Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–28

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle.

1 Corinthians 15:9

 

One of the greatest witnesses of the resurrection was Paul himself, for as an unbeliever he was soundly convinced that Jesus was dead. The radical change in his life—a change that brought him persecution and suffering—is certainly evidence that the Lord had indeed been raised from the dead. Paul made it clear that his salvation was purely an act of God’s grace.

Paul’s readers would say, “Yes, we agree that Jesus was raised from the dead.” Then Paul would reply, “If you believe that, then you must believe in the resurrection of all the dead!” If there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised. If He was not raised, there is no gospel to preach. If there is no gospel, then we have believed in vain, and we are still in our sins! If there is no resurrection, then believers who have died have no hope. We will never see them again (1 Cor. 15:12–19)!

The conclusion is obvious: Why be a Christian if we have only suffering in this life and no future glory to anticipate? The resurrection is not just important; it is “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3–4), because all we believe hinges upon it.

Something to Ponder

What difference does your hope of resurrection from the dead make to the way you will live today?