1 Corinthians Week 35

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 15:10-11 

¹⁰ But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. ¹¹ So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed. 

Paul felt unworthy but he thanked God for His grace apart from any of Paul’s good works. Beyond his salvation, Paul realized that God had continued to work through him as he preached the gospel to others. Paul did not set himself up as the best example. Whether he preached or the others preached, it was the same message that had been preached to the Corinthians. 

REFLECT 

As a believer in Jesus, do you realize you are part of a group speaking the same message to others if they teach the Bible and the Bible alone? The particular messenger is not as important as the message. 

RESPOND 

The Corinthians were divided about who was the better preacher: Paul or Apollos. Read 1 Corinthians 3:3-5 to see Paul saw this as living an unspiritual life. Discuss with a friend how this might apply to you today as you talk about who is the better pastor. 

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 15:12-15 

¹² But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. ¹⁵ And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 

At the time Paul was writing this, there were those who did not believe in the physical resurrection of the body. Paul stressed if they really believed there was no resurrection of the dead, then they also must believe that Christ had not risen from the dead. He enumerated some of the extreme consequences of not believing Christ had risen from the dead. Even their faith would be useless if that were not true. 

REFLECT 

What do you believe about this key belief? Did Christ bodily rise from the dead or not? Your salvation depends on what you believe. 

RESPOND 

Join with a friend in reading Acts 1:3. There you will see that faith in the resurrected Christ is not a “leap in the dark” but faith based on the facts. 

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 15:16-20 

¹⁶ And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸ In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! ¹⁹ And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. ²⁰ But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 

Paul told the Corinthians that if Christ had not been raised from the dead they were still guilty of their sins. Plus, all their loved ones who had died believing in Jesus are actually lost. The apostle insisted that Christ had been raised from the dead and is the first in line of a great harvest of those who have died.  

REFLECT 

Because Jesus has risen from the dead you can count on what He said in John 11:25.  

RESPOND 

Almost everyone is concerned about the eternal destiny of their loved ones who have passed away. For those who have placed faith in Jesus, we can be assured that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:8).  

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 

²¹ So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. ²³ But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. 

Paul compared Adam and Christ. Because Adam disobeyed God, his sin poisoned all of his descendants so each of them has been born in sin (see Romans 5:12). Because of this all are condemned (see John 3:18). In contrast to Adam, Christ brought eternal life to all who believe in Him. Paul referred to Jesus and His resurrection as being “the first of the harvest.” Later, others who believe in Him will be raised from the dead. 

REFLECT 

Rejoice that if you believe in Jesus you will have eternal life as promised in John 3:16. 

RESPOND 

With a friend read Romans 5:20-21. This passage contrasts death that came from God’s law and eternal life that comes through the grace of God. 

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

1 Corinthians 15:24-26 

²⁴ After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. ²⁵ For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. ²⁶ And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

In considering the order of the resurrections, Paul lists Christ as the first fruits (an evidence of more to come), and all who are His when He returns. In 1 Corinthians 15:24 Paul mentioned Jesus turning over everything to the Father after He has “destroyed every ruler and authority and power.” The last enemy to be conquered is death. Physical death comes to all except believers caught up at the rapture (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). All other believers will die, but they can rest in the promise of Jesus as recorded in John 11:25.  

REFLECT 

Death is an ugly thing that God never intended to occur to mankind. It is because of Adam’s sin that has affected the human race. But beyond death for the believer is eternity with Jesus.  

RESPOND 

Join with a Christian friend in reading Romans 8:18-25. Rejoice together in the future hope you have.