The Gospel I Preached: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

Paul returned to the foundation. Some in Corinth were questioning the resurrection. Doubting the bodily rising. Perhaps spiritualizing it. Perhaps denying it entirely.

Remind you. Gnorizo—make known again. The gospel I preached. The good news. Which you received. Paralabete—took hold of. On which you have taken your stand. Hestekate—where you stand now. Your current location.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

By this gospel you are saved. Sozesthe—present tense. Being saved. If you hold firmly. Katechete—keep holding, retain. The condition was persistence.

Otherwise, you have believed in vain. Eike. Without purpose. Empty belief. The warning was real.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:

Received. Parelabon. Passed on. Paredoka. The vocabulary of tradition. Paul didn't invent this. He received it. And transmitted it.

As of first importance. En protois. Among the first things. The essential core.

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

First: Christ died. Apethanen. He actually died. For our sins. Huper ton hamartion hemon. Substitutionary. On our behalf. Dealing with our sins.

According to the Scriptures. Kata tas graphas. The Old Testament predicted. Isaiah 53. Psalm 22. The prophets foretold.

That he was buried.

Second: He was buried. Etaphe. The burial confirmed the death. No swoon. No appearance. Actual burial. The tomb was real.

That he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Third: He was raised. Egegertai. Perfect passive. He has been raised and remains risen. God raised him. On the third day. The specific timing. According to the Scriptures. Hosea 6:2. Jonah's sign. The pattern was prophesied.

And that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

Fourth: He appeared. Ophthe. Was seen. The appearances verified the resurrection.

To Cephas. Peter first. The individual witness. Then to the Twelve. The apostolic group. Corporate witness.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

More than five hundred. A crowd. At the same time. Ephapax. Simultaneously. Not individual visions but shared experience.

Most of whom are still living. Paul wrote about twenty-five years after the resurrection. Witnesses still available. Verifiable.

Though some have fallen asleep. Kekoimēntai. Died. Natural attrition over time.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

James. The brother of Jesus. The skeptic who became leader. His conversion through resurrection appearance.

Then to all the apostles. The broader circle. Beyond the Twelve.

And last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Last of all. Eschaton panton. The final witness. To me also. Paul himself.

As to one abnormally born. Ektrōma. Miscarriage. Untimely birth. Paul's self-deprecation. His calling was irregular. The timing was wrong. But it happened.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The least. Elachistos. Smallest. Lowest. Do not even deserve. Ouk eimi hikanos—I am not sufficient. To be called an apostle. The title he barely claimed.

Because I persecuted the church of God. The reason for his unworthiness. He had hunted believers. Imprisoned them. Approved their deaths.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.

But. The pivot. By the grace of God. Chariti theou. Grace made him. I am what I am. Ho eimi. The identity came from grace.

His grace to me was not without effect. Ou kene egenethe—was not empty. Grace worked. Grace transformed. Grace produced fruit.

No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Worked harder. Perissoteron panton. More abundantly than all. Paul's labor exceeded the others.

Yet not I. The correction. Not self-achievement. But the grace of God that was with me. Grace worked through him. Grace energized him.

Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The unity. Whether I or they—Paul, Peter, James, the Twelve. This is what we preach. Kerussomen. The same message. The same gospel.

This is what you believed. Episteusate. Aorist. You believed it. At the beginning. When Paul preached. This gospel.

Christ died for our sins.

According to the Scriptures.

He was buried.

He was raised on the third day.

According to the Scriptures.

He appeared.

To Cephas. To the Twelve. To five hundred. To James. To all the apostles. To Paul.

This was the gospel.

This was the foundation.

This was what they believed.

And this was what some were now questioning.

Paul would not let it go.