WHAT IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED?

Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Key verse: 17

NIV

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,(A) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection(B) of the dead?(C) 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised,(D) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.(E) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.(F) 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep(G) in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.(H)

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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 the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, (A)how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, (B)then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that (C)he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and (D)you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who (E)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[a] in this life only, (F)we are of all people most to be pitied.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 15:19 Or we have hoped
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Resurrection is victory over death. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then there is no hope for mankind beyond the grave. Then the world will be full of the dead and the dying. Such a world view causes us to be negative, fatalistic, and hedonistic towards life. However, Christ’s resurrection is a historical fact and the basis of the resurrection of the dead.

If Christ has not been raised, what would be the logical consequences? Faith in the gospel would be meaningless as there would be no gospel to preach (14). The apostles would be liars in testifying that God raised Christ from the dead (15). If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain. Most importantly, there will be no forgiveness and no way out of guilt and hell for believers. Those who sacrificed much for the gospel and gave their lives for Christ in the hope of resurrection are most pitiful people. However, Christ did rise from the dead, broke the power of sin and death, and gave us a living hope of heaven to those who believe. In the risen Christ we are not losers, but true victors. Because he lives, we also will live (Jn 14:19). The most pitiful people are those who live without the hope of resurrection.

Prayer: Lord, thank for the risen Christ, who gives me assurance of forgiveness and a living hope in heaven. Help me live by resurrection faith.

One Word: Christ has indeed been raised.