1 Corinthians 15 (Installment ONE)

• Michael Miano

  said

  1 Corinthians 15 (Installment ONE)
  Sorry for the delay my friends, I have spent the last 2 days going through the entire book of 1 Corinthians, as well as re-examining my view to make sure it is what the Scriptures say (not a pressuposition that I would like it to). I sure hope that is our intention, search the Scriptures and study to show ourselves approved rightly diving the word of Truth, as we discuss the exegete of this chapter.
  Gleaning wisdom from the whole book is might be important to point out the context of the letter. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church because he has heard from some of Chloe’s household that there are divisions among the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). We see these divisions ranging from who was baptised by who, who men follow, and later in the chapter the freedoms we have in the gospel. The Gentiles within the Corinthian Church clearly felt they were more superior to their Jewish brethren because they did not feel bound by the Law, but Paul continues to remind the Corinthians Church that he himself, along with the other apostles, who are Jews are suffering for this gospel. The grace of God is vital here therefore no man can boast as to where he stands in regards to Christ. But oddly, the Gentiles begin to feel they are something special.
  With all the context in mind Paul begins to address his brothers in faith at Corinth by reminding them of the gospel, which they have recieved and have taken their stand (v.1). It is this gospel that they are saved by, if they hold firmly to it, otherwise they have believed in vain (v.2). What Paul has been told as the gospel he has passed on, that according to the Scriptures Christ died for our sins (v.4) as well as being buried and raised on the third day (v.5). Christ then appeared to Peter and then to the twelve (v.5). After that he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers, most of who are still living, but some have fallen asleep (v.6). Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles (v.7), and last he appeared to me, as one abnormally born (v.8).
  Since I persecuted the Church, I dare not to even be called an apostle and consider myself the least of the apostles (v.9). But it is by the grace of God that I am what I am, and his grace is not without effect. I have worked harder than the other apostles, but it is not I, but the grace of God (v.10). No matter who it was then, this is the gospel that we preach and what you have believed (v.11).
  But, if we have preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead (v.12).
  At this point there really wasn’t much exegetical study to do besides context. I imagine we are all in agreement that Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church because he has heard of the divisions going on there and wants to encourage aswell as strengthen the Believers there. In doing so, he has addressed the divisions, be they who people are subscribing their “followership to”, the freedom of the gospel, removing the insistent sinner from among them, etc. And now Paul has gone on to remind the Corinthians of the gospel which the apostles are preaching. I end where I do for this installment to make sure my post doesn’t drag on forever and to illustrate the context by which we enter this next part.
  There is clearly misunderstanding going on in these Believers minds. They believe in the gospel, they stand firm in it, yet they are misunderstanding the ressurection of the dead. This what Paul is about to address in this next part.
  tata for now, :)
  Blessings in Christ,
  Michael Miano

• Greg Kiser

  said

  “At this point there really wasn’t much exegetical study to do besides context.”

  Except one thing, Michael, that I can see. Paul considers himself to have seen Christ in the same manner in which the others saw him; yet Paul saw Jesus post-ascension. This is pointed to me simply because I used to be an FP and argue that at the ascension Jesus put off His physical resurrected body (which was physical only for the purpose of a sign to that generation) and put on his “divine-only” (spiritual) body (i.e. technically no longer a glorified man). Getting rid of the physical resurrection body of Christ is one of the necessary bottom lines of FP simply because it must be maintained Jesus came in AD70 in some way that WASN’T physical. He must come in some permanent spiritual way that He was not here in AD30-70.

  How do you deal with that, Michael? And maybe this is not what you and the others want to delve into at this point, but I don’t think we should ignore Paul’s post-ascension “and last He appeared to me” equated with His appearing to Peter, the 12 and more than 500 (all pre-ascension) right off the bat.

• Samuel Frost

  said

  Michael, you wrote, “There is clearly misunderstanding going on in these Believers minds. They believe in the gospel, they stand firm in it, yet they are misunderstanding the ressurection of the dead.” This is not necessarily the case. First, “some among you” (or, Greek, “some among you” “some in you”) should not be at all translated “some OF you” (the case is not genitive, but locative, “in” or “among”). This separates the “them” from “you”. In the first 11 verses we have “you – you believers” and then, in verse 12, “how can some AMONG you say…”).

  Second, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for SOME have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to YOUR shame.” Here, the same “some”/”you” exists. The “some” have not God’s knowledge. “Bad company corrupts good character”, and this appears to be the problem with the believing Corithians. Bad, God-ignorant folks had infiltrated their congregations.

  Third, “SOMEone may ask, How does God raise the dead? In what kind of body do they come [out of the ground]?” And Paul’s answer: “Fool!” Strong word. Same one found in Psalm 14.1: A FOOL says in his heart, there is no God.” Ignorant of God. Doubters of God. Hardly desciptive of believers who have “heard”, “stand” and are “being saved” by what Paul preached. What this appears to suggest is that “some” (most like Greeks) came into their midst offering their own spin on the “gospel” with mysticism and proto-gnostic, and/or neoPlatonic ideas (which we KNOW were current in that city at that time). They laughed at the idea of resurrection bodies. Quite simply, they were unbelievers, ignorant of God, and “fools”. It is very, very hard to imagine that Paul called believers “fools”. Rather, it was to the believers in Corinth “shame” that “some were ignorant of God” and were tolerated (they had a knack for tolerating a lot of stuff Paul addressed!). “I speak this to YOUR (you believers) shame.”

• Samuel Frost

  said

  Greg, that is an excellent point, and one that I had not seen while a FP. But, quite correctly, the “mark” of the Apostle is one who had “seen” Jesus as the others. Paul claimed this very mark. He had “seen” Jesus in “appearance” exactly as the Apostles did in his post resurrection appearances. In setting up this fact, clearlly Jesus “died” and “rose from the dead” in the self-same body and “appeared” in his resurrection body to the witnesses, and lastly “appeared” in the same manner to Paul: bodily. Jesus was raised BODILY. “How, then, can it be at all suggested, in light of this (vv.1-11) that SOME among you are actually saying, “there is NO resurrection of dead people, when, in fact, I SAW him, and they SAW him? That’s the force of the question, and the reason for the opening eleven verses – to show solidarity with Paul’s gospel with their gospel (the witnesses and other Apostles) and the gospel that “you believe” (you Corinthians). Therefore, HOW (not “why”), HOW IN THE WORLD can some who have come in among you actually say, and how can you tolerate them saying it, that there is no resurrection of dead people?

• pault

  said

  Greg, Sam,

  Exactly, I think that is what they call the “kerygma”. The man Jesus of Nazareth died, was buried and came back to life inclusive of His body, never to die again. Paul claims he appeared to him just like He did to Thomas. Given Mike offered no exegetical argument that the text would indicate otherwise, it appears he will be hard pressed to build a case the resurrection of the dead isn’t about bringing dead people inclusive of their bodies back to life, just like what happened with Jesus of Nazareth.

  God Bless,

• dabridge

  said

  Well Said Fellas, the context is very clear…

• Ken Palmer

  said

  Michael,

  How do you reply to 1 Cor 15:19? How does this tie into your knowledge of this chapter, let alone doctrine?

• Michael Miano

  said

  Ok, well first to respond to Greg Kiser and Sam Frost as to the appearing of Christ in the same manner to Paul as the other apostles. Let’s take a look at the Scriptural accounts of Paul explaining the appearance of Christ.

  Acts 9 : “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”. “Who are you, Lord” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom who are persecuting” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do”. The men travelling with Paul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing”.

  Acts 22: “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, “Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?”. Who are you, Lord?” I asked. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. “What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “Get up”, the Lord said, “and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you are assigned to do”. My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me”.

  Acts 26: “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads”. Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’, the Lord replied. “Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so they may recieve forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are santified by faith in me. So then, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven”.

  For more reference look to Paul explaining this revelation from Jesus Christ which also sounds alot like John’s Revelation (see, Revelation chapter 1).

  From the Scriptures it seems that Paul had been blinded by a light and fell to the ground with his eyes shut and heard a voice that no one around him could understand. I don’t find this to be appearing of the Lord that happen post-ressurection to the other Apostles. Therefore, I think it is safe to conclude that “in the same manner” would be a sending appearence, meaning that the Lord had placed a commission of the Apostle Paul just as He did to the other Apostles. No where do I find the need to explain the things you are asking, atleast not in the Scriptures. Could this be your pressupposition that you are forcing on the text?

  As far as Greg’s contentions with Full Preterism and the need for Christ to shed His physical body in order to make the “2nd coming of Jesus Christ” a spiritual one, I don’t see the need for this. We clearly see the “coming of the Lord” through the Scriptures, and therefore find no other need to explain that it was judgement, which is exactly what the Scriptures relate this to being.

• Ken Palmer

  said

  Michael,

  The gentlemen here are talking about 1 Cor 15:5-8. Not Acts.

• Michael Miano

  said

  Now, Sam, some of you or some among you doesn’t make much of the difference. Why did the apostle Paul just begin to remind the Corinthians of the gospel? The way you seem to be approaching the text beginning at verse 12 is that Paul has just reminded them of the gospel for no apparent reason. It is clear that he has began to remind them of the gospel because there is division among them and clearly confusion, whether it is the Believers among them or the unbelievers. Dare I say that him reminding the unbelievers of the gospel wouldn’t make much sense, plus in verse 14 he explains that if this is not so they “your faith is in vain” which wouldn’t matter to an unbeliever. Either way, this topic of ressurection is about to be explained to the receipients of this letter- the Believers in the Corinthian Church.

  As far as “fool” not being a term that would be spoken of Believers, come on now. Let’s be honest here, Jesus calls Peter Satan. It’s clearly the use of “colorful words” to drive an important point home. I hope we all see the ressurection of the dead as important, yet I know many are in the habit of saying those that hold an FP view “do not believe in the ressurection of the dead” (to this I must laugh).

  Either way, if you wan’t it to be the unbelievers among the Corinthian church to be those who would be discounting the ressurection of the dead of for it to be the Believers not understanding the ressurection (which to me couldn’t be clearing in this text since the Believers are those who “believed”, have “faith”, care about “according to the Scriptures), it doesn’t change the importane of understanding the ressurection of the dead.

  In my next installment I will explain, or exegete, why the ressurection of the dead was so important. What I do not see the need for here is that the physical ressurection of Christ body being a truth demonstration of the ressurection. Rather what we do see, is that according to the Scriptures Christ died, was buried, and ressurected and was seen by all those listen in 1 Cor. 15:5-8, and this is the basis for Christ being ressurected and therefore if this is true, there must be a ressurection of the dead. Still find no pressing issue of the physical nature. Yes, Christ was physically ressurected as a sign for that generation (sign of Jonah), therefore there must be a ressurection of the dead (Israel), which leads to the salvation of those who have fallen asleep in Christ. :) Yes, just a taste to get you hungry for more exegetical study.
  Blessings in Christ. Search the Scriptures.

  P.S.- as not to avoid Paul T’s response:
  ” Paul claims he appeared to him just like He did to Thomas. Given Mike offered no exegetical argument that the text would indicate otherwise, it appears he will be hard pressed to build a case the resurrection of the dead isn’t about bringing dead people inclusive of their bodies back to life, just like what happened with Jesus of Nazareth”
  I would love to see you demonstrate that through the text, yet what I will advise you to do is read the verses I posted above and tell me how “just like He did to Thomas” sounds like what Paul said about his revelation of Jesus Christ. I don’t need to have an exegetical arguement because it’s simply not there, just as this ressurection of dead bodies isn’t there either. Talk about imposing on the text, yikes!

• Michael Miano

  said

  And Ken Palmer, as far as 1 Corinthians 15:19, yes we will deal with that exegetically as well. If you look to the top and actually read what I posted I explained why this is “Installment ONE”. Also, concerning these gentleman refer to 1 Corinthians 15, granted I should know that since I posted the exegete above, correct? I am simply pointing out where Paul explains the story of how Christ appeared to him, as in 1 Corinthians 15:8, Paul says:
  “and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born”. I would imagine Paul is speaking about Christ’s appearance in Acts, right?

• Robert Thaggard

  said

  Michael Miano, Is it not exceedingly obvious that Jesus was “Seen” by hundreds according to 1Cor 15:5-8 ? Now if we know that he was “Seen” as in the physical a physical being? Then why at his return have we not physically seen people come out of there graves being resurrected? Or do we no longer believe that with his return comes resurrection a physical resurrection that is “seen“ Just as Christ was?
  1Cor 15:21For 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.
  When where they “Seen” as well Michael when?
  1Cor 15:29Else 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?
  30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
  31I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

• pault

  said

  Mike,

  You provided this quote of mine, “Paul claims he appeared to him just like He did to Thomas.” And then you asked, “I would love to see you demonstrate that through the text,”

  The text explicitly states, “…he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” Do you agree the “he” is Jesus of Nazareth? I’ll assume you agree Thomas was an apostle, which means Paul’s direct testimony is that he, that be Jesus of Nazareth appeared to him as he did Thomas because within Paul’s testimony is the phrase, “all the apostles”.

  Or, are you claiming Paul told a fib? Do you have any first hand testimony from Paul that he saw Christ in a vision, or that Christ Jesus was no longer a man but “light”? Do you have anything from Paul’s own writings on the matter to corroborate your view of the events? Providing Luke’s account of what Paul saw isn’t very productive, especially given Paul states he saw “HIM”, (1 Cor 9:1) and as pointed out equates His appearance to him as the same as Thomas, (1 Cor 15:8).

  Mike, tell me you have more than this, to call into question the Apostle Paul’s own, direct testimony as to what it is he saw. You do understand, don’t you Paul wrote, “Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” Col 2:8,9. Now tell me how it is if as Luke’s accounts indicate all Paul saw was “light” did Paul know Christ Jesus still had His body?

  BTW, how is it “imposing” on the text to take Paul’s statement at face value? Paul claims He appeared to him just as He did the other apostles. How is it imposing on the text to understand that to mean when He appeared to Paul He did just as He did with Thomas? That is, after all what the text explicitly states.

• Ken Palmer

  said

  Michael, against the backdrop of the doctrine to the resurrection of the dead in 1st Corinthians 15, there is no other way to exegete 1 Cor 15:19 other than the allusion of an afterlife. No other….so I don’t know how much you can exegete that statement against the consistency and train of thought Paul is using in this chapter. Christ is risen from the dead. Witnesses see him. So do the apostles. Paul sees him after he is ascended. He is the same man, and God. He stands in jeopardy of “his life” every hour. He dies daily for this. His hope is in the afterlife. Death is dealt the final blow. Bodies are raised, as Christ’s. There is no other logical sequence to it, unless, you begin to redefine these concepts, as did the gnostics did, and many still do, even though they affirm the flesh resurrection, but then divorce its ontological pattern, for the saints…ie. Matthew 27, and those who have fallen asleep, “who” already saw Him resurrected…..there is no other way around this. I am interested how you are going to deflect stoicism from your “doctrine.”

• pault

  said

  Mike,

  I’ve written something that goes into a bit more depth on the two accounts of Paul’s encounter, Luke’s as depicted in Acts and Paul’s direct attestation. Here you go, http://www.preteristblog.com/?p=5604