The Resurrection of Christ

1 Corinthians 15

1 Co 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Paul wrote about the importance of the resurrection of Christ and what it meant to believers. Here is a quick summary of chapter 15:

3-4 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

This is of first importance and is a basis for the rest of the chapter. Some people of Paul's time did not even believe in resurrection. So Paul gives evidence and reasoning for believing:

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

Why believe in Christ if you do not believe in resurrection? And if the resurrection did not occur, then Paul says we are then found to be false witnesses about God.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead

And Paul has already provided the evidence by naming names of witnesses and mentioning that more than 500 had seen him, and many were still alive. So even a doubter could ask some of these people if Jesus's resurrection were true, and they could say 'yes'.

32 If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Paul is saying that if we do not believe in Christ, this is how we should live. (This brings up a question: should we condemn non-believers that live this way?)

"Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.