RESURRECTION
CHRISTIANITY OASIS HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS RESURRECTION STUDY. MOST HAVE HEARD OF THE PHRASE RESURRECTION ... BUT ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT RESURRECTION REALLY MEANS? LET US SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF WHAT BEING RESURRECTED REALLY MEANS TOGETHER, SHALL WE?

          Pleased to have you back for more Daily Bread. In our study today, Paul explains the importance of our belief in  the resurrection because there would be a resurrection of those Christians who died for the cause. In the Gospel according to Matthew you can read where Jesus said that what you believe, you receive. Matthew 21:22 That alone should be enough reason to believe in the resurrection of Christians, yet some folks questioned it back in Paul's day ... And some still do today. Now do not get resurrection and rapture confused. The "Rapture" is where Christians rise to but had never died. The resurrection is the rising of Heaven of those who died for Christ and in TRUTH ... Christian believers that have died.

          Let’s pick up where we left off in our letter from Paul as he shows us the TRUTH about the resurrection of Jesus and the promised resurrection of Christians who died as Christians.

I want to make clear to you,

the Good News that I preached,

which you also accepted and now believe,

by which you are also saved

if you remember what I preached to you,

unless you’ve believed without cause.

For I taught to you first of all what I also learned,

how Christ died for our sins

and that He was buried,

and that He rose again the third day

according to the scriptures.

And that He was seen of Peter,

then of the twelve Apostles.

After that, He was seen of more than five hundred brethren at once;

of whom the most part are alive today, but some have died.

After that, He was seen of James; then of all the Apostles.

And last of all He was seen by me also,

and am not worthy to be called an Apostle,

because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the Grace of God I am what I am:

and His Grace which was given to me was not wasted;

but I worked harder than they all:

yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me.

Therefore whether it were I (who showed you the Gospel) or they,

we preached the Good News, and you believed.

Now if it is preached that Christ rose from the dead,

how can some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen:

And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is worthless,

and your Faith is also worthless.

Yes, and that makes us false witnesses of God;

because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ:

whom He didn’t raise, if it’s true that there’s no resurrection.

Because if the dead don’t rise, then Christ isn’t raised:

And if Christ isn’t raised, your faith is wasted;

and you’re still in your sins.

So Paul is explaining that some are going around as Christians saying that there is no such thing as resurrection so Paul is having them do the math ...

Then also, those who have died in Christ have perished.

If we have hope in Christ in this life only,

we are the most miserable of all men.

and has become the first fruits of those who have died

(Of all who have died, Christ has become the first to be harvested, or resurrected).

Because, since by man came death, (Adam's sin)

by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (Jesus)

For as in Adam all die,

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man at God’s appointed time for him:

Christ the first fruits;

and then afterward, those who belong to Christ at His return.

Then comes the end,

when Jesus will deliver up (present) the kingdom to God the Father,

after He has destroyed all wickedness.

For He must reign, until He has put all enemies under His feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

For He has put all things under his feet.

But when He said all things are put under Him,

it is evident that He is the exception, who did put all things under Him.

Let's look at this for a sec ... Adam and Eve had it going on in the Garden of Eden but they CHOSE to disobey God and CHOSE to hear the evil one's lies. Remember the serpent (satan within the snake) told Eve that they would never die if they ate from the tree of knowledge of Good and evil. Well ... They DID die. So he DID LIE. Now ... Jesus has come and created a path where by CHOOSING to believe in HIM can have the chains of Adam and Eve's CHOICES removed and TRULY have the Eternal life that Adam and Eve surrendered by CHOOSING to believe the LIE of satan.

And when all things shall be conquered by Him,

then shall the Son also Himself,

yield to Him that put all things under Him,

that God may be above all.

Otherwise, what shall they do,

who are baptized for the dead,

if the dead don’t rise at all?

Why are they then baptized for the dead?

And why do we live with death threatening us every hour?

I disagree.

Your rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Lord proves that this isn’t so.

I have the same gladness and I die daily.

Paul reminds the Corinthians just as he did the Romans, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Even those who would like to say that the resurrection isn’t real. When he says “I die daily” he is quoting the scripture Psalm 44:22.

what advantage is it to me, if the dead don’t rise?

Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.

Don’t be deceived: evil companionships corrupt good manners.

Next, Paul warns the Corinthians about those who question the resurrection. Have you ever experienced a situation where you learned about it from the Bible before it happened to you? Wasn’t it a fantastic feeling to be prepared for it? That’s exactly what Paul does for us in all of his letters.

Awake to righteousness, and don’t sin;

because some of you still don’t know God:

I speak this to your shame.

But somebody will ask, How are the dead raised up?

And in what body do they come back in?

Paul doesn’t like it when anyone is skeptical about anything to do with our Lord.
He says, the answer to those questions is:

You fool, that which you sow is not made alive,

unless it die:

And that which you sow,

you don’t sow that body that shall be,

but mere grain,

perhaps it may be wheat,

or of some other grain:

But God gives it a body as it has pleased Him,

and to every seed it’s own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh:

but there is one kind of flesh of men,

another flesh of beasts,

another of fishes,

and another of birds.

There are also celestial (heavenly) bodies,

and bodies terrestrial (earthly):

but the beauty of the celestial is one kind,

and the beauty of the terrestrial is another.

There is one beauty of the sun,

and another beauty of the moon,

and another beauty of the stars:

for one star differs from another star in beauty.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.

It is sown in corruption (it is buried in death);

it is raised in incorruption (it is raised to life):

It is sown in dishonor;

it is raised in glory:

it is sown in weakness;

it is raised in power:

It is sown a natural body;

it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body,

there is also a spiritual body.

And so it is written,

The first man Adam was made a living soul;

Genesis 2:7

the last Adam (Jesus) was made a life giving spirit.

John 16:7

However, that which is spiritual was not first,

but that which is natural;

and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, earthy;

the second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy:

and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

And as we bear the image of the earthy (man of dust),

Genesis 5:3

we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Just a little Daily Bread crumb to make this easier to understand. The word corrupt, means something that decays, rots or spoils. These are things that happen when something dies. So, to be incorruptible would be something that cannot die. That should make these next verses easier to understand.

Now I tell you this, brethren,

neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

See, I’ll show you a mystery;

We shall not all die,

but we shall all be changed,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

at the last trump:

for the trumpet shall sound,

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

This mystery is spoken of in the book of Revelation as well. Check it out, Revelation 10:7.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption,

and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,

and this mortal shall have put on immortality,

then the saying that is written, shall be brought to pass,

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

since as you know, your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

          It’s been wonderful having you here to study with. Hope you’ll hurry back for the next one, which is the conclusion of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, right here at Daily Bread.