Bible Study - 03/25/20

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

This 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians is the most extensive treatment of resurrection in the entire bible . This includes the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as that future resurrection of all believers.

In verse 1, the great apostle to the gentiles makes it clear that he is preaching the gospel.

What is the gospel? The gospel is the "good news" that may be summarized in just a few brief sentences:

1) Jesus Christ was crucified as the "Nevi'im Ivri'im" (Hebrew prophets) had predicted. Of course I wish I had the Hebrew alphabet characters on my computer, so I could write that phrase in Hebrew for you

2) Jesus Christ was buried as the prophets had said

3) Jesus Christ was resurrected according to the prophets

4) Jesus Christ lived, died and was resurrected for the singular purpose of forgiving the sins of all who would believe

5) Jesus Christ will someday call all believers, living and dead, to live with Him forever

Note, that Paul states that the gospel is beneficial only when it is embraced. It is noteworthy that despite the heathen background of the Corinthians, they accepted and believed the gospel - Thank God!

Verse 2:

It is likely that there were people in Corinth who were attempting to discourage the new Christian church members from Paul's teaching on Christ. He therefore advised the new believers to 'hold fast' the word they had received. Obviously, some had only a shallow, non-saving faith . They were convinced that the gospel is true, but did not hold fast to that conviction.

In verses 3 and 4, Paul explains that the gospel message is not a figment of his own imagination, it's not his opinion or anyone else's opinion, but that it was given to him by none other than Jesus. It is about real historical events.

The 5th through the 8th verse establishes the 'visible' proof of the resurrection. Many are recorded as having seen the risen Christ. He appeared to Cephas ( Peter), then to the other disciples and finally to a group of more than five hundred. Jesus had indeed been resurrected!

If the cross is the payment for our sins, the empty tomb is the receipt showing that the payment was perfect and perfectly transacted.

The apostle Paul says in 1st Corinthians 1:23, "We preach Christ crucified...." and his first century readers fully understood what he meant by the word "Crucified." Two thousand years later, it's difficult for us to understand what it means, so let me here share with you a brief description of a typical Roman crucifixion:

When a man was condemned to crucifixion by Rome, his back was first torn open by scourging. Scourging was done using a leather strap with several attachments. Pieces of sharpened bone and metal were sewn onto these attachments. Flesh was literally torn off the victim's back. The legal limit was forty lashes, but victims would receive thirty-nine to ensure that Roman law was not broken. Clotting blood was ripped open again when clothes were torn off. Then the naked victim would be thrown on the ground to be nailed and dirt would contaminate his wounds. Those wounds would be aggravated as the victim hung on the cross. The nails driven through the wrists would sever the large median nerve causing excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms as the victim's hands would freeze into a claw-like grip. The hanging body fixed the respiratory muscles into an inhalation state. Exhalation was severely hindered, causing intense muscle cramps which in turn seriously affected breathing. In order to catch a breath, the victim would have to push down on his nailed feet and flex his elbows, thereby pulling on the nails through the wrists. This process scraped the open wounds on his back on the rough wood of the cross.

As the victim would be left to die on the cross, insects would burrow into the open wounds, eyes, ears and nose. Birds would feast on the dying victim and eventual death would result from one or more of the following.

1) Acute shock from blood loss

2) Being too exhausted to breath any longer

3) Dehydration

4) Stress-induced heart attack

5) Congestive heart failure

If the victim was taking too long to die, his legs would be broken in order to inhibit his ability to breath. Jesus would not survive the cross for more than a few hours and so there was no need to break His legs.

Of course, I know that everyone reading this description would be saddened to learn what our beloved Lord suffered on our behalf, but save your pity for those who reject the FINISHED work of Christ on the cross. Do you think that Jesus endured such humiliation and suffering just so we can say He failed to complete His mission and our salvation

requires our own efforts for completion? What a gross misunderstanding some (including some Christians) have about the cross. Anyone who shares the concept of the cross being insufficient for our salvation, clearly does not understand the cross. May God open their eyes to the truth of the crucifixion!

At some point before Jesus died, He said "It is finished." God the Father laid upon God the Son all the wrath our sins deserve. As horrible as the crucifixion was, our Lord's greatest suffering was spiritual - carrying the world's sin in a perfectly holy and blameless body.. This was the "cup" He talked about. The cup of God's righteous judgement that our Lord prayed about in the garden of Gethsemane. While Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins, He never was, nor ever became a sinner. I will develop the teaching on the Gethsemane prayer at some later date, if the Lord allows.

Next week, we'll look at a few more verses in our study.

We are so grateful that the Lord provided us with this media through which we can continue our online church. Thanks as well to sister Faith for designing our website, and agreeing to edit and publish its contents as she sees fit.

Please continue to be safe, follow the advice from our health care providers and stay in prayer. As far as the current crisis goes: This too will pass, b' ratzon HaShem (If God wills it) Amen.

Pastor Chandroo