1 Corinthians 15:3-7 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then 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 James, then to all the apostles.
Paul now lays out the simple gospel message that he preached (see also 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). This is the primary message he preached. He did not invent it but received it. In Galatians 1:15-16, he recounts how he got his gospel by direct revelation from Christ. This message is not fiction, fabricated, or invented. It is historical fact. The eye witnesses listened in vv. 5-7 prove its historicity. These verses reveal a simple catechism likely used in the early church that still serves as a good teaching tool for people today.
It is given in four parts. First, Christ died for our sins as Scripture has predicted. Jesus’ death upon the cross resolved the penalty of sin due us. God told Adam and Eve that they would die when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Death was experienced for them in many ways, including physical pain and suffering and spiritual separation from God. The penalty for sin is death. The Old Testament sacrificial system was a way to atone for sin so that people did not have to pay for the sin with their lives. Intead, an animal lost its life in a symbolic act of God’s grace. The Messiah came as an atoning sacrifice and paid the ultimate price for our sin that that we can be justified. Jesus’ death is the ultimate representation of God’s grace that forgives us of our past, purifies us for the present, and promises eternal life in the future.
Second, Christ was buried. This proved his humanity. As the book of Hebrews points out, Jesus became one with us in all ways, even to the point of suffering and dying as a human. His suffering was real. Even the Romans confirmed his death. He was put in a sealed tomb for three days. The Christian faith is built on a historical event. Jesus was not in a coma and unconscious. He was dead. The power of the message of the gospel rests upon this solid foundation.
Third, Christ rose as foretold in Scripture. This is the very power of the gospel. Jesus overcome our greatest enemies of sin and death. His resurrection proved the validity of his death. The early Christians believed the resurrection was foretold in the Scriptures. Paul does not say what Scriptures this might be. There is a possible allusion to Hosea 6:2. Other possible reference points could include as Exodus 19:11, 16; Genesis 22:4; 2 Kings 20:5, 8; Esther 5:1. The phrase “according to the Scriptures” may be in reference to the whole Christ event. In any case, Paul clearly sees this all as part of God’s big plan for the salvation of humanity, and the Corinthians are part of this.
Finally, Christ appeared to many people as proof of his resurrection. This was not an isolated event but widely known and witnessed. Paul is appealing to witnesses as external proof of what the Corinthians were told. Jesus appeared first to the “twelve,” although #12 Judas had hung himself. This statement would just be a round number for the group of apostles, which included more than just twelve men but many others including women. The book of Acts records 120 believers gathered in the upper room, so we know that there were many who believed. The idea of over 500 witnesses just adds further proof. “All the apostles” could include the many other earliest followers of Jesus, including such people as Barnabas and others called “apostles.” It is possible that the Corinthians had met some of these people over the years as many Christians migrated across the Roman Empire. Corinth was on a busy cross-roads for travel. The Corinthians need to realize that they are part of something bigger than Paul’s time there preaching and his few letters. This message is global and eternal.
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