1 Corinthians 15:1–11

I cannot think of any church that does not have issues, but the church at Corinth certainly seems to have had more than its fair share. The issues are just as relevant today as when Paul was writing. So also is their resolution.

After Paul established the church in Corinth, and after he departed to continue his missionary travels (Acts 18), the void created by his absence provided an opportunity for some people to challenge his authority and denigrate his person. Paul’s insistence on having his amanuensis put pen to parchment to address the ethical and doctrinal issues (inextricably linked, as we shall see) about which he had received correspondence (both oral and written) gives evidence of the depth of his devotion for those “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:2).

In ch. 15, Paul restates the gospel he originally proclaimed to the church at Corinth. The church had forgotten, neglected, ignored, or been led away from the doctrinal teachings that he had disclosed to them in “baby steps” (3:1–2) and that they had once received and believed. Paul’s reiterating the gospel at this juncture in the letter serves as a neat segue to his addressing one final issue at 15:12: “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Paul’s explanation of the resurrection of the body informs the ethical issues he has already addressed. After all, one’s eschatological self-understanding—one’s belief in a future resurrection—cannot help but impinge on one’s present. As N. T. Wright suggests, “There is a continuity between present bodily life and future bodily life, and this gives meaning and direction to present Christian living.” ¹

First Corinthians 15:1–11, therefore, plays a transitional role. It looks backward over behaviors that contradict the truth of the gospel and also serves as an introduction for Paul’s response to those in Corinth who are denying the resurrection of the dead. Paul recognizes that the problems in Corinth have a common origin—their understanding (or misunderstanding) of the gospel. Because the church was no longer fully embracing this gospel, their common life was in disarray. This is confirmed by the fact that from the letter’s outset (1:10–11), Paul addresses disagreements, lack of unity, and behavioral concerns. These are not small ethical indiscretions: factionalism, immorality, legal quarrels, as well as problems that have arisen concerning marriage and singleness, idolatry, worship practices, and spiritual gifts. All have consequences for one’s salvation because they testify to what one believes. And all such behaviors sully the name of God and bring discredit upon the church. What is the good in that? In a summary conclusion that immediately precedes our passage, and that pertains to the misuse of spiritual gifts and to all the behavioral issues in Corinth, Paul admonishes, “all things should be done decently and in order” (14:40).

This abundance of anecdotal evidence that the gospel Paul had preached in Corinth was no longer being put into practice is what compels him to repeat it now. According to Paul it is “of first importance.” The gospel is not something optional—to take or leave—but integral to faith and central to what it means to live as a believer.

Paul did not invent this gospel. By declaring this, Paul immediately disarms any in Corinth who would seek to discredit him. He states that what he transmitted to them was a “tradition” that he himself had received. It was probably an early Christian summary of the faith that circulated widely, making reference to Christ’s atoning death, burial, resurrection on the third day, and to numerous post-Easter appearances, thereby identifying these as the essentials of God’s plan and purpose. Christ’s death and burial were redemptive, and his resurrection and his multiple appearances, which confirm the efficacy of his crucifixion, were historical. Paul cites no supporting scriptural texts, because he does not have to. His presumption is that Christ’s death and resurrection are the eschatological fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel, and that the Scriptures contained texts that corroborate this claim.

Paul does not simply retell the tradition as he received it, however. He goes on to include mention of his own personal encounter with the resurrected Christ. With this digression, he defends the legitimacy of his apostleship. By doing so, he gets to the meaning of God’s grace: “Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (15:8). Though the precise meaning of “untimely birth” may elude scholars, his point seems clear. Without any doubt, Paul was the very last person whom one would have expected to see the risen Christ. He had been an ardent and virulent persecutor of the church. The conjunction “for” in 15:9 serves to clarify the cause or reason for his self-deprecatory claim. He refers to himself as “unfit” to be called an apostle because of the pre-conversion depredations he had exacted upon Christians. Paul’s apostleship, because he was unworthy, was indeed as miraculous and unexpected as an “untimely birth.” Such is the marvel of the grace of God, which he mentions three times in v. 10.

Paul’s transformation was evidence of the radical grace of God. It was as simple as that. More significantly, however, so that God’s grace toward him was not “in vain” or “futile,” Paul recognized that a fitting response was required: “I worked harder than any of them . . . but it was actually the grace of God with me” (v. 10). God’s unmerited favor redirected Paul to servanthood and mission. This makes Paul’s labor a response to what God had done. But Paul was not the only recipient of God’s grace. In the very first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks of the grace of God that had been given to the Christians in Corinth (1:4) and how God “called” and “chose” them (1:26–31). They of all people, then, should not have forgotten its powerful effect, but rather responded with appropriate behavior and labor.

Clearly this text is strategically situated for emphasis. After first dealing with the present and pressing issues in Corinth, and prior to addressing the resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of those who belong to Christ, Paul revisits the gospel, and it is “this gospel alone which gives shape to Christian living and value to Christian hope.” ² In other words, the gospel has everything to do with the Christian life. Christ’s death and resurrection, as well as the promise of a future resurrection of the dead, can overcome despair and discord in the present and motivate Christians to excel in the work of the Lord.

OPEN IN VIEWER

Julia Eckel (1907–1988). Revival, 1934. Oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C./Art Resource, NY.

Paul emphasizes the importance of living the gospel one final time at the close of the chapter: “Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (15:58). There again is the unmistakable connection between what is believed and what gets put into practice.

Paul is saying that a church that remembers and honors the gospel is one in which factions fade, dissensions diminish, civility is cultivated, immorality is inexcusable, and love is lavished. The church in Corinth had forgotten the gospel it had received, and in which it had once stood. So Paul reminds them of it, because he is convinced that grateful lives would be lived out as good lives. His assumption is that “if people understand the gospel better—which is to say, doctrine better, they would get caught up in it all and it would make a difference in their lives, their relationships, their witness, and their loving service to their neighbor.” ³ After all, issues change, but the gospel does not.