I Corinthians 15:12-14 :: Religion Christianity Bible Essays

I Corinthians 15:12-14 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (NIV). The resurrection of the dead is a mysterious concept that even some Christians have a hard time believing. Paul makes a strong statement regarding the importance of the resurrection and how it is tied to the faith of Christian believers. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a response to a number of problems in the church of Corinth. One of the main problems the Corinthians were having was speculation on the resurrection [of the dead] which was preached to them by Paul. The passage in which Paul talks about the resurrection is toward the end of his letter, before he discusses his plans and finishes with exhortations and greetings. The first half of the letter, after he gives his greeting and thanksgiving, is in response to reports that he has received regarding the Corinthians. The second half is in response to questions and concerns that they had. In the New International Version (NIV) of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, his preaching and their faith are described as "useless" if Christ has not been raised (15:14). However, in the New King James Version (NKJV), Paul's preaching and the faith of the Corinthians are described as empty. These descriptions are very similar and both have a strong impact on the reader. If preaching and faith are empty, then they are also useless. The preaching of Paul to the Corinthians is certainly not useless and their faith, although problematic, is not empty. According to The Women's Bible Commentary, the Corinthians were convinced that already they fully enjoyed the spiritual benefits of the resurrection (321). They believed the resurrection of Christ was beneficial so they did not even consider that the dead were raised from the dead. Paul preached that Christ has been raised from the dead and the Corinthians believed what he said. It is because of this belief that Paul can bring his point across regarding the resurrection of the dead. If the Corinthians did not believe that Christ has been raised, Paul would be unable to convince them of the resurrection of the dead.