Sunday, December 14, 2012
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STUDIES IN 1 CORINTHIANS
The Gospel Preached
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Our next few lessons will be examining this chapter.
In our lesson today we are going to look at the gospel Paul
preached (and how the resurrection relates to that).
In our next lesson we will conduct an overview of the chapter.
This will be followed by a more detailed examination of the
points Paul is making as well as applicable lessons.
So let us begin the examination of this important subject.
a.
Throughout our study of
1 Corinthians we have examined the gospel Paul preached.
He was sent to preach this gospel (1 Cor. 1:17).
And he did so at great personal cost (1 Cor. 9:12-18).
1 Cor. 9:23 summarizes his attitude when he says, “Now
this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
b.
Paul was an apostle to
the Gentiles
– called “out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8)
Rom. 1:1 says that he was “separated unto the gospel of God”.
In Acts 9:15, where we read of his conversion, Ananias was told
to go to him, “For he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.”
In Acts 26:16-18, before Agrippa, he recalls how he was sent to
the Gentiles, “to open their eyes, in order to thurn them from darkness
to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by
faith in Me.”
c.
But the gospel he preached was the SAME gospel the other apostles preached.
He is clear that there is “one faith” (Eph. 4:4).
In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul says, “But
I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me
is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I
taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Then in Gal. 2:1-10 Paul
recounts going to Jerusalem and meeting with some of the original
apostles. In this account he
speaks of how they were in agreement with one another.
When Paul explained the message (salvation for all mankind – Eph.
3:3-7) he was preaching we read, “But
on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had
been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8
(for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the
circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and
when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the
grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right
hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the
circumcised.”
The difference was NOT the message, but the audience.
d.
And it is the same
gospel we must preach and live by. Rom. 1:16-17 – it is the power of God unto salvation.
Gal. 1:6-9 tells us there is no other gospel.
If one preaches something different, “let him be accursed.”
a.
Paul indicates that they
had received the gospel. It
indicates something that has been accepted.
In the book of 1 Corinthians Paul has addressed a number of
problems the brethren there faced.
The basis of his being able to address these issues was the fact
that they had received the gospel.
b.
By receiving the gospel
it means they had OBEYED the gospel!
In other words, they became Christians.
Early in our letter we find Paul discussing how he came to preach
the gospel. While he did not
personally baptize most of them (1:14-17), baptism WAS emphasized (cf.
Acts 18:8 – they were baptized based upon Paul’s teaching them.
c.
For the gospel to have
real impact in our lives, we must first
receive it.
Clearly it is not merely hearing the message, but ACCEPTING its
teachings. In other words we
must become a Christian.
That means having heard the word (receiving it), believing it, repenting
(Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38), confessing Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10) and being
baptized (Gal. 3:27, Acts 22:16, etc.)
d.
What these brethren had
“received” is summarized in vs. 3-4 which we will notice in a few
moments.
a.
The word stand is a word
that means, “to continue firmly or well-established in a particular
state – to firmly remain.” (L&N 13.29).
The word is found in 1 Cor. 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks
he stands take heed lest he fall”; 2 Cor. 1:24, “For by faith you
stand.” 2 Cor. 13:1, “By the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established.”
b.
It was with the gospel
that the Corinthians brethren were established.
As Paul was writing, his point was that the gospel was still
their hope.
c.
The gospel is capable of
sustaining us. It is not
intended to merely lead us to a one time act, but to keep us where we
need to be – pleasing to God.
The overwhelming majority of the New Testament is directed toward
Christians instructing us how to live.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 tells us it is able to make us complete.
1 Pet. 1:3 describes it as giving us “all
things that pertain to life and godliness.”
Eph. 2:10, “For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Eph. 6:11, 13 speaks of putting on the whole armor of God, “that you be
able to stand” and “having done all, to stand.”
This is the same word as our text.
a.
The ONLY hope that we
have of salvation is in keeping the gospel.
b.
Romans 1:16 – tells us
the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:18-24 –
recall how Paul had reminded these brethren
that while the message of the gospel is foolishness to those of
the world, to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
He further says, “it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save
those who believe.” (vs. 21)
c.
One might argue that it
is the blood of Jesus that saves us.
That is true, but HOW we come in contact with that blood is
revealed in the gospel (see
vs. 3-4 of our text). In
reality, we know there are many things involved in our salvation,
including God’s grace, our faith, obedience, etc.
Romans 10:17 tells us, “so then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.”
d.
Furthermore, we noted in
our last point that through the gospel we stand.
It instructs us not only about how to BE saved, but how to STAY
saved. I heard one time of a
little boy who was asked to describe what the Bible is.
He replied, “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.”
e.
When we speak of
obeying the gospel, we must realize that it encompasses so much more
than a single act which puts us into Christ.
Obeying the gospel is taking action to STAY saved!
It is a way of life.
In Philippians 2:12 Paul said, “Work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
a.
Paul concludes this
sentence by stating their need to hold fast to the word he had preached.
The word “hold fast” is a Greek word which means “to continue to
believe, with the implication of acting in accordance with such belief.”
(L&N 31.48) Vines says, “to
hold firmly”. The verb is in
the present tense which means continuing action.
b.
Here is one of the
multitudes of passages that warns us of the possibility of apostasy. We
CANNOT quit! It is not about
God’s sustaining power, but our faithfulness.
Paul has challenged these
brethren to remain faithful.
Of himself he said in 1 Cor. 9:27 that he disciplined his own body lest
when he had taught others he himself might be disqualified.
1 Cor. 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall.”
2 Pet. 2:20-22 tells it plainly.
Luke 9:62 says, “No one having put
his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
c.
Paul continues, “unless
you believed in vain.”
In that expression it is clear that Paul warns them of the danger of
their faith and salvation (previous phrase) found in the gospel being
rendered void.
The word “vain” means, “pertaining to being without any result.”
d.
What Paul is about to
tell these brethren is FOUNDATIONAL in the Christian’s life.
Paul is about to reveal to these brethren not only the
resurrection of Jesus, but mankind as well.
His implication in this verse is that a proper understanding of
the resurrection is KEY to our salvation.
To reject such a key concept is to reject he gospel itself.
e.
Friends, what we believe
IS important! And sometimes that belief involves a proper understanding
of key doctrinal issues. Not
just what is done but WHY it is done.
The religious world sometimes
rationalizes that it doesn’t matter what we believe, or they choose a
handful of fundamental elements and dismiss the rest as unnecessary to
salvation. Such are rooted
in statements like, “as long as we are sincere…” or “we are all going to
heaven, just by different paths…”, etc.
But the truth is, what we believe is important.
THAT is why doctrinal accuracy is a test of fellowship.
Recall what Paul said at the beginning of this letter in 1 Cor.
1:10, “Now I plead with you
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
NOTICE the degree of unity he calls for.
Phil. 2:1-2, “fulfill my joy by
being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind.” That is not
simply agreeing to disagree.
It is harmony of thought!
f.
There are doctrinal issues that must be adequately understood to be
considered acceptable.
For example: Baptism. We
teach that baptism is an act that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:27),
saves is (1 Pet. 3:20-21), removes our sins (Acts 2:38) and washes them
away (Acts 22:16). In other
words, until one is baptized, his sins are still there and thus he is
NOT saved!
The denominational world teaches that you are saved by faith only and
THEN you are baptized. NOW,
there are some churches of Christ that will accept ANY baptism as
grounds for fellowship, and even membership.
But the problem is that we have a fundamental disagreement on how
one is saved. The doctrinal views are NOT compatible with one another.
They CANNOT both be true!
g.
You CANNOT simply agree to
disagree on matters of such importance.
And that is what Paul was telling the brethren at Corinth
concerning the resurrection.
It was a matter of fellowship both with God and with one another!
h.
Consider Gal. 1:6-9
again, Paul spoke of a different gospel “which is not another.”
Why couldn’t Jews and Gentiles go their separate ways and both be
pleasing to God? One view
(or both) believed error!
That is why in Gal. 5:4, Paul said, “You
have become estranged form Christ, you who attempt to be justified by
law, you have fallen from grace.”
i.
This is why we take
doctrinal issues so seriously.
Moral differences matter!
What we believe and WHY we believe matters!
a.
Having said all these
things, Paul in brief summarizes the foundation of the gospel message.
b.
Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures, He was buried (which implies He was REALLY
dead), and He arose again the third day.
c.
The resurrection is KEY
to the gospel. The
resurrection of Jesus is the one doctrine that set “Christianity” apart
from every other world religion.
Muslims believe in Jesus but deny the resurrection.
Eastern religions, if they accept Jesus at all, believe He was
just a guru, Judaism denies His resurrection as does atheism, etc.
In virtually every sermon recorded in Acts, the resurrection of Jesus is
taught! Paul is about to
discuss the resurrection of Jesus and how it relates to our
resurrection.