6 Jul 2017, 1 Corinthians 15 哥林多前书 15, Resurrection 基督的复活

Posted on Jul 3, 2017 in 1 Corinthians, Devotions |

Scripture Reading        : 1 Corinthians 15

Theme                            : Resurrection           

 

This whole passage is an entire doctrine on resurrection.

  1. The evidence for Christ’s resurrection (15:1-11). The doctrinal problem here is not the Corinthians’ disbelief in Christ’s resurrection, but confusion about their own due to influence from Greek philosophy. Therefore, to lay the foundation for his teaching, Paul first presented the evidences for Jesus’ resurrection.
  2. The importance of bodily resurrection (15:12-34). If Christ had not risen, all preaching and faith in Christ would be worthless (v.13-14), all witnesses and preachers would be liars (v.15-16), all believers will eternally perish in their sins (v.17-18) and Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v.19). It is the resurrection that gives us the greatest motivation to come to Christ and living for Christ.  
  3. The resurrection body (15:35-49). Like a seed which die before it comes to life, we too must die before we can participate in the fruit of Christ’s resurrection. Resurrection body will differ radically in earthly body, which will be glorious, imperishable, powerful and spiritual.
  4. The victory over death (15:50-58). Christ’s resurrection had broken the power of death for those who believe in Him, and death is no longer master over them (Rom. 6:9). Though death still impacts us while we are mortal, yet we no longer need to fear death because Christ has conquered death by being raised from the dead (cf. Rev 20:14; 21:4).

 

Praying the Scripture

  1. The resurrection was the focal point of Christianity. Without the resurrection, the gospel would be an empty and hopeless message, the hall of faithful in Hebrews 11 would be the hall of the foolish and Christianity would be pointless and pitiable. To have hoped in Christ in this life only, we would have lived for nothing, hoped for nothing and died for nothing. Do you believe in the resurrection? Does it impact the way you live your life? All human power, beauty, wealth and glory will end at the grave, but the hope of a Christian should be like the epitaph expressed by Benjamin Franklin: “The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gliding, lies here food for worms. But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author.” Let’s pray that we will always “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2), “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
  2. There are two types of resurrections in the Bible: one is the resurrection of the righteous (Rev. 20:6, 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Cor. 5:1-5; Luke 14:14; John 5:29), and second is the resurrection of the unrighteous (John 5:29). The first resurrection at Christ’s coming will be the resurrection of the church, made up of believers from Pentecost to the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16). Next will be the resurrection of the Tribulation saints (Rev 20:4) and Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:2; Is. 26:19-20) at the Millennium. The only resurrection remaining will be that of the unrighteous who will be raised to eternal damnation at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign (Rev. 21:8). Which resurrection will you belong to? Let’s pray that we will examine ourselves regularly to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).
 
 
 

经文：哥林多前书15

主题：基督的复活

 

这整篇经文是关乎基督复活的教义。

  1. 基督复活的凭据（15:1-11）。这里的问题并非出于哥林多教会的不信；他们是受了希腊哲学的影响而感到混淆。因此，保罗首先呈现了耶稣复活的凭据，为他的教导打下基础。
  2. 肉体复活的重要性（15:12-34）。若基督没有复活，凡所传的及在基督里的信心都是枉然（13-14节）；所有见证人及传道人都是撒谎的（15-16节）；所有信徒都将永远死在罪中（17-18节），而信徒将比众人更可怜（19节）。基督的复活是我们来到祂那里，并为祂而活的最大动机。
  3. 复活之身（15:35-49）。如一颗先死后生的子粒一样，我们也先得死，才能参与基督的复活。复活之身与肉体之身将会截然不同，因为复活之身会是荣耀、不朽坏、强壮及属灵的。
  4. 胜过死亡（15:50-58）。基督的复活为凡信祂的人打破了死亡的权势，叫死不再做他们的主了（罗6:9）。虽然我们仍会面对肉身之死，但我们不再需要为此惊慌，因为基督已从死里复活了，从而除去死的毒钩（参：启20:14, 21:4）。

用经文祷告

  1. 基督教的焦点是基督的复活。若无复活，福音便是个虚空、无盼望的信息，希伯来书11的信心名堂将变为愚昧人的名堂，而基督教就会是没意义，并令人可怜的；若我们在今生只对基督有盼望，我们便是虚妄度日，而盼望和死亡都将归为无。你是否信基督复活？这是否影响你的生活方式？所有势力、美丽、荣华和富贵都将终于坟墓，但一个信徒的盼望当像本杰明富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）在他的墓志铭所写的：“富兰克林的肉体就像一本旧书的封面，内容都被拨开了，彻底撕毁，成为虫子的食物。但这生的工作并不是枉然的，因为有朝一日，这身体会以一个全新、精美的版本出现，是大作者改编及修改的。”让我们祷告我们会常常“思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事”（西3:2），“等候所盼望的福，并等候至大的神和我们救主耶稣基督的荣耀显现”（多2:13）。
  2. 圣经有两类的复活：一个是义人的复活（启20:6，帖前4:13-18，林后5:1-5，路14:14，约5:29），另一个是不义之人的复活（约5:29）。基督再来时的首次复活会是教会的复活，即五旬节至被提时的所有信徒（帖前4:16）。接着将是度患难之日的圣徒（启20:4）及千禧年的旧约圣徒（但12:2，赛26:19-20）。唯一剩下的就是不义之人的复活，而他们将在基督的千年统治后被升起，掷入永恒的地狱（启21:8）。你会与哪类人复活呢？让我们祷告我们会常常省察自己到底有信心没有。