1 Corinthians Chapter 15 Breakdown

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Right at the end of chapter 14, Paul ended by saying he preaches the commands of God, and then he starts up this portion of the letter by saying he preaches a gospel in which the Corinthian’s are saved so long as they hold fast to, or keep the word which Paul has preached. If they do not do this, their belief was futile. Now, the works of the law are not what saves men, Paul makes this absolutely clear. The gospel then is not simply the law of God, but it does seem linked. We know we are saved by Grace through faith. We know Grace is obtaining undeserved forgiveness. We also know this forgiveness is a redeeming matter, and we read continuously about coming back to the Father. To come back to the Father means we would have had to have been with Him at some point before. We also know that without Grace, gentiles would not have had the opportunity to come to the Father. But, this is not the case in the Old Testament. Those outside of Israel could very well choose to come to YHWH without the need of a Savior. So, who then are these people in Corinth, if not simply regular gentiles?

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

Isaiah 53:5-6, 9

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Hosea 6:1-2

Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.

Isaiah 26:19

Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

It is commonly understood Psalm 22 is referring to Yeshua considering there are so many parallels between the two. So I would suggest reading it along with the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Next, Paul mentions “according to the Scriptures” a few times. So I pulled a couple of the passages he was referring to. One thing we should really understand is the entire book of Hosea is a reference to the House of Israel, which is the Northern Kingdom of Israel who had been divorced by YHWH, then taken captive by Assyria, and ultimately dispersed among all the gentile nations and assimilating into their cultures and religions making them gentiles. That being said, we can correctly assume, when Paul quotes from Hosea, this is who he is referring to. These people never returned to the land of Israel. The Southern Kingdom, the House of Judah and known as Jews today, were also taken captive, but by Babylon, and they did return to the land.

Paul is equating the Gospel here with the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua. The term gospel just means “good news”. However, we also know that the “same gospel” was taught to those who were just coming out of Egypt. So, we know it cannot simply be the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.

6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

500 believers saw Christ at one time after He did raise from the dead, and most of those people were still alive at the time Paul wrote this letter. However, some had died.

7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

James saw Jesus after the 500, then the rest of the apostles saw Him after His resurrection.

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

The last person to see Jesus was Paul, who was born into Christianity after the death of Yeshua.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Paul claims to be the least of the apostles and not worthy of even being called an apostle. His reason being his persecution of the church. Paul had a hand in killing many of the believers, including Stephen, before he became a believer himself.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

It was God’s grace that made Paul who he is at this point. Paul does not want that grace to be in vain, so he has put in the work, more than the rest of the apostles, because he had the grace of YHWH within him.

11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Either way, you believed because the apostles preached.

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Matthew 27:51-53

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Apparently there were some in Corinth who were preaching there was no resurrection. But, Paul and the apostles all have made this point while preaching. We can see from the gospel of Matthew that there was a resurrection of the saints who had already died up to the time of Christ’s death.

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

The resurrection happened, because if it did not, then Christ Himself would not have raised.

14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Without Christ being raised from the dead, the preaching of the apostles would hold no weight and be empty speech. Christ’s raising from the dead is extremely important to the salvation of the gentiles. Ask yourself why that is.

15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.

If that were the case, Paul and the apostles would and should be considered false witnesses of God.

16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

He repeats, if the dead did not come out of their graves, Christ would not have risen.

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

If it weren’t for Christ being risen, the gentiles would still be baring their own sin.

18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Those who died while believing in Christ would simply have perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

Believers who only have hope in Christ and not His raising from the dead are most pitiable.

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

However, Christ did rise and is the firstfruits of everyone who has died.

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Adam brought death into this world, and Yeshua brought resurrection from death.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Because of Adam all men will die. But, because of Yeshua, all believers will be resurrected.

23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

The order is this, Christ with the first fruits, then at the second coming, everyone else who belong to Him.

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

After this raising come the end and He delivers the world over to the Father. Christ will end the power Satan has on this world.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

He will reign until all His enemies are a footstool to Him.

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

Death will be destroyed last. This is very interesting because it means during the reign of Christ, death of men will still be happening.

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

Psalm 8:6

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet

We can see Yeshua is excepted by YHWH because YHWH put all things under Him.

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Psalm 110:1-2

The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Not all things are made subject to Yeshua as of yet, although they will be. Once all the enemies are gone, Christ hands everything back over to the Father.

29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?

Why do those who teach the dead will not rise baptize themselves for the dead? If they are not going to rise, there is no reason for this practice.

30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?

If there is no resurrection, why do the believers stand in jeopardy constantly?

31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Paul says he can attest to his dying daily. Those who Paul has helped bring to Jesus is his boast.

32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Isaiah 22:13

But instead, joy and gladness Slaying oxen and killing sheep Eating meat and drinking wine “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Psalm 22:12-13

Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

Paul refers to fighting against animals, similarly to the opponents of God we see in the Old Testament. What we can take away from this is Paul is fighting against the opponents of God. Those who choose not to follow YHWH and His Christ. If the dead are not going to rise again, why go through all this trouble, instead Paul mocks, and quotes the sinners phrase, let us eat and drink today because we will die tomorrow.

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Proverbs 13:20

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Paul says we should not be deceived and not to associate with men who are evil and do not believe the words of God.

34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

We can see here Paul equates righteousness with not sinning. Then he says some people do not have the knowledge of God, and that is shameful. So, what is the Knowledge of God?

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Malachi 2:7

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

It seems clear Knowledge of God is knowing the Law of God. Rejecting his law is what caused Israel (the whole book of Hosea is centered on the House of Israel) to be divorced and scattered.

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”

Now Paul is going into some of the questions the Corinthians may have about the resurrection. They may ask how and what body they would have.

36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.

John 12:24

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Paul says these men are foolish, they must die in order to bring forth life.

37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.

We do not need to worry about the body that comes up. We just worry about the seed to plant. God is the one who creates the body. Just like planting wheat, when planting the seed, God causes the stalk to grow, the stalk is the plants body. This is precisely what happens with our spiritual body.

38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

It is God who gives the seed a body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

Not all flesh is equal. Men, animals, fish, birds all have flesh, but it isn’t the same flesh.

40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There are bodies for heaven just as there are bodies for earth. The heavenly body has its own glory and the earthly body has its own as well.

41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

There are even differences between the glories among the heavenly bodies.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

Similarly, a human body is sown with corruption but then raised by God with no corruption.

43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

The human body is dishonored but raised in glory, it is weak but raised in power.

44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The human body is natural, but raised spiritual. There are two types of bodies, the natural and the spiritual.

45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Genesis 2:7

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Paul quotes from Torah as well as John. Adam became a human, Yeshua became a spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.

You first must be human or natural in body, then you can be spiritual.

47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

Adam was created out of the dust of the earth. Yeshua was from heaven.

48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

Because Adam was the man of dust, so are all those who descended from him. But, with Yeshua being heavenly, so are those who are His.

49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

We are born with the image of the man of dust, but we also will bear the image of the man of heaven.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

Human flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of YHWH. Just as corruption does not obtain incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Now, Paul explains a mystery to these men. Not everyone will die, but everyone will be changed. This change will happen extremely fast and it will happen at the last trumpet. It will be at the sound of the trumpet when the dead raise with incorruptible spirit bodies, after the dead, the living shall be changed.

The trumpet is very significant to the Law of God. It is directly related to the Feast of Trumpets. There are many who believe it will be the Feast of Trumpets when Christ returns.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The human corruptible body must be changed to incorruptible, and the human mortal body must be changed to immortal.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Isaiah 25:8

He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.

It wont be until after we have been changed that this prophecy will be fulfilled.

55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Hosea 13:14

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

Paul quotes from the Old Testament about how believers will be changed and raised from the dead so death has no more power over them.

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Death gains its power through sin. Sins strength is found in the law. We use the law to avoid sin because the law brings us the knowledge of sin.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

YHWH has given us the victory over sin and death with Yeshua the Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Do the work of God knowing that it is not done in vain.