1 Corinthians 15
Genesis 22:1-19. "Now it came to pass after those things
that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.'
And he said, 'Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go the
land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains
of which I shall tell you.'
So Abraham rose early in the morning
and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his
son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the
place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes
and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with
the donkey; the lad [literally, young man] and I will go yonder and
worship, and we will come back to you.'
So Abraham took the wood of the
burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took fire in his hand, and
a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his
father and said, 'My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' And he said,
'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' And
Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt
offering.' And the two of them went together.
Then they came to the
place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed
the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon
the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his
son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham,
Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' And he said, 'Do not lay your hand on the
lad, or do anything to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have
not withheld your son, your only son, from me.'
Then Abraham lifted up
his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its
horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering
instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place,
The-Lord-Will-Provide;' as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of The Lord it
shall be provided.'
Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a
second time out of heaven, and said: 'By myself I have sworn, says the Lord,
because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only
son, in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply
your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the
seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies [land
and seagates, what the Soviets refer to as military "choke-points"]. And in
your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my
voice. [Descendants refers to a people descended from Abraham, "in your
seed" is a direct reference to Jesus Christ, who would come from the line of
David, a descendant of Abraham through Judah, Israel's son. The promises of
birthright and sceptre are contained in this promise God made to
Abraham. Later these two elements would be divided between the House of Judah
and the House of Israel.] So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose
and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba."
God's
request of Abraham is so radical that it's hard for Abraham (or any of us) to
conceive. Abraham wanted to be obedient to the Lord, but he loved his son
Isaac. All the way to mount Moriah an internal conflict of these two emotions
must have been raging in him. Those three days were long days, walking there
with his son and praying silently with God "Why in the world do you want my
son?" But from the beginning of those three days Isaac was as good as dead.
This wasn't written to just tell us of this man's obedience, although it is an
amazing story of obedience. This story pointed to another time, and to
another father, who took his son, his only son, whom he loved, to the
very same mountain to sacrifice him. Jesus said to the Jews, 'You search the
Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life. Isaiah 53:1-12 is a
prophecy of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. You'll be amazed to see how accurate
it is. For three days Isaac was as good as dead. In Matthew 12:38-42 Jesus told
the Scribes and Pharisees that the sign of his Messiahship would be the fact
that he would remain buried in the grave for three days and three nights, just
as Jonah had remained for three days and three nights in the great fish's
belly. In John 1:29 it says, "The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming
toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!'" In Revelation 5 it says "And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the
throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood
a Lamb as though it had been slain...then He came and took the scroll out of
the right hand of Him who sat on the throne." This is Jesus Christ. Jesus is
also described, as he looks today, in Revelation 1:12-18, which states, "Then I
turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven
golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of
Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a
golden band. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and
His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in
a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand
seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His
countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I
fell at His feet as dead. But He laid his right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be
afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives and was dead, and
behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of
Death." That is Jesus Christ!
In Corinthians Paul is writing to correct
their disobedience and misunderstanding of doctrine. Some were preaching as the
Sadducees did, that there was no resurrection of the dead. 1 Corinthians
15:1-4. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,
which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you
are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you
have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as the first
importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he
was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
The gospel [of Christ] is a message about salvation and how we are to
receive eternal life. Paul just said here that if you're not holding fast to
the gospel message (which is the gospel of Christ) [not the gospel of the
Kingdom of God, which is larger and more all-encompassing] you're not saved.
It's that simple. What is that message? 1) Jesus died according to the
Scriptures. He died for our sins. 2) He was buried for three days and three
nights, as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish. (Modern theologians are
now saying the Jonah incident never really happened. They'd better be careful.
Their salvation is in definite jeopardy, according to what Paul said in verses
1-3 of 1 Corinthians 15.) 3) He was raised to life in a resurrection. This is
the gospel message. This is the gospel of Christ by which we are saved. If you
confess from your mouth that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was
raised on the third day, you will be saved. Salvation is by faith (and that not
of our own making), but history does validate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Verses 3-8, "For what I received I passed on to you as of the first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he
was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared
to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are
still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then
to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one
abnormally born."
Next Paul shows he knows what he is in Christ, as
we all should know. Know your calling. Verses 9-11, "For I am the least of
the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God [the name of the early Christian Church]. But by
the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was
with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is
what you believed."
In this chapter Paul is addressing a problem
being caused by some people who had come in and were saying and teaching that
there is no resurrection of the dead, similar to the teaching of the
Sadduccess. Verses 12-20 address this false teaching. Paul brings out three
basic points to counter this teaching that there isn't a resurrection of the
dead.
So if the resurrection of Jesus didn't occur--what are we doing
here? It's a nice day, we should be at the beach!
What did Jesus teach?
John 5:28-29. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are
in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will
rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." What is
meant by this word "condemned"? We have to cross reference it to the old King
James so we can use Strong's Concordance to trace the original Greek word used
for "condemned". From the old King James version we get, "Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his
voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Now
that word "damnation" is not a good translation either. It is the word the
translators used for the Greek word krisis. Strongs #2920, krisis;
decision, (subjectively or objectively for or against)...That is the
literal interpretation for the word damnation without any connotation one way
or the other. The word itself indicates that a person's judgment in this
particular resurrection could go in one of two directions, for or against
him. Strong's tacks a negative connotation onto this word, but that is not
what the first part of the definition indicates, which is taken from the
literal Greek. So we find that Jesus taught that there would be two
resurrections, one to a resurrection of "life", meaning eternal life, and
another resurrection which in all honesty we don't know all that much about.
Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The resurrection to eternal life is for
those who are in Christ.
Now let's read verses 12-20 which address the
problem of what some were teaching. Verses 12-20, "But if it is preached
that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there
is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then
not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our
preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to
be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised
Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not
raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your
sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for
this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep."
Then Paul goes on to explain the order of the
resurrections and main prophetic events. After that he addresses an attitude
that follows this false teaching that there is no resurrection of the dead. It
is an attitude we see in the world today. It was the attitude of the world in
Paul's day, and the actual quote is from Isaiah way back in the Old Testament
times. Verses 20-28, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a
man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all
die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the
firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will
come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed
all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his
enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has
put everything under his feet [Psalm 8:6]." Now when it says "everything" has
been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put
everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be
made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in
all."
There is this "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we
die--there is no hope--no hope of life after death" mentality widely extant
on earth today, as well as in Paul's day, and even going back to the time of
Isaiah. It is a common attitude of those in Satan's world who don't have a
proper understanding of God and his plan for mankind. And here we find a body
of believers that are buying into this attitude. They're being lied to by some
in their midst. What is your hope? Is it eat, drink and be merry for
tomorrow we die? Paul is saying that Christ has become the firstfruits of
those who have died in Christ. Paul is saying Christ is called "the
firstfruits." That means there is more to follow Christ in his glorious
resurrection. In these verses Paul says "fallen asleep" instead of "died"
because death is not a permanent extinction. It is very clearly taught in the
Bible that there is more to come later.
The Bible speaks and teaches of
a physical death, but Ecclesiastes speaks about when the body dies the
spirit of man rises to God and the spirit of the beast goes to the
ground. Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. "For what happens to the sons of men also happens
to beasts; one thing befalls them; as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they
all have one breath; man has no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity. All
go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. [Now here's the
interesting part.] Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward,
and the spirit of the beast, which goes down to the earth?" Solomon also said
in Ecclesiastes 9:4-6. "But for him who is joined to all the living there is
hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that
they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward,
for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and
their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything
done under the sun." The Bible even teaches in the New Testament that "king
David is dead and buried, he has not gone to heaven, his grave is with us to
this day." Acts 2:29,34. "'Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the
patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to
this day...For David did not ascend into the heavens,..." In 1 Corinthians 2:11
Paul states, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the
man which is in him?" And in Romans 8:16 Paul states, "The Spirit Himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God..." As you can see the
Bible teaches that man has a spirit within him. It is not the Holy Spirit,
although He can also reside in a person. As Paul brings out man only knows the
things of a man, i.e. human understanding and intellect "by the spirit which is
in him." Some Christian fellowships teach that this spirit in man is our
immortal soul--and that it will be re-united with our new Spirit bodies at the
time of this 1st resurrection to immortality at Jesus Christ's second coming.
They also teach that this spirit in man has consciousness, and upon
death, the good immortal souls go to be with God awaiting the re-uniting
of their immortal souls with their new Spirit bodies in the resurrection to
life. The other immortal souls go to Hades, awaiting the Great White
Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:12-13 and then the lake of fire of Revelation
20:14-15. They get this interpretation by taking the parable of Jesus about
Lazarus and the rich man literally. Some other Christian fellowships take this
parable figuratively, while taking the Scriptures quoted in Ecclesiastes
literally and adding up the other Scriptures about the spirit in man to arrive
at a slightly different belief about this spirit in man. They believe
that this spirit in man is like a special non-physical component added by God
to our human brains which creates the human mind which has an incredible output
of intelligence, when the human brain is compared to the brain of dolphins or
chimps (whose brains are almost totally equal to the human brain in both size
and quality of design and construction.) This they tie in with 1 Corinthians
2:11. Human intelligence is the intelligence that allows humans to understand
such abstracts as Algebra, Calculus, history, literature, and the physical
universe around us. Animals have no such comprehension. They don't even come
close to matching the output of the human brain and mind. These other
fellowships believe that this spirit in man also records or logs all of a
person's memories as well as recording the exact construction of our physical
bodies, right down to our fingerprints and molecular structure. This spirit
upon death, they believe, goes to God's heaven where it is safely stored until
God uses it to resurrect the person it belonged to. Based on Ecclesiastes 9:4-6
they believe that this spirit component of our brains can neither see, taste,
feel, smell or hear, but merely acts as a spirit software component added to
our brain which vastly multiplies the human brain's output far beyond that of
animal brain--even when certain species have almost physically identical brains
as far as construction and design are concerned. A famous brain specialist and
researcher who came into one of these fellowships had previously come to the
strong conclusion that such a spirit component to our brains had to exist. No
other explanation could be given to explain the vast difference in output of
the human brain when compared to similar animal brains. Then when God wants to
resurrect a person he uses this spirit to either create the likeness of him or
her in a beautiful Spirit body at this first resurrection Paul is just about to
describe, or for all those who have not come to Christ or know him, at the
period of time spoken of as "the Great White Throne Judgment." These people
will be resurrected back into physical bodies composed of physical matter, just
as they were--recreated by what was recorded in their spirit which went
back to God upon the physical death of their bodies. For both the just and
unjust, since the dead know nothing, the very next instant, the very next
nanosecond, they will be conscious in a resurrection, either the resurrection
to immortality or the Great White Throne Judgment--no wandering souls in
torment awaiting final judgment (this interpretation they get from a literal
interpretation of Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, particularly the bolded parts of
the verses.)
Many of the other Christian fellowships believe that our
spirits, immortal souls--if we are in Christ--rise to be with God until this
1st resurrection spoken of by Paul, when they will be re-united into new
glorious Spirit bodies possessing eternal life. And for all the rest of
mankind, their "spirits or immortal souls" wander the earth in separation from
God until they are re-united into physical bodies just like the ones they had
before death--at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment. [Although the
information the apostle Paul penned in 1 Corinthians 15 is essential to our
salvation in Christ, these variations in belief about the spirit in man
definitely fall into the area of secondary knowledge about salvation. i.e.
Whichever way your Christian conscience leads you to believe will in no way
hinder your salvation in Christ or hinder you from being in this glorious
resurrection God has planned for you from before the world began. It is not my
intention to go into great Scriptural detail in the areas where the various
Christian fellowships differ in the secondary knowledge of salvation. I will
merely explain the differences and leave it at that. My intention is to show
the diversity of beliefs amongst Christian fellowships without
being divisive--and that this diversity of beliefs in secondary areas
does not hinder our walk with Christ and our spiritual development in and
through him one single bit. Don't forget, far greater diversity of
belief existed between the Jewish and Gentile Christians living at Rome, and
yet Paul said both groups were effectively covered by and under the
sacrifice of Christ (Romans 14:15).]
Paul goes on to talk about
how sin and death entered the world through Adam. Romans 6:23 as we read says
that in Christ (the second Adam) we are given eternal life. Death is the curse
of man which came through the first Adam. Eternal life comes to us through
Jesus Christ because he became the curse for us on the cross so we can have
eternal life in the resurrection of the just.
Verses 29-34, Now if
there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If
the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? [This is the
only place in the Bible that mentions baptism for the dead. A bible doctrine
can never really be given justification based on one scriptural reference. This
sort of falls into the area of importance that having long or short hair does
in the Bible.] And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die
every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ
Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons,
what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die [Isaiah 22:13]."
Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' Come
back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are
ignorant of God--I say this to your shame."
As we have seen there is a
certain order in the resurrection of the dead (verses 23-28). Christ rose
first, then the just rise at his 2nd coming. The Bible teaches there is victory
over death. From this point on in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul begins to explain in
the best terms he can the resurrection to immortality, 1) plant -life, 2)
differences in the species, 3) differences in the heavenly bodies.
Millions of Christians have died over the past 2,000 years. But
in an instant at the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ they will all be resurrected
with new Spirit bodies. Verses 35-58, "But someone may ask, 'How are the
dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' How foolish! What you sow
does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body
that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God
gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own
body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, birds another,
fish another. There are also heavenly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly
bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun
has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star
differs from star in splendor.
So will it be with the resurrection
of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it
is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is
raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body [i.e.
composed of spirit]. [And Spirit is probably more solid than matter. As physics
indicates, matter is very hollow, full of empty space, just shimmering energy
held together by forces man cannot yet understand.] So it is written: 'The
first man Adam become a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The
spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was
the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from
heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the
likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from
heaven [cf. I John 3:1-2; Revelation 1:13-18].
I declare to you
brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the
perishable inherit the imperishable. [The kingdom of God lives in us through
the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, but we don't inherit the kingdom until we are
Spirit]. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all
be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [cf.
Revelation 11:15-18. "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were
loud voices in heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.'
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell
on their faces and worshipped God, saying: 'We give thanks to you, Lord God
Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The
time has come for judging the dead [by context with Revelation 20:4-5 this
appears to be referring to the righteous dead], and for rewarding your servants
the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and
great--and for destroying those who destroy the earth.'"] For the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe
itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the
perishable has been clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory [Isaiah 25:8].' 'Where,
O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? [Hosea 13:14]' The sting
of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear
brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the
work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in
vain."
[As I brought out before, there are several different
interpretations on the two resurrections listed in the Bible in John 5:28-29,
Daniel 12:1-5 and Revelation 20:4-5, 11-12. One takes the view that the Great
White Throne Judgment leads right into the "Lake of Fire" with no chance of
redemption for those who are in this resurrection back to physical life. The
other interpretation takes the view that the Great White Throne Judgment
encompasses a period of time (some think 100 years) and is for the express
purpose of bringing all who never had a chance for salvation in their normal
lifetimes a real 1st chance to accept Christ. (By the way, there are multiple
billions who fit into this category.) Then those who are so foolish as to not
accept Christ even then, those whose names are not found in the book of Life,
enter into the period of time spoken of as the "Lake of Fire" in Revelation
20:14-15. This interpretation allows for a time/event gap between Revelation
verses 13 and 14. Such a precedent for a time/event gap between two consecutive
verses does exist. It is found in Genesis 1:1-2, between verses 1 and 2. It is
known that a massive amount of time and events occurred between verses 1 and 2
of Genesis 1. The universe was not created "Tohu and Bohu" as the Hebrew reads.
"Tohu" and "bohu" translate to "empty" and "void." Genesis 1:1-2. "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was [the Hebrew
for "was" is really "became"] without form [Tohu] and void [bohu];
and darkness was upon the face of the deep..." The universe was not created
originally "tohu and bohu", but became "tohu and bohu". In Job 38:4-7 it
talks of how the angels sang with joy at the creation of the heavens and the
earth. In Ezekiel 28:13-17 a description of the fall of Lucifer is given. It is
repeated in Isaiah 14:12-17. God saw fit to put two descriptions in the Old
Testament of the fall of Lucifer who became Satan. In the New Testament Jesus
remarked how he saw Lucifer fall like lightning to the earth, and in Revelation
12:3-4 it describes Satan drawing a third of the stars of heaven, referring to
a third of the angels, and throwing them to earth. This same Dragon tried to
destroy the Christ child, verses 4-5. So between the original creation of the
heavens and the earth and the re-creation of plant and animal life accompanying
the creation of man a great gap of time and events has occurred. Natural
history indicates a great destruction of all life-forms occurred 65,000,000
years ago when all the dinosaurs died. Even the development of baby dinosaurs
within their eggs was halted, as if all at once. All the planets whose surfaces
we can observe have giant craters on them, as if from some giant cataclysm
occurred somewhere in the distant past. Now evidence of a giant asteroid
hitting the Yucatan in Mexico is believed to have caused the great dying 65
million years ago. Are we looking at the physical evidence of a giant war that
took place between God and his holy angels and Satan and his demons? Then in
Genesis 1:2-31 the re-creation of life-forms on the earth occurred. Geology
concurs that the life-forms that arose after the dying of dinosaurs was totally
different than before, being the life-forms we are most familiar with today.
When looking at Revelation 20:11-13 and 14-15 some say one event goes directly
into the other without a break in time or events. Others think there is a break
in time and events between Revelation 20:11-13 and verses 14-15. The important
thing is that we will really find out when we see Jesus in person and ask him.
Understand the differences in belief and why some believe as they do and others
believe as they do, but let's not let these differences in belief divide us.
Let's not condemn each other over these differences either, for that is silly
and not in the spirit of Christ which is love for the brethren.
The
first interpretation is the most commonly and widely held view in Christianity.
They arrive at their belief by a literal interpretation of the parable about
Lazarus and the rich man. Also, there is another Scripture people use to say
that Jesus witnessed to these people during the three days he spent in the
grave. But are these people truly lost--damned to the "Lake of Fire"?
As
I said earlier, the first interpretation is the most common and widely held
view in Christianity. This is the speculative end of prophecy where we all
should be willing to admit as Paul did, that we're at best only seeing through
a darkened glass.]
What other Scriptures complement 1 Corinthians 15?
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said this to them about the same event in 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those
who fall asleep [die in the Lord], or to grieve like the rest of men, who have
no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God
will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the
Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the
coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first [rising out of their graves!]. After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore
encourage each other with these words."
Now that we are in the air,
the upper atmosphere with Jesus Christ, what then? Jesus shows us through a
prophecy that was given by God to the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 14:1-15.
"Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your
midst. For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city
shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city
shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off
from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those
nations, as he fights in the day of battle. And in that day his feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. [Jesus has come,
with us, down from the upper atmosphere, to stand on the Mount of Olives! What
next? What occurs as a direct result of his touching down on the top of the
Mount of Olives?] And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to
west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the
north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee as you fled from the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come,
and all the saints with You. [That's us, folks!--Risen up in the first
resurrection with glorious spirit bodies and coming immediately down to the
Mount of Olives with Jesus Christ our Lord to rule the nations with a rod of
iron, as it talks about in Revelation 2 and 3! As other prophecies point out
this is the beginning of the Millennial rule of Jesus Christ and the holy
saints over the entire world for a thousand years of peace and prosperity.] It
shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will
diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord--neither day nor
night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. And in that
day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem. Half of them
toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer
and winter it shall occur. [In Ezekiel 47:1-12 God inspired a prophecy about
these two rivers which gives Israel it's first major river system to bring
life-giving water to Israel and to heal the oceans with! Look it up and read
it.] And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall
be--"The Lord is one" and his name one.
And all the land shall be turned
into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised
up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First
Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses. [This is a
description of how Jesus will supernaturally reshape Jerusalem into a ten mile
wide by forty mile long plain raised up on top of the mountain chain Jerusalem
sits upon. The fact that Jerusalem will be light at night is caused by Jesus
and our presence, glowing as the very sun in brilliance, in the dark! (cf.
Daniel 12:1-5 and Revelation 1:13-18 and I John 3:1-2.) This reshaping will be
brought about as a result of the massive earthquake which will occur, splitting
the Mount of Olives in two and making this massive plain on top of the mountain
chain Jerusalem sits upon. Jerusalem will become Jesus's capital city which
will govern all the nations of the world! And we will be governing with him,
right along side of him!] The people shall dwell in it; and no longer shall
there be utter destruction. But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. [What
about the Gentile armies that had surrounded Jerusalem at Jesus's
return?]
And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike
all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while
they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their
tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. [In the book "Hiroshima" by John
Hershey, a description is given of a man in an anti-aircraft gun emplacement on
the mountain range facing into Hiroshima. He was looking toward the city of
Hiroshima when the atomic bomb detonated. His eyes melted in their sockets from
the brilliance of the flash of light from the core of the detonation! Looking
upon Jesus and the resurrected saints will obviously have a similar effect upon
the enemies of our Lord and His resurrected saints!]
It shall come to
pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone
will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's
hand; [utter panic and confusion as a result of Jesus Christ's supernatural
warfare.] Judah also will fight at Jerusalem [on the side of the Lord,
obviously, when you put this in context with Zechariah 12 and 13.] And the
wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver,
and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and
the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in
those camps. So shall this plague be." What happens next? Read Ezekiel 36:1-38,
which describes the beginning of our Millennial rule with Jesus over the entire
world, starting with the regathered nation of Israel.
1 Corinthians 16
1 Corinthians 15:58. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand
firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the
Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." As Paul
says about the information in 1 Corinthians 15, we have a great motivation--the
promise of being in the first resurrection to immortality! Also, as he just
said, not one effort of ours will be in vain in our service to the Lord. Everything
we do for God is simply not in vain, so abound in the work of the Lord. This
verse is an introduction into 1 Corinthians 16. The timing of this letter, and
what Paul refers to now, is a time of great famine in the known world. We find
that God prophecied this famine in Acts 11:27-30, which states, "And in those
days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus,
stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine
throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar
[41-54 A.D.]. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined
to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent
it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul [Paul is Saul]." This puts
1 Corinthians 16 in perspective in the historic time-line, somewhere between
41 and 54 A.D. The Church at Jerusalem was still struggling. Paul goes on to
say in chapter 16, 'Give according to what you have every week.' There are people
today who use guilt to get people to give but Paul brings out in II Corinthians
that God loves a cheerful giver. There are also those who try to fleece the
sheep, but Paul said that they should chose out some people from amongst themselves
to accompany him in taking the money to Jerusalem. This brought accountability
so they would know he wasn't just running off with the money.
Our particular fellowship gives about two thirds of their total income to missions
which serve people. Abounding in the work of the Lord includes giving. Pauls
says 'Give for the kingdom.' As a church our philosophy is not to ask for money.
God isn't broke. Begging for money for the Church is an insult to God. God desires
a cheerful giver because it is good for the giver. Christianity is the Way
of Give, while man's way is the Way of Get. God states through David
in Psalm 50:9-12, "I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of
your folds. For every beast of the forest in Mine and the cattle on a thousand
hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field
are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and
all its fullness." We very seldom teach on tithing because so many groups beat
people over the head on the subject of tithing. But the truth of the matter
is that you can't outgive God. There is no legalistic requirement for tithing
in the New Testament, as there was in the Old. But the right of the Church,
the ministry of Melchisedec, to receive the tithes and offerings the Levites
originally received was transferred over at the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The biggest reason the Jews wanted Paul dead after he wrote the book
of Hebrews was probably because of what he said in chapter 7:1-12. In verse
12 which law is Paul speaking of being changed? The law of who receives tithes
of course! By the law of Moses the Levites were supposed to receive the tithes
of the people, and Paul here is saying that upon Christ's sacrifice, the priesthood
of Melchizedek has superseded the Levitical priesthood of Aaron. When you read
the context of chapter 7, verse 12 is pretty clear. It's about tithing. Why
would Paul's statement here in chapter 7 of Hebrews be so offensive to the Jewish
leaders in Jerusalem? It is estimated that 'the sect of the Nazarenes'
(early Jewish Christians) in Jerusalem could have been over 100,000 strong in
number. Before 70 A.D. many of these Christians in Jerusalem still went to the
temple and worshipped there, and many probably still tithed to the temple. Paul
was showing that the right to levy tithes had been taken from the Levitical
priesthood and now resided with the priesthood of Melchizedek, i.e. the apostolic
Church of God. For the temple in Jerusalem to lose the ability to levy tithes
on a hundred thousand individuals because of the letter of one man, Paul, must
have angered the High Priest like poking a stick into a hornet's nest. Remember
the motive of the High Priest who conspired to have Jesus killed. He was stirred
to anger and action when Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers
the week before he was killed. The High Priest and Annas, his father-in-law
had a big side business going on right on temple grounds. All these concessions
were rented out by the High Priest. Nothing had changed in Paul's day. Why would
it have? So back to the import of Hebrews 7. Any minister of Jesus Christ who
truly is of Christ is under and part of the priesthood of Melchizedek. Sounds
pretty awesome doesn't it? And being in this priesthood carries a big responsibility
and accountability to the Lord when all is said and done. But tithing is an
act of worship, and should be looked upon that way. Remember, you can't outgive
God. Paul is saying, abound in the work of the Lord, your labor is not in vain.
How many of us can abound in the work of the Lord is to support the Christian
churches and fellowships we belong to financially as well as in our prayers
and service. This financial support then goes out to the world in Christian
service and outreach programs. God says this type of labor is not in vain. The
whole context of chapter 16 is about financial giving, and is set by verse 58
of chapter 15, where Paul says our giving, our service, our labor is not in
vain. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, "Now about the collection for God's people: Do
what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving
it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I
arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send
them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they
will accompany me."
As Paul closes his letter he says he intends to come through southern Greece
and Corinth again--God willing. James brings out in James 4:13-15, "Now listen,
you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year
there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will
happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are mist that appears for a little while
and then vanishes. [Pretty accurate as physicists have come to know about matter,
that it is in fact shimmering energy in a different form, very hollow, mostly
empty space.] Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will
live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is
evil." If you take the attitude of letting God lead you, planning to be disrupted
by God through circumstances, this is God's way of guiding your steps. Proverbs
16:9. "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Verses
5-9, "After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you--for I will be going
through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter,
so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. I do not want to see you
now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the
Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great
door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me."
We also have an open door before us, just as Paul did. But just like Paul, we
also face opposition. Revelation 3:7-8. "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of
David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know
your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut."
[There is a strong indication that these letters are actually addressed to seven
church era's that go from the early church to the 2nd coming. Philadelphia,
in such case would be right about where we are in history. It may be we--in
the Christian Church today--that have been given this open door.] There
is a battle raging and there is adversity. We are living in the final days of
man's age. We are far closer to the coming kingdom age of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will usher in that age when he returns. What is Satan's attitude just before
that event? Revelation 12:12. "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell
in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to
you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." Why is
his time short? Read Revelation 20:1-3 which occurs in time order just after
the description of Jesus Christ's 2nd coming in Revelation 19. This event where
Satan is cast back down to earth for the 2nd time (the first time occurred way
back before the age of man described in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14) occurs just
before the tribulation starts. The tribulation starts in the end time, which
we live in right now. Satan must be getting a little nervous right now, a little
angrier as time grows shorter. So we have opposition, don't kid yourselves.
Peter says Satan is a roaring lion, lurking about, seeing who he may devour.
Stand fast in your faith. Think of Noah, he stood fast in faith for 120 years,
constructing an ark as people laughed at him. We may be in the times of Noah
that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. So be brave and strong, there may be tough
times coming. Do everything with agape love. Read 1 Corinthians 13 once a week.
Pray that Jesus puts this love in you richly. Verses 13-14, "Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."
Our mission as a fellowship is to be a hospital--a spiritual hospital--to teach
people the Word and love them. True love comes from God--agape love. [And it
is the mission of this work and Website to be an extension of that hospital
out to the other Christian fellowships and denominations, promoting spiritual
health and thus spiritual unity throughout the various parts of the body of
Christ. That is why I take a somewhat neutral stance on the secondary issues
and doctrines, being willing to briefly explain some of the various beliefs
and stances different groups may take in explaining the same set of verses,
while leaving the final judgment on these issues up to the reader, for the various
beliefs and views we have on the secondary doctrines of salvation do not
effect our salvation in Jesus one single bit.]
Next Paul commends the family of Stephanas who are addicted to serving the Lord.
This family was being looked down upon by the Corinthians. Paul is telling them
to honor those who serve you in the Lord. Verses 15-18, "You know that the
household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted
themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, to submit to
such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. I was
glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied
what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such
men deserve recognition."
If anyone does not love the Lord, Paul says, "a curse on him." Christianity
is the way to salvation. Jesus is the "door", "the Way." He said this himself.
John 10:1-11. "'I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen
by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man
who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the
gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. When he brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them,
and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow
a stranger; in fact they will run away from him because they do not know his
voice.' Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand him. Therefore
Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who
ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to
them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in
and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
Without Jesus Christ there is no other way to salvation. Apart from Jesus there
is no hope. Verses 19-24, "The churches in the province of Asia send you
greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the
church that meets at their house. All the brothers here send you greetings.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.
If anyone does not love the Lord--a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! [Aramaic:
Maranatha] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of
you in Christ Jesus. Amen."