What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:12? But if it is preached - Paul begins with what the Corinthians already know and confess: the gospel he “preached to you” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). - Preaching is not opinion but proclamation of fact (Romans 10:14-15; 2 Timothy 4:2). - The settled message that launched the church is, therefore, the starting point for every other doctrine. that Christ has been raised from the dead - The resurrection is historical and bodily (Matthew 28:6; Acts 2:24; Romans 6:9). - It is the definitive proof that Jesus is “alive forever and ever” (Revelation 1:18). - Because this truth has been publicly declared and embraced, it becomes the benchmark by which all other claims must be measured. how can some of you say - Paul exposes an internal contradiction: accepting Christ’s resurrection while denying their own future resurrection. - False ideas had crept in, much like the teachings of Hymenaeus and Philetus who “say that the resurrection has already occurred” (2 Timothy 2:17-18) or other distortions Paul warns against (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Peter 2:1). - Faithful teaching guards believers from such mixed messages. that there is no resurrection of the dead? - Scripture consistently promises a general resurrection: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake” (Daniel 12:2); “all who are in their graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28-29). - For believers, it is a resurrection to life and reunion with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:12-13). - Denying this hope undercuts the gospel’s power and robs believers of assurance. summary Paul’s question exposes a logical inconsistency: if the Corinthians embrace the preaching that Jesus physically rose, they cannot logically deny their own future resurrection. The same gospel that proclaims Christ’s victory over death guarantees the bodily resurrection of everyone who belongs to Him. |
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