What are the implications if Christ has not been raised, as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:17? Primary Text “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) Definition of the Hypothesis The apostle’s conditional clause—“if Christ has not been raised”—proposes a complete removal of the bodily resurrection from history. Paul treats the consequence as catastrophic, not peripheral. Everything that follows is the systematic fallout from that single alteration of reality. Scriptural Coherence The resurrection forms the hinge of the biblical metanarrative. Remove it and: • Genesis 3:15’s proto-evangelium lies unresolved. • Psalm 16:10’s “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol” fails. • Isaiah 53:11—“After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life”—is contradicted. • Jesus’ own prophecy (Mark 8:31) identifies Him as a false prophet, violating Deuteronomy 18:22. Thus, the unified tapestry of Scripture frays at every thread. Ecclesiological Nullification The Church is founded on the risen Christ (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20). Absent the resurrection: • Preaching becomes empty (1 Corinthians 15:14). • Baptism symbolizes nothing (Romans 6:4). • The Lord’s Supper proclaims a non-event (1 Corinthians 11:26). • Apostolic authority dissolves; their witness is false (1 Corinthians 15:15). Missiological Collapse “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) rests on “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (v. 18). No resurrection, no authority, no mandate. Martyrs throughout history—all deluded. Global missions and billions of transformed lives stand on a void. Eschatological Fallout 1 Corinthians 15:18 asserts, “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” . No resurrection of Christ means no resurrection of believers (vv. 20–23), no New Creation (Revelation 21), and death retains unchallenged dominion. Hope in eternal life vanishes. Ethical and Behavioral Ramifications Paul’s reductio echoes in verse 32: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Moral absolutes devolve into pragmatic relativism. Without the risen Lord, there is no ultimate accountability (Acts 17:31). Nihilism or hedonism become rational options. Philosophical Implications Truth, goodness, and beauty, grounded biblically in the nature of a living Christ (Colossians 1:17), would float unanchored. The correspondence theory of truth collapses for every Christian claim; the coherence theory falters as Scripture loses internal consistency; and pragmatic truth fails because the gospel’s transforming power is exposed as placebo. Psychological and Pastoral Effects Assurance of forgiveness evaporates. Fear of death resurges. Grief for loved ones deepens into hopelessness (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Prayer becomes monologue; worship becomes theatre; joy becomes pretense. Divine Attributes at Stake • Veracity—God promised resurrection (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33). • Omnipotence—claimed but disproven if God cannot raise Jesus (Ephesians 1:19–20). • Justice—sin unanswered. • Love—unmanifested at the cross because victory is unsealed. If any attribute is falsified, God ceases to be God, which is impossible; therefore, the premise “Christ has not been raised” is self-contradictory within the biblical worldview. Historical and Evidential Back-Pressure The hypothetical must contend with established data: • The empty tomb attested by multiple independent traditions (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). • Early, eyewitness creedal material (1 Corinthians 15:3–7) dated within five years of the event. • Transformation of James and Paul—hostile witnesses turned proclaimers. • Explosive growth of a resurrection-centric church in Jerusalem, a locale easily capable of falsifying the claim by producing a body. • Extra-biblical references: Tacitus (Annals 15.44), Josephus (Ant. 18.3.3). The hypothesis “He is not raised” fails explanatory power, scope, and plausibility against these facts. Archaeological Corroboration First-century ossuaries, Nazareth Inscription, and synagogue inscriptions reflect polemics against the resurrection rather than denial of the empty tomb. Such artifacts undermine the counter-proposition. Conclusion If Christ has not been raised, faith is futile, sin remains unforgiven, Scripture disintegrates, the Church is a sham, mission ceases, ethics erode, hope dies, and God’s very nature is impugned. Because these consequences are impossible within the truthful, powerful, and faithful character of God—and because the historical evidence points unambiguously to a risen Christ—the only coherent conclusion is: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). |
    |