What does 1 Corinthians 15:18 teach about the consequences of denying the resurrection? Setting the Scene • Paul is pressing home a simple, unmistakable point: if bodily resurrection is a myth, everything collapses. • Verse 18 is the heart-stopping conclusion of his logic chain: “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” (1 Corinthians 15:18) The Stark Consequence Defined Denying the resurrection means: • Believers who have died are not merely unconscious or waiting; they are gone forever—“perished.” • The comfort spoken at every Christian funeral is empty. • God’s promise of eternal life (John 3:16) is nullified, because there is no life beyond the grave. • Christ’s own assurance—“Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19)—is rendered false. • The gospel message loses its saving power; faith becomes wishful thinking (compare 1 Corinthians 15:14,17). Why “Perished” Is So Serious • Scripture uses “perish” (ἀπώλονται) for complete, final ruin (e.g., John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9). • Without resurrection, death wins; sin retains its sting; the grave keeps its prisoners (1 Corinthians 15:56). • Hope evaporates, leaving only despair. Paul says the result would make Christians “most to be pitied” (v. 19). Supporting Passages That Reinforce Paul’s Point • John 11:25–26—“I am the resurrection and the life…” If this is untrue, Jesus is discredited. • 1 Thessalonians 4:14—“We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.” No resurrection, no reunion. • 2 Corinthians 4:14—God “will also raise us with Jesus.” Denial erases that promise. • Romans 6:4–5—Our union with Christ hinges on His resurrection; take that away, and sanctification loses its backbone. Implications for Daily Faith • Confidence in future glory fuels perseverance now (Romans 8:18). Without it, suffering has no redemptive frame. • Evangelism becomes moot; what good is a gospel that cannot outlast a coffin? • Worship loses its crescendo of hope; hymns of resurrection become sentimental, not factual. • Moral choices lose eternal weight; “we might as well eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32). Takeaway Truths • The resurrection is not an optional add-on to Christianity; it is the linchpin. • Denying it turns “good news” into bad news—death defeats all, and even the faithful are lost. • Because Christ rose, believers who “sleep” in Him are alive with Him now and will rise bodily (Philippians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 15:52). • Hold fast to this truth; everything God promises stands or falls with the empty tomb. |
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