If Christ was not raised from the dead, then the gospel,
outlined in verses 1-11, is false. Paul and the apostles as
one of the foundational truths of the gospel proclaimed the
resurrection of our Lord. Since the apostles preached Christ
crucified, buried, and rose from the dead, their ministry
would be vain if Christ did not actually rise from the grave
(v 14). It would be vain in the sense that these men risked
their lives and made monumental sacrifices for a false
message that had no saving power. Not only would the
apostles’ ministry be in vain if the resurrection of Christ
had not occurred, but the faith of those who believed their
message would also be undermined. If Christ did not rise
from the dead, their faith is without foundation; it is
empty and useless.
Up to this point, Paul has shown the Corinthians, the
apostles’ ministry and message are worthless if Christ did
not rise from the dead. Now in verse 15, Paul shows that the
denial of Christ’s resurrection puts the apostles in an even
more serious situation. If the gospel they have been
preaching is a false gospel, they have misrepresented God,
making false claims about Him by proclaiming that He raised
the Lord Jesus from the dead. They have defamed God. From an
Old Testament point of view, the apostles would be exposed
as false prophets (Deuteronomy 13 and 18:14-22), and this
they would be, if Christ had not risen from the dead.
If Christ was not raised from the dead, then His death on
Calvary was meaningless, and the Corinthians are still
condemned sinners. Take away the resurrection and you pull
the rug out from under the atoning work of our Lord. It is
not merely the death, but the death, burial, and
resurrection of our Lord that saves sinners. To deny the
resurrection of our Lord is to condemn men as sinners,
without hope of forgiveness and eternal life. Therefore,
those saints who have already “fallen asleep” (v 18) have no
hope beyond the grave. They are dead and gone. In this sad
state of affairs, brought about if Christ did not rise,
Christians should be pitied for their stupidity, not
persecuted.
Paul’s “If … then …” argument was simply to show the folly
of rejecting the resurrection of the dead, a claim that
directly contradicts the resurrection of Christ from the
dead. Now in verses 20-28, Paul takes up the truth of
Christ’s resurrection, a truth he has already set down in
verses 1-11. Now, Paul sets down the logical implications of
Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection of the dead is not
only consistent with Christ’s resurrection; it is a
certainty, there are no “ifs” but only the much stronger
term “since” (v 21). As the risen Christ, He is the “first
fruits of those who are asleep.” In other words, whatever
happened to our Lord is sure to happen to those who have
fallen asleep, those who have died trusting in Him.
How do we know that Christ’s resurrection guarantees a
resurrection for others? The answer is the unique
relationship that exists between Adam and our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom Paul later refers as the “first Adam” and
the “last Adam” (v 45). By his sin, Adam brought about death
for himself and the human race. Christ, by His righteous
life, substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection,
brings about life for humanity. Adam brought death upon all
men; Christ will make men alive.
Christ’s resurrection will actually bring about a series of
resurrections, with the last and final resurrection
abolishing death altogether (v 26). Everything must occur in
its proper order, as ordained by God (v 23). Christ has
already risen from the dead, and His resurrection is but the
first fruits of the other resurrections yet to occur. The
next resurrection mentioned is that of those who have
trusted in our Lord for salvation, which occurs when He
returns to this earth to defeat all His enemies and to
establish His rule over all the earth (v 23). Then, finally,
the last resurrection will take place, the resurrection of
the unbelieving dead.
