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Abstract

Several scholars agree that few doctrines of the Christian faith are more necessary to the whole of the person and work of Jesus Christ than the doctrine of the resurrection.[1] Therefore, a proper understanding on the implications of this miraculous and significant event cannot be overstated.

What becomes evident in 1 Corinthians, is that the Church at Corinth had a tainted view on the implications of the resurrection of Christ. Many of the Christians in Corinth believed Jesus had been raised from the dead. However, whether it was due to imposing philosophies of Greek or Roman culture, or a combination of both, many of the Corinthians did not espouse a future, bodily resurrection of the dead.

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-28, The Apostle Paul aims to correct and reinforce the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ for the Corinthian Church. During this discourse, Paul conveys that if Christ did not raise from the dead, then there is no hope for a future resurrection of the dead. Furthermore, the Christian faith is empty and the Apostles’ teaching useless (1 Cor. 15:14-15). However, the Apostle Paul understood Christ’s resurrection as a historical fact. In addition, Paul interpreted Scripture christologically. What becomes apparent in 1 Corinthians 15:12-28, is that Paul believed the resurrection of Christ was the fulfillment of Scripture and the future hope of resurrection for the believer.

[1] John F. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1969), 192.

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