01

I Corinthians

Chapter 15
{SideNote: Plato taught that the body was evil. In death, you disposed your evil body and your spirit went on. The Greeks detested the concept of the resurrected body. Paul had to correct them on this concept. When you accept Christ, you get the WHOLE package whether you like it or not! You get it! And you can not lose it!}

1~~ Moreover, brethren,
I made known to you the gospel/'good news' . . .
which I preached unto you - to your advantage -
which also you have received straight from me,
and wherein you stand in the past and you keep on standing forever!

{Note: Preaching is conversation. Prophesizing at this time was public teaching.}

2~~ Through which {gospel} you received salvation . . .
by which word, I preached unto you . . .
if you hold fast the norm . . .
or let us assume {to prove it false} . . .
you have believed for no purpose.

{Note: Paul is starting to use the "debater's technique" - to assume a falsehood is true to prove it false.}

3~~ For I communicated from my own frontal lob to you
that which I also received from the ultimate source of God . . .
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

4~~ And that He was buried,
and that He rose again the third day
- with the result that He stands risen forever -
according to the scriptures.

5~~ And that He was seen of Cephas {Peter}, then of the twelve.

{Note: This was a nickname for the 12 disciples. It refers to the 5th appearance to the disciples though there were actually only 10 'of the twelve' . . . that saw Christ here (not Judas and Thomas). Paul is listing the people who saw Christ who's sighting really illustrates the Grace of God.}

6~~ After that,
He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once.
Of whom the greater part remain
unto this present {are still alive at the time Paul writes},
but some are fallen asleep.

{Note: This is ' Christian Death' - the body sleeps until it is resurrected - the soul and spirit do not sleep. Paul is saying to the Corinthians, "If you do not believe in the resurrection, check with these people. They can tell you!"}

7~~ After that, he was seen of James. Then of all the Apostles.

{Note: James was the half-brother of Jesus. James was an unbeliever until after the resurrection of Christ. Then he became the leader of the Church in Jerusalem and the writer of the book of James.}

8~~ And last of all, He was seen of me also . . . as 'The Abortion'.

{Note: Saul was the worst sinner of all time and through the Grace of God became Paul, who was one of . . . if not THE . . . greatest believer of all time. Born again but a 'real abortion' before salvation. Paul was VERY MORAL . . . VERY LEGALISTIC. HE MURDERED CHRISTIANS.}

9~~ For I {Paul} am the least of the Apostles,
that am not qualified to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.

{Note: Paul actually means 'little'. He was called to be an Apostle, but did not earn or deserve it. It was by the Grace of God. Paul IS an Apostle, and certainly is not the least by any means - he cranked up the church and carried the most authority! In fact, later we learn that Paul accomplished more than all the other Apostles combined.}

10~~ By the grace of God I am what I am {Paul says}.
And, His grace . . . upon me . . . was not useless,
but I labored more abundantly than they all.
YET, not I, but the grace of God which . . . {is} with me!

{Note: Paul says here he did something with the Spiritual Gifts he was given. And, he was not boasting here, just stating the facts! He worked harder than the other Apostles combined. But everything Paul did was through Agape love . . . under the filling of the Holy Spirit. By reflecting the thinking of Christ, the Glory is the Lords!}

11~~ Therefore whether I . . .
or they {the others who saw the resurrected Christ} . . .
so we keep on preaching/communicating . . .
and so you at some point believed.

12~~ Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead
- and He is raised -
how come some of you {believers}
say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

{Paul is using the Debaters 1st class condition to show the Corinthians that resurrection is and will be for us a bodily resurrection}
13~~But, let us assume
that there is no resurrection of the dead {to prove it wrong},
then it is logical to conclude that Christ is not risen.

14~~ And, if we assume that Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching useless/'in vain'/'without value'?
And, then is not your faith also useless/'in vain'/'without value'?

15~~ Yes, and we are found liars {false witnesses} of God . . . because we have testified concerning God
that He raised up Christ . . . Whom He raised not up,
let us assume so,
if it be that the dead rise not.

{Assumption Repeated}
16~~ For if we assume that the dead rise not,
then is it not a logical conclusion that Christ was not raised?

17~~ And, if Christ be not raised, your faith is void of truth . . .
we must conclude you are yet in your sins
  {pre-salvation sins forgiven at salvation}.

{Note: This means that you are still unsaved if faith in Christ is void of truth.}

18~~ Then they also which are fallen asleep . . .
in Christ are perished.

{Note: RBT says 'perished' here means 'in the status of judgement from the ultimate source of God'.}

19~~ Let us assume that in this life only . . .
we have hope/'absolute confidence' - in Christ -
we are of all men most miserable.

{Note: If Christ's resurrection is false, then another consequence for us is misery! All our faith is void and meaningless - God forbid!}

{End of debater's 1st class condition - going back to the Reality}
20~~ But now . . . Christ is risen from the dead
- in the past with results that go on forever -
and,  become the first fruits of them that slept.

{Note: In Leviticus 23 9-14 is the feast of first fruits. This supposedly guaranteed a good harvest. By analogy this means Christ is the guarantee of resurrection for all Christians . . . those dead (sleeping) or alive at the Rapture.}

21~~ For through man . . . death,
through Man also . . . resurrection of the dead.

{Note: This is a Shout in Greek syntax. Spiritual death came through the1st Adam. And resurrection from the dead is through the 2nd Adam - Christ.}

22~~ For, as in Adam
all die {spiritual death because of Adam's cognizant sin},
so also in Christ all shall be made alive {resurrection body}.

{First Phase of Operation Footstool}
23~~ But every man in his own battalion.
Christ the first fruits {Alpha Company}.
Afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.

{Note: At the rapture of the church, the Body of Christ becomes 'B company' and we receive our resurrected bodies next.}

{Last phase of operation footstool}
24~~ Then . . . the end {of the tribulation}.
When He shall have given from the immediate source
the kingdom to God . . . even the Father.
When {amplification} He shall have put down
all rule {Satan as the ruler of the world}
and all authority {delegated authority - Satan's lieutenants}
and all power {demon power - all demons are removed off earth}.

{Millennial reign of Christ. Perfect environment on earth 1000 years}
25~~ For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet.

26~~ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

{Note: The last enemy of Christ is death itself. And death is eliminated/defeated at the end of the Angelic conflict.}

{Triumph of God}
27~~ For He {God the Father}
has subjected all things under His {Jesus Christ} feet.
But when He said {Psalm 8:6},
"All things are put under Him {Christ},
it is manifest that He {God the Father} . . .
obviously the exception . . .
Who did put all things under Him {Christ}.

{Note: All is put under the authority of Christ except for God the Father Himself. See also Psalm 110:1 for 'operation footstool' and the Angelic Conflict ending.}

28~~ And when all things shall be subdued unto Him {Christ},
then shall the Son also, Himself {voluntarily does the action},
be subordinated unto Him {God the Father}
that put all things under Him {Christ},
that God is all in all {Greek idiom - means complete domination}.

{Paul using the logical approach concerning the truth of resurrected bodies}
29~~ Since what shall they do who are baptized
in place of the dead?
If we assume the dead rise not at all,
then why are they then baptized in place of the dead?

{Note: Baptism is identification with Christ in His resurrection - retroactive and current positional truth. This means the ritual of baptism has gone on from one generation of living replacing the past generations of the Christians that went before them and died (their bodies sleep - their soul goes into the presence of the Lord). Why then the perpetuation of the ritual of baptism? Many customs die out from generation to generation, why does baptism last?}

30~~ And, why do we keep on standing in jeopardy every hour?

{Note: This is religious persecution was horrible at the time Paul wrote.}

31~~ I solemnly swear by your boasting,
which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,
I die daily. {idiom means to face the peril of death daily}

{Note: To swear by their boasting is a classical Greek idiom - they were mouthing off about no resurrected bodies in eternity.}

32~~ If we assume, after the manner of men,
I have fought with beasts at Ephesus {in the coliseum},
what profit is it to me, if the dead rise not?
Let us eat and drink . . . for tomorrow we die.

{Note: Paul again is using the debater's first class condition. This is an illustration of dangers that are facing the Christians of the day. And if there is no resurrection, then why subject ourselves to danger? Live it up!}

{Evil influences Versus Bible Doctrine - in this case still taking about resurrection}
33-34~~ Stop being deceived!
Evil friends corrupt good usage
  {application of Doctrine to experience}. 34~~
Sober up to righteousness
  {recover from inebriation - analogy to ignorance of doctrine},
and, sin not {use rebound}.
For some {the evil companions who will not accept doctrine}
have not the knowledge of God {synonym for Bible Doctrine}.
I speak this to your shame
  {that you have not broken off from them}.

{Questions concerning the resurrection}
35~~ But some people will say,
"How are the dead raised up?"
And, " With what body do they come?" 36~~
You . . . stupid!
That which you sow is not made alive except it die.

{Note: This is an agricultural society and it was well known that a seed 'dies' before it sprouts into a plant. This answers the first question in verse 35.}

{Verse 35 question 2's answer - 37-49}
{Illustrations describing what our resurrected body will be like 37-41}
37~~ And that which you sow,
you sow not that body that shall be,
but bare grain . . .
it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain.

{Note: If you look at a naked seed, you can not tell what plant will actually grow from that seed.}

38~~ But God gives it a body as it has pleased Him,
and to every seed its own body.

39~~All flesh is not the same flesh.
But there is one kind of flesh of men,
another flesh of beasts,
another of fishes, and
another of birds.

Continued

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