1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (WEL) 3 For the first thing I passed on to you was what I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. 4 And that he was buried, then rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 5 And that he was seen by Cephas, then the twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, of whom the greater part remains to this present hour, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen by James, then by all the Apostles. 8 Last of all, he was seen by me also, as one born at the wrong time.
V3 For the first thing I passed on to you was what I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
Paul was given this information from our Lord Jesus and passes that information on to us. The first teaching is that Jesus died for our sins. This is the penal substitutionary atonement; Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 5:8, Galatians 3:13, and 1 Peter 2:24).
He is the substitution for our sins which was prophesied in the Old Testament. See Genesis 22, Isaiah 53:10-12 and Daniel 9:26.
There is no other salvation other than through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). We cannot work, do rituals, depend on religious leaders, etc. to apply salvation. The atonement lamb is our Lord Jesus and the condition is our faith, not the faith of another.
V4 And that he was buried, then rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
These are important teachings: Jesus’s physical death, burial, His physical, and bodily resurrection, which are also according to the Scriptures. See Psalm 16:10 and Isaiah 53:9-12.
If anyone claims to be a Christian and denies these, he is a liar, a heretic, and a fool.
V5 And that he was seen by Cephas, then the twelve.
These are some of the eye-witnesses. The 12 leaves Judas out for he killed himself. The 12th Apostle is Matthias (Acts 1:15-20).
V6 After that, he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, of whom the greater part remains to this present hour, but some have fallen asleep.
Who these are is not known. Perhaps, many of these are from the upper room mentioned in Acts 2:1.
V7 After that, he was seen by James, then by all the Apostles.
James refers to the half brother of our Lord Jesus—James. The Apostles testify about the bodily resurrection Lord Jesus multiple times; for example in John chapter 20.
V8 Last of all, he was seen by me also, as one born at the wrong time.
See Acts 9:4-7 and Acts 22:6-21.
These are eye-witnesses to Jesus’s resurrection. They have proven reliable from their lives and the great number of witnesses.
We learn:
• The importance of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
• The importance of believing this.
• The importance of being faithful to this.
• The Old Testament prophesied these events.
Questions:
• Do you believe these things?
• How has doing so helped you?