or translation the Savior certifies the destination.
This is the narrative of the sanctuary played out in types or figures in the Old Testament – a sinless life, acceptable offering (substitute), ministry of sanctification, judgment (sealing) and Second Coming (salvation) [Hebrews 9]. All this is done to restore the moral image of God in mankind, on whom God has placed unmatched and immeasurable affection (Jeremiah 31:3).
It is time for this church to realize who you are in Jesus Christ!! You are the anointed of God.
We have a commission to go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel.
Commissioned to heal the sick.
Commissioned to cast out devils!! Faith is all we need in Christ Jesus!!
No person is independent of the LORD, the power that keeps us alive comes from Him, and it is a package deal - EITHER we accept Him as the Creator and Ruler of the Universe who loves us and wishes to have a relationship with each one of us and His life giving force OR we reject Him and life.
why do you think he is focused in telling us about Jesus Christ and him crucified?(1 cor.2:2)
Because that is centre, the essence of the Good News, everything else depends on Jesus dying for our sins.
By God's word teaching me that death is like sleeping, it shows me just how merciful, loving and compassionate He is towards His children. I also look at death being the "Beginning" when Christ comes back and raises those who died in Him and takes us home with Him. Thank you Jesus!
His cross reminds us of how horrible sin is and His resurrection reminds us that though death may take us against our own will,one day we shall live again.this is why the cross and resurrection should form the major part of our message.
The cross of Christ gives us the meaning and purpose of living righteously in this world, and at the same time assured of the grand future in God's Kingdom. The cross is the stem and root of all good. As the roots, it connects us to the rock of ages for firmness and nourishment. As the stem, it positions us to benefit from the radiant rays of Christ's righteousness.
We are bless to be in the good graces of God.
Evidence shows us that Christ indeed die, buried and resurrected. We are witness to the truth. Resurrection is definitely important to believers if not how can we be forgiven for our sins? Thank you God for loving me and providing a way back to your graces.
As a small child, I can remember asking my mom about hell. The conventional teaching that we heard seemed so evil and unfair. She admitted that she didn't understand everything, but assured me that Jesus would make it clear to us some day. She reminded me that what we did know was that Jesus loves us, and He loves all His children, and that He'll do what is right.
Ten years later, while studying with the Seventh-day Adventists, we learned the truth about death and hell. I can't adequately express what a relief I felt. It was a confirmation of my mother's simple faith. We CAN trust Jesus. He does want the best for us. Immortality for someone saturated with sin is not a gift. Praise our wonderful God who provides us with forgiveness, transformation, THEN immortality.
Thank You so much Oh Father God for these divine instrumentalities that keep the truth spreading out high and wide so as to ensure souls are saved. ThankYou all who make this possible for some of us to be edified. The glory is the LORD's.
I woul like to add a brief note to the discussion on the immortality of the soul. Pagan philosophy was still florishing at Corinth holding the body to be a dungeon with the soul captured within. At death the soul would be released from that jail entering either eternal bliss or eternal torment. Corinthian believers used to visit pagan temples and during offering ceremonies partaking of the cup of demons (1 Corinthians 10:21; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Being thus unequally yoked with this kind of unbelievers, it is no wonder when church members at Corinth were likely to introduce pagan errors, such as the immortality of the soul.
That pagan philosophy would deny that the body be resurrected to life. Only the soul would be either resurrected from the body believed to be a grave or be released from the body as a prison. This teaching would totally destroy the message of the cross that Paul was preaching as the center of his message. The immortality of the soul is virtually saying: There is no death (see Genesis 3:3-5). This would also deny the death of Christ at the cross. Against this great gospel destroying error Paul is holdig up the truth that Christ indeed has died, indeed was buried and indeed rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Paul further compares death to a sleeping condition which has no knowledge at all (1 Corinthians 15:18.20.51; Ecclesiastes 9:5).
Paul is affirming the resurrection of the body in a changed glorious condition describing it as a spiritual body compared to the previous natural body (1 Corinthins 15:44). This spiritual body is still called body. As to the kind of that kind body, Pauls knows from revelation that Christ has given him (Acts 26:16), that the resurrected body of Christ was a real body (Luke 24:39). Paul is very clear on the state of a resurrected body saying that this vile body will be changed like into His glorious body (Philippians 3:21; compare 1 Corinthians 15:50), which will take place at the second coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Devoting 57 verses in order to uphold the message of the cross over against the then current pagan philosophy of the immorality of the soul it is very likely that Paul is combating that error. Even today most churches are clinging to the error of the immortality of the soul as the foundation of spiritualism, communication with the dead. Already the prophet Isaiah has warned of that great error (Isaiah 8:19-20). So we are confronted with this great temptation today as in the time of Paul. Over against other believers we are upholding the cross being attacked by the immortality of the soul that is virutally denying the cross in denying the death of Christ.
Winfried Stolpmann