If Christ has not been raised...John Farley
Pastor-Teacher Sunday, April 21, 2019 Happy Resurrection Sunday!If Christ has not been raised…
Joh 20:1-31 They were claiming that there was no bodily resurrection of the dead. He first gives solid evidence that the resurrection of Christ did in fact occur. 15:1-11 Paul next takes the claim that there is no resurrection from the dead and logically works out its devastating implications (1Co 15:12-19). Finally, he reaffirms the fact that Christ was raised from the dead, and presents the glorious results of His resurrection (1Co 15:20—28). 1Co 15:1-11 First, the resurrection of Christ is an essential part of the gospel. Second, the resurrection of Christ was well-attested by many witnesses. Third, Paul himself was a powerful witness to the resurrected Christ. He joined Peter and the other apostles in preaching the death and resurrection of Christ. See Act 3:11-26, Starting in verse 12, Paul pivots to refute the false claim that there is no resurrection of the dead. 1Co 15:12-19 He treats their claim as though it were true – for the sake of advancing his argument. The bodily resurrection of Christ and the bodily resurrection of believers are inseparable. If dead men don’t rise, and Christ was dead in that tomb, then Christ didn’t rise. If Christ has not been raised, our gospel preaching is empty. That means that your faith is also empty. If you remove any part o the foundation, the whole building will collapse. If the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised. That would make Paul and the apostles liars. Nothing else they spoke or wrote could be trusted. No resurrection of the dead = If Christ was not raised from the dead, then Christianity is a fraud. If the gospel message is wrong, then your sins have not been dealt with. Rom 4:22-25 1Co 15:18-19 No resurrection = believers who have died will never be with us again. Thank God that hypothetical is WRONG! 1Co 15:20-22 Christ HAS been raised from the dead!!! 1Co 6:14
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