1 Corinthians 15 and verse 1 reads.
1Cor.15:1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
We teach the gospels of Jesus, and we will stand with the gospel armor on, not fly, against Satan in these end times.
1Cor.15:2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Speaking of Salvation. Do you receive his word on Christ? Let’s read Heb.2:14.
Heb.2:14] Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 3 reads.
1Cor.15:3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Psalms 22 tells of his crucifixion 1,000 years before it happened.
1Cor.15:4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Knowing and proclaiming this message is in part our baptism. Let’s go to Psa.16 and read verse 10.
Psa.16:10] For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 5 reads.
1Cor.15:5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
Cephas is Peter, both mean “rock.”
1Cor.15:6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
More are still alive than past on at the point of this writing.
1Cor.15:7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
Which James, Christ’s brother or brother to John, I don’t know.
1Cor.15:8] And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Paul is speaking about when he was on the road to Damascus. Acts 9:15.
1Cor.15:9] For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul never forgave himself for persecuting the church. Don’t be like him. Learn to forgive yourself, when we repent and God forgives us, then He doesn’t want to keep hearing about it. Let it go, forgive yourself. This becomes an unnecessary burden to you.
1Cor.15:10] But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul studied at the feet of Gamaliel. He was a pharisee, and a great scholar in his time. He just missed Isa.7:14. “A virgin shall conceive and you will call him Emmanuel”. “God with us”.
1Cor.15:11] Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Paul wrote most of the New Testament. though he needed a scribe, not because he was uneducated, but because he was blinded on the road to Damascus.
1Cor.15:12] Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
[13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
[14] And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Do you believe or not? How can you say you believe that Jesus was the Son of God but not that he rose again? Vanity, all is vanity. Let’s go to Eccl.1:1-4 and it reads.
Ecc.1:1] The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
[2] Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
[3] What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
[4] One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
This Preacher is capitalized, and we are talking about Jesus Christ here in the Old Testament. Notice also that the earth abides forever. Man cannot cause global warming. Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 15 reads.
1Cor.15:15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
Read that again more carefully, Paul is talking about “If” but he knows he did.
1Cor.15:16] For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
[17] And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
[18] Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
[19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
[20] But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
All the from Noah to the second man Adam, that would be Jesus Christ. Speaking of “where are the dead”. Christ resurrected and through him we are resurrected as well. To one side of the gulf or the other, we are all resurrected. Luke 16. Lazareth and the rich man.
1Cor.15:21] For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
[22] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
[23] But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
These first fruits are the Elect.
1Cor.15:24] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
Afterwards comes the millennium, and those that overcome have resurrected into life everlasting, but those that don’t overcome go into the lake of fire. Heb.12:29. Let’s go to Rev.21 and begin with verse 1.
Rev.21:1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
[2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
[3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
[4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
This is why I taught the three earth ages from the beginning. This earth age will end and the third and final will begin and it will be for eternity. Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 25 reads.
1Cor.15:25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Let’s read Psalms 110.
Psa.110:1] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
[2] The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
[3] Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
[4] The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
[5] The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
[6] He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
[7] He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 26 reads.
1Cor.15:26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
We’ve read it before, let’s do it again. Hebrews 2:14 reads.
Heb.2:14] Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Death is the devil, Satan. Back to 1Cor.15 and verse 27 reads.
1Cor.15:27] For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
Manifest is “made known.” That Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
1Cor.15:28] And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
That the full God Head is made known to all. When New Jerusalem comes down from him and with him out of heaven.
1Cor.15:29] Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
So many people confuse this verse for baptism of their dead relatives. You cannot baptize yourself for someone else. This is talking about “If you don’t believe that Jesus died and was risen”, then why are you baptized in His name.
1Cor.15:30] And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
You will be persecuted for your teachings.
1Cor.15:31] I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
[32] If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
Why would he do this if he didn’t believe in Life after death. I hope this message has come clearly into your knowledge given by Paul. He teaches profoundly and boldly. We will finish this chapter next time, let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible