Christ . . . Raised Or Not Raised?

Daily Bread

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To those unsteady believers in Corinth the apostle Paul wrote,

“. . . how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised . . . your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins . . . If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men to be pitied.” (I Corinthians 15:12-19 – NASB)

Man that Corinthian church had a lot of issues to deal with, didn’t they? Why two letters to them? Because they had issues! And one of those issues concerned one of the main doctrines of the Christian faith; the “resurrection of the dead.” There were “some among” them that were saying “there is no resurrection of the dead.”

Imagine it! A body of believers, a church, where there are those who “say that there is no resurrection of the dead.” Believe it or not, there are “some” in churches today that still “say that,” some who say, “Christ has not been raised.” We know there are skeptics outside the church but there are also those within it that don’t really believe that “Christ has been raised from the dead.” You can only wonder what a church setting is like where the “resurrection of the dead” is not believed, is not preached. Surely it would be a rather hopeless bunch of people, a people lacking in any substance for doing what they are doing. It would be a group of people that are practicing something that is “worthless,” and they are to be, “of all (people) . . . pitied.”

But the church is not built on what “some . . . say.” It is built on the truth as delivered to you and I in the Word of God! And the Word of God says,

“. . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (I Corinthians 15:4-8 – NASB)

The testimony of the Word of God is that, “according to the Scriptures . . . Christ died . . . was buried . . . and that He was raised on the third day . . . and that He appeared.” Paul says, in response to those who “say that there is no resurrection . . .”

“But now, Christ has been raised from the dead” (I Corinthians 15:20 – NASB)

Guess it depends on who you want to believe. Do you believe what men “say,” or do you believe what “the Scriptures” say? As for me and my house, He lives, “according to the Scriptures.” Oh blessed truth! “Christ has been raised from the dead!” Hallelujah!

Have a good day brethren and have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!

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