BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED

Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Key verse: 3-4

NIV

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel(A) I preached to you,(B) which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved,(C) if you hold firmly(D) to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received(E) I passed on to you(F) as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins(G) according to the Scriptures,(H) 4 that he was buried,(I) that he was raised(J) on the third day(K) according to the Scriptures,(L) 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b](M) and then to the Twelve.(N) 6 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.(O) 7 Then he appeared to James,(P) then to all the apostles,(Q) 8 and last of all he appeared to me also,(R) as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles(S) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted(T) the church of God.(U) 10 But by the grace(V) of God I am what I am, and his grace to me(W) was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them(X)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.(Y) 11 Whether, then, it is I or they,(Z) this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel (A)I preached to you, which you received, (B)in which you stand, 2 and by which (C)you are being saved, if you (D)hold fast to the word I preached to you—(E)unless you believed in vain.

3 For (F)I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised (I)on the third day (J)in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that (K)he appeared to Cephas, then (L)to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to (M)James, then (N)to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, (O)he appeared also to me. 9 For (P)I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because (Q)I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, (R)I worked harder than any of them, (S)though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 6, 31, 50, 58
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The gospel is about the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially his death and resurrection. It is rooted in an historical event and God’s promises in the Scriptures. Jesus’ death for our sins and his bodily resurrection for our justification is the only real solution to our fundamental problems of sin and death, and judgment. The gospel offers salvation from God’s wrath and a living hope of his kingdom. We are saved not by our merits, but by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul preached this gospel to the Christians in Corinth as of first importance. He reminds them of it again. Likewise, we need to be constantly reminded of this gospel. We need to hold firmly to it at all times for the gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

In order to prove Jesus’ bodily resurrection, Paul introduces eyewitnesses, some of whom were still living at the time he was writing. Paul himself was one of them. His life was radically changed after meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. If we believe in Christ crucified and then raised to life, we also experience God’s grace of forgiveness and his transforming power in our lives. We can live as witnesses of the Risen Christ to others as Apostle Paul did.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Help me hold onto it and pass it on to others as of first importance.

One Word: By this gospel I am saved