This past Sunday morning I taught on 1 Corinthians 15 in our Young Adults class, here is a brief summary of what we covered:
Check out the iTunes Top 5 Downloaded Religion and Spirituality Podcasts. If you look into each of the ministries represented there, you’ll notice something that they all have in common. Each one of them focus much of their ministry on “victory” in Christ. They say that Christ died to give us victory according to 1 Corinthians 15:57:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It sounds nice, but then they define victory. Victory to them and many Americans means that Jesus will make you healthy, wealthy, popular and happy. The idea is that Christ died to give you total victory in life, and if you are not experiencing this victory, you are doing something wrong. This thinking is sometimes called the prosperity gospel.
The prosperity gospel bothers me deeply. In fact I cannot stand it. Not just because it paints a dead wrong picture of my savior, but for another, more serious reason. I hate the prosperity gospel because it is so easy for me to believe it is true. I fight hard against the prosperity gospel because so many times it seems to make sense. This is why I love 1 Corinthians 15.
This chapter starts with a reminder of the Gospel, the good news. I used to think of “good news” as I would if I heard the good news that my good friends are getting married, or that so-and-so is pregnant. Good news, but not good news that changed my life. It wasn’t until I learned where the term “good news” came from that i started to appreciate the gospel.
In ancient Greece, the different city-states were constantly at war with each other. The losing side would almost certainly be enslaved to the other city-state. Being at war was not like it is many times today. A victory for your side meant freedom, and a loss meant your life as you knew it was over.
Imagine the feeling of looking up and seeing a messenger racing towards your town. With the rest of your neighbors, you drop what you’re doing to run out and greet him. As you watch him run closer and closer your insides begin to hurt. You see the look on his face. It is grim. He arrives, catches his breath, and announces that your military has been defeated. At best you could run, live a life of hiding and hope not to be caught. At worst you will be captured, beaten, separated from your family and spend the rest of your life as a servant to a cruel master.
Now imagine that same messenger running towards you with different news. Your wife, who you once though you might lose forever, is standing next to you. Your kids are also at your side, holding your hand like their life depended on it. The messenger gets closer and your heart begins to race. You don’t know for sure, but you think you see a glow to his face. He comes near, catches his breath and yells the word you have been dying to hear.
“GOSPEL!”
He says it again, “GOSPEL, Good News!”
Imagine that moment. Now imagine all the moments after that moment that are only possible because of that moment. That is the gospel, the good news. Not a simple announcement of some decent news.
That is the gravity of the gospel. In the next few verses, Paul shares the story of this good news with us:
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Christ died, for us. He was buried, proving that he was dead, for us. Then God raised Him from the grave, for us. Then he appeared to over 500 people.
Like many of us today, there were still doubters. In fact, in Corinth there was a crowd of people who believed that life ended at death. They believed that there was no hope after death, that death had the final say. Paul wrote this chapter to address these people.
Why would someone believe that? Maybe they had hope at one point in their life, and then lost it. Imagine being told that Christ was raised from the dead, and then watching your Mother die a painful death and stay dead. Or seeing Christ yourself after he was raised, and then watching your neighbors starve to death because it hasn’t rained in years. That would make many lose hope. That would make many question life after death. This was what many in Corinth were feeling. This was why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write 1 Corinthians 15.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Yes, death is still here. Yes pain and suffering exist and effect all of us.
But not for good.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
There is a victory coming that is greater than all other victories.
Victory does not mean that Christ will make you healthy, wealthy, happy and popular. It doesn’t mean that in Christ you are free from the pain of this world. It doesn’t even mean that you will be able to fully understand and accept pain that comes your way.
Victory means that in the end, death does not win. This life may be full of pain, hurt and death, but they do not win. Victory means that we may be beaten, ridiculed and killed, but death does not win! That is something to celebrate! How else could we consider it all joy when we encounter various trials? Do not settle for false victory or a fake gospel.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
i came across this (short) book on john piper’s website the other day. they describe it as an:
i’ve only read the first chapter, but what a chapter it was. i do need to mention that i think few people write as well as donald miller. the book’s subtitle is “reflections on growing up without a father”, and since i grew up with a father, i never really thought about reading this one. two of my favorite books are written by don, so i decided to read the first chapter to get a feel for what the book was about. i was hooked when i read the dedication.