1 Corinthians 15:1

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures... And last of all He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.

Paul declares the gospel afresh to the already-saved—because the good news we are saved by is the One we must keep holding fast to.

A New Section: "And Now, Brethren"

The word moreover that opens chapter 15 begins a new section in 1 Corinthians. It is not a continuation of Paul's teaching on spiritual gifts but the introduction of something new. The word could also be translated and now. "And now," he says, "brethren." It is important to recognize that Paul calls them brethren and notes in these first two verses that they have been saved, having received the gospel and continuing to stand in it. They are saved.

And yet, after calling them brethren and acknowledging that they are saved, he says, "I declare unto you the gospel." This instructs us that even once saved, it is important to remain in the gospel, to continue steadfastly in it, and to routinely consider and be reminded of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are saved, they are standing—and still he says, "I'm going to declare it to you once again."

The word declare in the Greek means to make known, or to bring to a thorough knowledge of. What is implied if Paul says he will bring them to a thorough knowledge of the gospel? Clearly it is implied that in some sense they did not fully comprehend it. That is evidenced by the fact that the church at Corinth had all kinds of major problems—much like the churches of our day. There is no perfect church. If you come here thinking you've found one, you've ruined it. We are not a perfect church, because none of us are perfect people. We are thankful the Lord has redeemed us and continues to sanctify us, but we should acknowledge our imperfection. And if you have a hard time admitting it, your spouse sitting next to you will be glad to point it out.

The Resurrection Is the Hinge

So they had all kinds of issues, but in chapter 15 Paul addresses one in particular: the resurrection. The church at Corinth did not fully comprehend the implications of Christ being raised from the dead. This chapter answers that question—what does the resurrection of Christ mean for us? If Christ is raised, what follows? Paul also looks at it from the negative: if Christ be not raised, what does that mean? The implication is heavy, because if Christ be not raised, then none of this is true.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the hinge upon which the gospel hangs. This chapter, more than any other in the letter, can stand on its own. So Paul says, "Now I want to declare the gospel; I want to make it very clear." It is extremely helpful that he does this, because there is a lack of clarity—even in our day, 2,000 years removed. Many people put forth different ideas about what the gospel means.

What we will see is that it is very clearly about Jesus. Jesus is the gospel. He is the good news. The gospel is not just a story about what Jesus came and did for our salvation—He is the good news. So when we are gospelling, when we are declaring the good news, we are sharing Jesus.

The Gospel Stands Apart from Our Story

This is vital, because in the modern evangelical movement, when we go to share our faith, we are often very personalized about it. We talk more about our personal story, our testimony, our experience. That is good, because in some ways it validates the truth of the gospel. But the gospel stands alone, apart from our personal story.

In our culture, everybody has a personal story, and in this relativistic age everyone's story is treated as equally valid. There is a problem with that, because there can only be one truth. So while our personal story is good, we must come to the point where we clearly present the story of Jesus to unbelievers. That is what we are called to.

And not just those who stand before the body week after week, like myself, or those called like Paul to be an apostle—the entire body of Christ is given this task. In Mark 16:16, Jesus tells His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures." He is talking to disciples. If you are a follower of Christ, then we are all gospel preachers.

Paul, a Preacher Above All

Paul says, "the gospel which I preach." In our next study we will consider the content of that gospel more deeply—we will not get far today, only two verses out of fifty-eight. But note that Paul's focus was the preaching of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 1:17 he says, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." More than anything else, Paul identified himself as a preacher of Jesus.

Some would say he identified himself more as an apostle, but the word apostolos means one who is sent—sent with a message. His sending was for the purpose of preaching. In 1 Timothy 2:6 he says Jesus "gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, whereunto I am ordained a preacher." In 2 Timothy 1:10–11, Jesus "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher." And in Ephesians 3:7–8, Paul says he was made a minister by the grace of God, "that I should preach."

Paul was converted on the road to Damascus while a Pharisee on his way to persecute believers. The risen Lord appeared to him, blinded him, and for three days he worked out everything he thought he knew about God. Then God spoke to Ananias, who objected because Saul was a persecutor. But God said, "Go your way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15).

I would say we are that too. This is why, when we are saved, He does not immediately take us home. We pray to receive Christ and say, "I'm ready to go," and He says, "No you're not, because I have chosen you to bear my name." Paul prepared himself to preach (Romans 1:15), labored to preach (Romans 15:20), felt compelled to preach, and took no earthly reward for it (1 Corinthians 9:16–18). The word preach, euangelizo, means to announce, to proclaim good news. "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10). There is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved.

Received and Standing

Paul received this gospel not from men but from the Lord (Galatians 1:11–12). Having received it from the Lord, he declares it to others—and at Corinth, they received it. The word receive means to take to oneself, to join to oneself, to incorporate it into your life so that it becomes who you are. Paul commended the Thessalonians for this: "When you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectively works in us that believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Now not all receive it—many reject the gospel, and some here today may have rejected it. But we must receive it to be saved. And not only receive it; we must continue in it, unmoved. Paul tells the Corinthians they have done that. But to the Galatians, with sadness, he writes: "I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Galatians 1:6). They had been moved; they had not stood firm.

Why is steadfastness important? Because genuine saving faith is revealed by continuance in the gospel. First John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us."

I explain this by illustration. Suppose I tell you I've purchased a ticket for you to the Chargers game next Thursday, and it's waiting at will-call under your name. But when I arrive, I see you standing in line to buy a ticket. I ask why, and you say, "I wasn't sure you'd really do it, so I'm buying one just to be safe." I would know you didn't trust that what I said I'd done, I really did. In the same way, if you put your trust in Jesus for salvation and then turn to the works of the law like the Galatians, or back to the sacrificial system like those in Hebrews, you have not fully put your confidence in Christ. But Paul commends Corinth: "I preached unto you, you received it, you continue to stand therein."

"By Which Also You Are Saved"

There are two important truths in these six words. First, the gospel received and held on to is what brings salvation—therefore the gospel is powerful. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes" (Romans 1:16). It is not the strength of our determination, but the strength of the gospel. As long as the gospel is strong, we may lay hold of it with very little faith, and the Lord increases our faith as we go, for faith comes by hearing.

Second, "you are saved" is a simple statement of fact, in the indicative mood, indicating that they are positionally saved. This is an awesome truth, because no other faith, worldview, or religion in all the world guarantees such assurance. In Christ, because of the strength of the gospel, we can have absolute assurance of eternal salvation.

This is why people come to your door on a Saturday morning with a Watchtower magazine. I have asked them, and also elders from the Latter-day Saints: "Are you here out of genuine concern for my lostness because you love me—or because you are concerned about your own lostness and aren't sure you'll get to heaven?" If they're honest, they confess they're there because of their lack of assurance. But the Christian who has put confidence in the finished work of Jesus shares the gospel out of genuine concern for the lostness of man and love for humanity. The glory of God is there, yes, but we preach out of love for the lost.

Saved—Past, Present, and Future

What does it mean to be saved? The tense of the word is extremely important, and can be confusing. The Greek word sozo, translated "saved," is used at times in the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense. You read "you are saved" here in 1 Corinthians 15, then "you are being saved" in another place, then "you shall be saved" elsewhere. Do you have assurance, or don't you?

First, salvation is seen in the past tense, as here: "you are saved," speaking of something true right now because you were saved in the past. This is justification—being positionally saved, dealing with the punishment for our sin.

Consider what sin is. The English definition, "missing the mark," comes from a medieval archery game. But the biblical definition is given by John: "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law"—lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Whose law? God's law. He is the great Lawgiver, and being holy and just, He is bound by His perfect character to judge and punish sin. This is serious, for as Paul says in Romans, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

How was justification accomplished? "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Justification is that finished work whereby our sin is dealt with and we are declared righteous before a holy God, because Jesus bore our punishment. Our slate is wiped clean, our sins removed as far as the east is from the west. This was foretold in the Old Testament—Jeremiah 31, 33, 50; Isaiah 43, 44—where God promises to remember our sins no longer.

Being Saved and Shall Be Saved

Salvation is also seen in the present tense as a work being accomplished. "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). This is sanctification—God saving us from the prevailing power of sin, whereas justification saves us from the punishment of sin. The same work accomplishes both: "Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate" (Hebrews 13:12). Because you have noticed, I'm sure, that since you are saved you still sin.

Salvation is also spoken of in the future tense. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:8–9). God who is holy will execute righteous judgment upon all unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). Yet in Christ we are justified—declared righteous—so that we shall also be saved, that is, glorified, saved from the presence of sin eternally.

Surely everyone here who has put their faith in Christ looks forward to glorification, and with each passing day that anticipation should grow. "We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23). I've been looking forward to it all the more since I tried P90X two weeks ago and injured my back. This corruption will put on incorruption, this mortality immortality. When we see Him, we will be like Him, transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Peter says we are looking forward to "receiving the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls" (1 Peter 1:9). We have been saved from sin's punishment, are being saved from sin's power, and shall be saved from sin's presence—and because of who Jesus is, we can be certain it will come to pass.

The Conditional "If"

And yet Paul adds a difficult statement: "by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you." If is a conditional word, and it causes us pause. We like assurance and certainty; we don't like conditions.

You and I are saved by the power of the gospel, not by any work we have done. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves... not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Salvation is a free gift; we lay hold of it by trust. God has done all the work. And yet Paul indicates there is some responsibility on our part to hold fast to the simplicity that is in Christ. Some will say, "There—it's works-based!" So we must understand what Paul means.

The word "keep" can be translated "hold fast to." You could remove the word "memory" and read it, "if you keep what I preached." This exact form appears in two important places in Hebrews. The picture is of a ship in a great storm, taking on water; you throw the cargo overboard so you sit higher in the water—but there is one thing of such great value that you bind it to the mast and refuse to let it go, or all is lost.

Holding Fast to Christ Alone

The author of Hebrews writes to Christians who came out of Judaism. "Exhort one another daily... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Hebrews 3:13–14). The idea is that we must keep our faith on Him alone, not letting it shift to any other thing, because nothing else is sufficient for salvation.

Why would he say this to Hebrew Christians? They had believed in Jesus, yet they still sinned—can anybody identify with that? I should see more hands. We all still sin. So these believers felt a conscious recognition: "I've got to do something about my continued sin." And they returned to sacrifice, in effect saying, "What Jesus did is not sufficient; I need something more." Their faith in Him was lacking.

Again in Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised." Hold on to Him alone in the midst of the storm. Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, but exhort one another, "and so much more, as ye see the day approaching"—the day of glorification. Then verse 26: "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." You have laid hold of Christ, and yet you still sin, and there is the temptation to think, "He's dealt with the punishment, but I must deal with the power on my own." No—Jesus paid it all. Isaiah told sinful Judah, "Come now, and let us reason together... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Faith That Is Vain

Paul's next words make this clear: "by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." The Galatian churches had moved away from the simplicity that is in Christ, and Paul feared he had labored in vain. He had risked his life to bring them the gospel—at Lystra they stoned him nearly to death—and now they had departed. The Corinthians, on the other hand, were standing steadfastly, unless their belief was vain.

What is vain or empty belief? Two possibilities come to mind. First, your personal faith may be lacking—it does not go far enough in confident trust. Someone says, "I believe in Jesus." Probe deeper: "I believe He was a good man... a good teacher... a prophet... a miracle worker." But do you believe He was dead, buried, and rose again, and that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God? That is of extreme importance, for upon Peter's confession—"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God"—Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:16–18).

I challenge you to study that statement throughout the New Testament. It identifies Christians—the confident assurance that Jesus is the foretold Messiah and the Son of God. Perhaps the first Gentile convert, the Ethiopian eunuch, was reading Isaiah 53 without understanding, and Philip preached Christ to him. When they passed water, the eunuch asked what hindered him from being baptized. Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37).

A vain faith places confidence only partially in the finished work of Christ and seeks assurance elsewhere. People say, "I believe in Jesus," and a church adds, "but you must be baptized here to be saved," or "your church attendance, your tithe records, your sacraments are important." Like those in Hebrews, they go back to other means to secure their foundation, saying, "I know You bought the ticket and it's at will-call, but I've got to make sure I actually have a ticket."

The Truth of the Resurrection Proves the Gospel

Second, faith can be vain if the gospel itself is not true. "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (verse 17). Our faith would be empty if the death, burial, and especially the resurrection turned out to be false. "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."

But Paul goes on to demonstrate its truth. The risen Lord was seen by eyewitnesses—Peter, then the twelve, then over five hundred brethren at once, "of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep" (verse 6). Paul is saying: this only happened fifteen years ago. If you want to prove it, go ask the eyewitnesses—over five hundred of them, plus James the brother of Jesus, and the rest of the apostles. "And last of all," Paul says, "I saw Him too."

Paul, formerly a Pharisee and a persecutor, was most likely in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb—dead. Not mostly dead, who then revived by some Max-and-Macey contraction, broke free of the grave clothes, rolled away the stone, and fought off the Roman soldiers, as some foolishly assert. He was dead and buried. And then, on the road to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Lord. Do you think his mind was shaken? "Who are you?" "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." Speechless. "I saw the risen Lord."

Even in our day, those who have sought to defeat the truth claims of the Bible have been struck by the evidence supporting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. And if He is alive, then He is who He said He is—the Son of God, the way, the truth, and the life. If that is the case, we can be certain of our eternal salvation, and we can boldly proclaim to a lost and dying world: there is no other way. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You that You have not left Yourself without witness. You have revealed Yourself to us, and Lord, that You would continue to do so as we consider Your Word and draw near to You in worship. Help us to stand strong in absolute confidence in the work that You did, Jesus, on the cross, and that by that work You have saved us and brought us into Your kingdom. We thank You for the salvation we have in You.

I recognize that here in this room there are some who cannot thank the Lord for that salvation, because you have had a faith that is vain—you have not fully put your confident trust in the finished work of Jesus, trying some other way to save yourself. It will not work, and you know who you are right now, because the Spirit of God is convicting you. God desires that none would perish, but that everyone would come to repentance and to a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. I'm not one to do altar calls, but right now, between you and the Lord, if He is speaking to your heart, you need to repent and put your full trust in Christ for your salvation. He alone can save you; there is no other name given among men whereby men must be saved.

In the stillness of your own heart you can call out to God right now: "Lord, would You save me? I put my trust and confidence in You. I recognize that I have sinned and fallen short of Your glory and deserve all Your wrath, but I desire the free gift of eternal life." If you do that now, when we close in a moment, some of the pastors and elders are here to pray with you—come and share that with us, that we may pray with you and encourage you in your faith.

Lord, we thank You that You are faithful in Your promises. We thank You that we can be certain we will be with You eternally in Your kingdom, because of who You are. Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of God. We praise You. It's in Your name we pray. Amen.