Take Note Podcast

The Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

- Today we're discussing one of the key passages that outlines the gospel
- It defines the gospel
- It provides the essential ingredients of the New Testament "good news"
- And it makes some declarations about it, that are important for us to remember

- If someone were to ask about the gospel
- This is one of the places in scripture to which you may point
- It makes things very clear

- A review today, of "The Gospel"
- As found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

- As Paul speaks to the Corinthian church in this chapter
- He speaks to a group of people that have based their lives upon the "good news"
- They have believed in Jesus
- In what He did
- And in its effectiveness to save them

- So, he assures them of the gospel's basis in scripture
- And reminds them of the hard evidence for its authenticity

- He begins this way…

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

- This is the gospel Paul himself preached
- And the Corinthian church members received
- Presumably, basing their salvation upon it
- Not simply saying they believed, then never taking it to heart

- There are many issues
- Many sinful issues, discussed earlier in the book
- Not everyone in the church is living according to Christ's standards
- Therefore, it is only more appropriate to restate this good news

- If a person believes, they continue in the faith
- A reminder of that which the gospel means is important for us all
- Because it is the good news on which we stand

- Here he begins…

1 Corinthians 15:3

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

- This gospel was not simply man's idea
- It came to Paul from God, delivered in the scriptures
- Speaking of a Messiah who would pay for our sins

- We can think of one passage immediately that tells this story
- Beginning in Isaiah 53:2…

"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

- This passage, and others like it, are the basis for Paul's assertion here
- That Jesus, the Christ, died for our sins
- And He did so based on Old Testament prophecy that said He would
- That made it clear He could make a way for us to be redeemed and reconciled to God

- This is where the gospel begins
- It assumes all are sinful - as the scripture declares
- And that a perfect, sinless sacrifice is needed
- That we won't be able to pay the sin debt ourselves

- And so, someone must die in our place
- That is the Messiah
- Who will do so willingly

- But he goes on…

1 Corinthians 15:4

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

- Jesus was buried because He was really dead
- He died for our transgressions, not His own
- But He was also raised from the dead
- Because, as Acts 2:24 says "it was not possible that he should be holden of it"

- This resurrection was foretold in scripture
- And by the Messiah himself

- But there is more to be said about this…

1 Corinthians 15:5-8

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

- This resurrection was proven by many infallible proofs
- Including by many eye-witness accounts
- Just as His death was witnessed and confirmed
- His life after death was witnessed and confirmed as well
- And not of just a few

- Not of just those know to this Corinthian church
- But by others as well
- Including Paul himself
- Who was born out of due time