April 17, 2016
Morning Service

I Cor. 15:1-30

 

            We are continuing our study on the second coming of Christ.  Last Sunday morning we were mostly in I Thess. Chapter 4.  This morning we will look at what the Apostle taught in I Cor. Chapter 15 concerning this subject, but to get there we must first go through Paul’s explanation of his gospel, and arguments for the resurrection.  The second coming is referred to in several of the N. T. letters one way or another, but none more explanatory than here in I Cor. 15. And I Thess. 4.

            As we have mentioned before, there are two more events that must happen before the coming of the Lord, and we see what they are in II Thess. Chapter 2.

·         2Th 2:1-4  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  (4)  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

So, Paul is telling the church in Thessalonica, and everyone else that Jesus will not come back until these things happen.  The falling away, the temple rebuilt, and the man of sin being revealed.  I believe the falling away has been happening since the 60’s.  People do not attend church like they used too.  They have fallen into an estate of apathy, and are so caught up in the materialistic things of this world, that they have fallen away from a close relationship with God.

The man of sin, there have been many, but the Lord hasn’t returned yet, so that tells me that the one spoken of by Paul has not yet been revealed.  Therefore the Lord will not return until he is revealed.  It appears that even the temple of God must be re-built also.  Of course it won’t take as long to build it, as it once did.  When they begin to build it, that will be the first thing we will notice.

            But this morning we want to look briefly at what Paul taught the Corinthians concerning the Lord’s second coming, which will be the time of the resurrection.  This can be a very long subject, but we will condense it, and trust that you will continue this study in your daily Bible studies.

 

Paul will first begin by declaring the gospel that Jesus gave him to preach, and teach.

1Co 15:1-8  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  (2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  (3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,

1.      how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  Isa.53; Psa.16:10;

2.     (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

3.     (5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 

4.     (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. 

5.     (7)  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 

6.     (8)  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.  Acts 9.

And that is the good news, or gospel, as the Apostle Paul taught it.

PAUL EXPLAINS HIS ZEAL FOR THE GOSPEL:

1Co 15:9-11  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  (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.  (11)  Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

 

 

 

SOME DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION:

1Co 15:12-18  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.  (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.  (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.

·         Everything depends on the resurrection.  Without it we have nothing.

CONFIRMING CHRIST’S RESURRECTION:

1Co 15:19-23  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.  (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.

·         If in this life only.  The Christian life is the best, most meaningful life anyone can have, but Paul says there is going to be more, and it gets better in the next life.

·         Then he speaks concerning why we die, and it was because of Adam’s transgression in the garden. Death passed unto all men, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  The first death is the wages of sin.  If Jesus tarries we will all taste of the first death, because we have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

·         But because of what Jesus has done for mankind, we will all be made alive in Christ.

·         But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, and then we that are His, at His coming.

THEN COMES THE END:

1Co 15:24-28  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he (Christ) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  (25)  For he (Christ) must reign, till he (Father) hath put all enemies under his (Christ) feet.  (26)  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  (27)  For he (Father) hath put all things under his (Christ) feet. But when he (Father) saith all things are put under him(Christ), it is manifest that he (Father) is excepted, which did put all things under him (Christ).  (28)  And when all things shall be subdued unto him (Christ), then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him (father) that put all things under him (Christ), that God may be all in all.

·         What I see happening is this;  when the above happens, all things subdued to Christ, Christ will turn the world over to the Spirit of Love, because we know that God is love.  It will be total bliss, and happiness.  I don’t know if God the Father, Who is the Spirit of Love, will manifest Himself in body or not.  I don’t know, Jesus may be all we see in the end, I don’t really know, but Christ will turn everything over into the hands, and be subject to the Father, which is the Spirit of Love.

ANOTHER ARGUMENT FOR THE RESURRECTION:

1Co 15:29-30  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? 

·         And this is what Paul taught concerning baptism.  Romans 6.  Our baptism is a type of D.B.R.

(30)  And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?         I’m paraphrasing.

·         He says, “and something else, if Christ has not risen why am I going through all this torment from the Jews.  I don’t need this hassle.  But I firmly believe, because I saw Him on the road to Damascus, that Christ has risen from the dead and will return for His people.”

            These writings of Paul, and the others, are to build our faith, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  While doing this, they reveal to us things that must take place before the Lord will return for His church.  It appears we must be looking for the rebuilding of the temple, and then the man of sin is to be revealed, then the Lord will come for His people.

            Peter when writing about the Lord’s second coming encouraged us like this:  2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOLY WORD.  HELP US TO STUDY, AND BE WHAT YOU WANT US TO BE.  AMEN.