In chapter 15, Paul approaches the denial of the
resurrection of the dead indirectly at first. In verses
1-11, Paul lays a foundation by reiterating the role of the
bodily resurrection of our Lord in the gospel message and in
his own conversion. The resurrection of our Lord is a
doctrine with which every Corinthian Christian heartily
agreed. Then in verses 12-19, Paul exposes the real problem,
the denial of the resurrection of the dead. In verses 20-28,
Paul returns to the certainty of our Lord’s resurrection and
its implications. Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead
was the first fruits of resurrection, and other
resurrections will follow as a divinely purposed result. The
first to rise will be those who have trusted in Him,
followed later by those who have not (15:23-25). Any hope of
the kingdom of God has as a prerequisite the resurrection of
the dead (15:26-28). The practice of some being baptized for
the dead (v 29) and the dangers faced in life (vv 30-32a)
make sense only if there is a literal resurrection of the
dead. Otherwise, one might just as well “grab all the gusto
he can get” if we only “go around once” (v 32b). In verses
33 and 34, Paul reveals the source of the Corinthians’ error
regarding a bodily resurrection.
In verses 35-49, Paul addresses the objections concerning
the resurrection of the dead. In verses 50-58, Paul builds
to a triumphant climax. Physical death and the setting aside
of our mortal bodies is a necessity, because these earthly
bodies have no place in heaven. The bodies of those saints
who have died and been buried will be resurrected as
transformed bodies, and the mortal bodies of those alive at
Christ’s coming will also undergo the same transformation,
so that both will be clothed with bodies fit for eternity.
All of this removes the sting of sin and of death and
assures the saint of victory. In the light of this truth of
the resurrection from the grave, we know that our earthly
toil and labor is not in vain but is an eternal investment.
Before Paul addresses the error of the denial of the
resurrection of the dead, he first lays a foundation for his
argument by reiterating the gospel. Whatever practice or
teaching Paul might encounter, he always judges it by the
gospel he and the apostles preach. That gospel must never be
corrupted or altered in any way.
The Corinthians who denied the resurrection of the dead are
wrong on many counts. Paul chooses to begin with the most
significant error in verses 12-19. He reasons that a denial
of the resurrection of the dead is, of necessity, a denial
of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Since God has
provided undeniable proof for Christ’s resurrection, and
since Paul and more than 500 others are witnesses of His
resurrection; no one can logically say that there is no such
thing as the resurrection of the dead. The Corinthians are
logically wrong because they hold two contradictory
statements to be true at the same time. First, they hold the
resurrection of Christ from the dead to be true. Second,
they hold the resurrection of anyone from the dead to be
false. They must choose one or the other. Logically one
cannot affirm and deny the resurrection of the dead at the
same time.
