Paul
the apostle shared with the church members in Corinth, “whether
it were
I or they, so we preach, and so you believed”.
In
chapter fifteen and verse twelve of First Corinthians, Paul asked the
church members in Corinth how “some say”,
“there is no resurrection of the dead”,
where we read:
Now if
Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
how
say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
The
verse begins, “Now
if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,...”
Paul began
with the word, “Now” which
means “moreover and” “If Christ”
which means “whether the anointed one, the Messiah and the Son of
God” “of God”
which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised
of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “be
preached”
or “is heralded, proclaimed and published” “that
he rose”
or “that Jesus was raised up” “from
the dead”
which means “from one who has breathed his last, is lifeless,
deceased, departed and inanimate”. Paul referred to how Jesus “rose
from the”
grave.
The
verse goes on to say, “... how
say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
Paul
continued with the word, “how”
which means
“in what way” “say some”
which means “speak, affirm, maintain, teach and exhort” “among
you” which
refers to “with the church members” “that
there is”
or “that there exists” “no
resurrection”
“which means “raising or rising up” “of
the dead”
or “of those who have breathed his last, is lifeless, deceased,
departed and inanimate”? Paul questioned as to how anyone could say
there was not a “resurrection from
the dead”
since Jesus did so.
When
we meditate upon these words from Paul, we understand his reasoning
that if “resurrection” was not possible or real, how could Jesus
have been “resurrected”? The implication is that “resurrection”
is real, and not only did Jesus “rise from the dead”, but all
those who trust and believe in Him shall do so as well. Jesus came to
give “eternal life” to all who believe, and the promise of
“resurrection” is through Him. Jesus said, “I
am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in me
shall never die. Do you believe this?” John
11:25-26
Next
time Paul tells
the church members how Jesus,
“it there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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