The “Good News” of Jesus’ Resurrection

February 27, 2022 Preacher: John Bell Series: 1 Corinthians

Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1–19

Problem # 10 (1 Corinthians 15:1–58) Some Corinthian Christians are denying that God will resurrect the corpses of believers.

Gospel solution: Christ died for our sins, and God resurrected his corpse. If God will not resurrect the corpses of believers, then he has not resurrected the corpse of Christ. But he did resurrect the corpse of Christ and therefore will resurrect the corpses of believers.

Point 1. An affirmation of the central role of the resurrection of Christ in the gospel message (1–11)

Some remarks about the gospel – “good news” intricately linked to the resurrection of Jesus (1-19) 

  1. The gospel is announced
  2. The gospel is received
  3. The gospel saves
  4. The gospel is a matter of first importance
  5. The gospel is Christ-centered
  6. The gospel is theological
  7. The gospel is personal
  8. The gospel is historical

Point 2. An explanation of the consequences of denying the resurrection of the dead (12–19)

To deny resurrection is to strip the Christian message of seven essentials:

  1. “Christ has not been raised” (13, 16)

And if Jesus has not been raised . . . 

  1. “The Apostle’s preaching is useless” (14)
  2. “Your faith is useless” (14)
  3. “The Apostles are false witnesses who misrepresent God” (15)
  4. “You are still in your sins” (17)
  5. “Those who have fallen asleep in Christ are eternally lost” (18)
  6. “We are of all people most to be pitied” (19)