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Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1–11
It is the apostle's business in this chapter to assert and establish the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which some of the Corinthians flatly denied, Co1 15:12. Whether they turned this doctrine into allegory, as did Hymeneus and Philetus, by saying it was already past (Ti2 2:17, Ti2 2:18), and several of the ancient heretics, by making it mean no more than a changing of their course of life; or whether they rejected it as absurd, upon principles of reason and science; it seems they denied it in the proper sense. And they disowned a future state of recompences, by denying the resurrection of the dead. Now that heathens and infidels should deny this truth does not seem so strange; but that Christians, who had their religion by revelation, should deny a truth so plainly discovered is surprising, especially when it is a truth of such importance. It was time for the apostle to confirm them in this truth, when the staggering of their faith in this point was likely to shake their Christianity; and they were yet in great danger of having their faith staggered. He begins with an epitome or summary of the gospel, what he had preached among them, namely, the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon this foundation the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is built. Note, Divine truths appear with greatest evidence when they are looked upon in their mutual connection. The foundation may be strengthened, that the superstructure may be secured. Now concerning the gospel observe,
I. What a stress he lays upon it (Co1 15:1, Co1 15:2): Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached to you. 1. It was what he constantly preached. His word was not yea and nay: he always preached the same gospel, and taught the same truth. He could appeal to his hearers for this. Truth is in its own nature invariable; and the infallible teachers of divine truth could never be at variance with themselves or one another. The doctrine which Paul had heretofore taught, he still taught. 2. It was what they had received; they had been convinced of the faith, believed it in their hearts, or at least made profession of doing so with their mouths. It was no strange doctrine. It was that very gospel in which, or by which, they had hitherto stood, and must continue to stand. If they gave up this truth, they left themselves no ground to stand upon, no footing in religion. Note, The doctrine of Christ's death and resurrection is at the foundation of Christianity. Remove this foundation, and the whole fabric falls, all our hopes for eternity sink at once. And it is by holding this truth firmly that Christians are made to stand in a day of trial, and kept faithful to God. 3. It was that alone by which they could hope for salvation (Co1 15:2), for there is no salvation in any other name; no name given under heaven by which we may be saved, but by the name of Christ. And there is no salvation in his name, but upon supposition of his death and resurrection. These are the saving truths of our holy religion. The crucifixion of our Redeemer and his conquest over death are the very source of our spiritual life and hopes. Now concerning these saving truths observe, (1.) They must be retained in mind, they must be held fast (so the word is translated, Heb 10:23): Let us hold fast the profession of our faith. Note, The saving truths of the gospel must be fixed in our mind, revolved much in our thoughts, and maintained and held fast to the end, if we would be saved. They will not save us, if we do not attend to them, and yield to their power, and continue to do so to the end. He only that endureth to the end shall be saved, Mat 10:22. (2.) We believe in vain, unless we continue and persevere in the faith of the gospel. We shall be never the better for a temporary faith; nay, we shall aggravate our guilt by relapsing into infidelity. And in vain is it to profess Christianity, or our faith in Christ, if we deny the resurrection; for this must imply and involve the denial of his resurrection; and, take away this, you make nothing of Christianity, you leave nothing for faith or hope to fix upon.
II. Observe what this gospel is, on which the apostle lays such stress. It was that doctrine which he had received, and delivered to them, en prōtois - among the first, the principal. It was a doctrine of the first rank, a most necessary truth, That Christ died for our sins, and was buried, and rose again: or, in other words, that he was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification (Rom 4:25), that he was offered in sacrifice for our sins, and rose again, to show that he had procured forgiveness for them, and was accepted of God in this offering. Note, Christ's death and resurrection are the very sum and substance of evangelical truth. Hence we derive our spiritual life now, and here we must found our hopes of everlasting life hereafter.
III. Observe how this truth is confirmed,
1.By Old Testament predictions. He died for our sins, according to the scriptures; he was buried, and rose from the dead, according to the scriptures, according to the scripture-prophecies, and scripture-types. Such prophecies as Psa 16:10; Isa 53:4-6; Dan 9:26, Dan 9:27; Hos 6:2. Such scripture-types as Jonah (Mat 12:4), as Isaac, who is expressly said by the apostle to have been received from the dead in a figure, Heb 11:19. Note, It is a great confirmation of our faith of the gospel to see how it corresponds with ancient types and prophecies.
2.By the testimony of many eye-witnesses, who saw Christ after he had risen from the dead. He reckons up five several appearances, beside that to himself. He was seen of Cephas, or Peter, then of the twelve, called so, though Judas was no longer among them, because this was their usual number; then he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, many of whom were living when the apostle wrote this epistle, though some had fallen asleep. This was in Galilee, Mat 28:10. After that, he was seen of James singly, and then by all the apostles when he was taken up into heaven. This was on mount Olivet, Luk 24:50. Compare Act 1:2, Act 1:5-7. Note, How uncontrollably evident was Christ's resurrection from the dead, when so many eyes saw him at so many different times alive, and when he indulged the weakness of one disciple so far as to let him handle him, to put his resurrection out of doubt! And what reason have we to believe those who were so steady in maintaining this truth, though they hazarded all that was dear to them in this world, by endeavouring to assert and propagate it! Even Paul himself was last of all favoured with the sight of him. It was one of the peculiar offices of an apostle to be a witness of our Saviour's resurrection (Luk 24:48); and, when Paul was called to the apostolical office, he was made an evidence of this sort; the Lord Jesus appeared to him by the way to Damascus, Act 9:17. Having mentioned this favour, Paul takes occasion from it to make a humble digression concerning himself. He was highly favoured of God, but he always endeavoured to keep up a mean opinion of himself, and to express it. So he does here, by observing, (1.) That he was one born out of due time (Co1 15:8), an abortive, ektrōma, a child dead born, and out of time. Paul resembled such a birth, in the suddenness of his new birth, in that he was not matured for the apostolic function, as the others were, who had personal converse with our Lord. He was called to the office when such conversation was not to be had, he was out of time for it. He had not known nor followed the Lord, nor been formed in his family, as the others were, for this high and honourable function. This was in Paul's account a very humbling circumstance. (2.) By owning himself inferior to the other apostles: Not meet to be called an apostle. The least, because the last of them; called latest to the office, and not worthy to be called an apostle, to have either the office or the title, because he had been a persecutor of the church of God, Co1 15:9. Indeed, he tells us elsewhere that he was not a whit behind the very chief apostles (Co2 11:5) - for gifts, graces, service, and sufferings, inferior to none of them. Yet some circumstances in his case made him think more meanly of himself than of any of them. Note, A humble spirit, in the midst of high attainments, is a great ornament to any man; it sets his good qualities off to much greater advantage. What kept Paul low in an especial manner was the remembrance of his former wickedness, his raging and destructive zeal against Christ and him members. Note, How easily God can bring a good out of the greatest evil! When sinners are by divine grace turned into saints, he makes the remembrance of their former sins very serviceable, to make them humble, and diligent, and faithful. (3.) By ascribing all that was valuable in him to divine grace: But by the grace of God I am what I am, Co1 15:10. It is God's prerogative to say, I am that I am; it is our privilege to be able to say, "By God's grace we are what we are." We are nothing but what God makes us, nothing in religion but what his grace makes us. All that is good in us is a stream from this fountain. Paul was sensible of this, and kept humble and thankful by this conviction; so should we. Nay, though he was conscious of his own diligence, and zeal, and service, so that he could say of himself, the grace of God was not given him in vain, but he laboured more abundantly than they all: he thought himself so much more the debtor to divine grace. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Note, Those who have the grace of God bestowed on them should take care that it be not in vain. They should cherish, and exercise, and exert, this heavenly principle. So did Paul, and therefore laboured with so much heart and so much success. And yet the more he laboured, and the more good he did, the more humble he was in his opinion of himself, and the more disposed to own and magnify the favour of God towards him, his free and unmerited favour. Note, A humble spirit will be very apt to own and magnify the grace of God. A humble spirit is commonly a gracious one. Where pride is subdued there it is reasonable to believe grace reigns.
After this digression, the apostle returns to his argument, and tells them (Co1 15:11) that he not only preached the same gospel himself at all times, and in all places, but that all the apostles preached the same: Whether it were they or I, so we preached, and so you believed. Whether Peter, or Paul, or any other apostle, had converted them to Christianity, all maintained the same truth, told the same story, preached the same doctrine, and confirmed it by the same evidence. All agreed in this that Jesus Christ, and him crucified and slain, and then rising from the dead, was the very sum and substance of Christianity; and this all true Christians believe. All the apostles agreed in this testimony; all Christians agree in the belief of it. By this faith they live. In this faith they die.
But who is it that has had fellowship with us in the matter of food? Whether is it he who is conceived of by them as the Christ above, who extended himself through Horos, and imparted a form to their mother; or is it He who is from the Virgin, Emmanuel, who did eat butter and honey, of whom the prophet declared, "He is also a man, and who shall know him?" He was likewise preached by Paul: "For I delivered," he says, "unto you first of all, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures." It is plain, then, that Paul knew no other Christ besides Him alone, who both suffered, and was buried, and rose again, who was also born, and whom he speaks of as man.
For even the apostle, to his declaration-which he makes not without feeling the weight of it-that "Christ died," immediately adds, "according to the Scriptures," in order that he may alleviate the harshness of the statement by the authority of the Scriptures, and so remove offence from the reader.
By ourselves the lower regions (of Hades) are not supposed to be a bare cavity, nor some subterranean sewer of the world, but a vast deep space in the interior of the earth, and a concealed recess in its very bowels; inasmuch as we read that Christ in His death spent three days in the heart of the earth, that is, in the secret inner recess which is hidden in the earth, and enclosed by the earth, and superimposed on the abysmal depths which lie still lower down. Now although Christ is God, yet, being also man, "He died according to the Scriptures," and "according to the same Scriptures was buried.
For the Son, therefore, to die, amounted to His being forsaken by the Father. The Son, then, both dies and rises again, according to the Scriptures. It is the Son, too, who ascends to the heights of heaven, and also descends to the inner parts of the earth.
It was of Him, too, that he had said in a previous passage: "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to the only God; " so that we might apply even the contrary qualities to the Son Himself-mortality, accessibility-of whom the apostle testifies that "He died according to the Scriptures," and that "He was seen by himself last of all," -by means, of course, of the light which was accessible, although it was not without imperilling his sight that he experienced that light.
After these points, Celsus proceeds to bring against the Gospel narrative a charge which is not to be lightly passed over, saying that "if Jesus desired to show that his power was really divine, he ought to have appeared to those who had ill-treated him, and to him who had condemned him, and to all men universally." For it appears to us also to be true, according to the Gospel account, that He was not seen after His resurrection in the same manner as He used formerly to show Himself — publicly, and to all men. But it is recorded in the Acts, that "being seen during forty days," He expounded to His disciples "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." [Acts 1:3] And in the Gospels it is not stated that He was always with them; but that on one occasion He appeared in their midst, after eight days, when the doors were shut [John 20:26], and on another in some similar fashion. And Paul also, in the concluding portions of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, in reference to His not having publicly appeared as He did in the period before He suffered, writes as follows: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto the present time, but some are fallen asleep. After that He was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." [1 Corinthians 15:3-8] I am of opinion now that the statements in this passage contain some great and wonderful mysteries, which are beyond the grasp not merely of the great multitude of ordinary believers, but even of those who are far advanced (in Christian knowledge), and that in them the reason would be explained why He did not show Himself, after His resurrection from the dead, in the same manner as before that event.
The prophet Isaiah said: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter” [Is 53:7] and so on. Revelation [13:8] adds that he was slain from before the foundation of the world. And Deuteronomy [28:66] says: “You will see your life hanging before your eyes, yet you will not believe.” This is expressed in the future tense, to prevent the wicked from claiming that it does not apply to Christ.
The iniquity of sinners was not as great as the justice of the One who died for them. The sins we committed were not as great as the justice he embodied, when he laid down his life for us.
The Son loses nothing when he bestows upon all, just as he also loses nothing when the Father receives the kingdom, nor does the Father suffer loss when he gives what is his own to the Son.
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received."
Neither here doth he say, "I said unto you," nor, "I taught you," but uses the same expression again, saying, "I delivered unto you that which also I received:" nor again here doth he say, "I was taught," but, "I received:" establishing these two things; first, that one ought to introduce nothing from one's self; next, that by demonstration from his deeds they were fully persuaded, not by bare words: and by degrees while he is rendering his argument credible, he refers the whole to Christ, and signifies that nothing was of man in these doctrines.
But what is this, "For I delivered unto you first of all?" for that is his word. "In the beginning, not now." And thus saying he brings the time for a witness, and that it were the greatest disgrace for those who had so long time been persuaded now to change their minds: and not this only, but also that the doctrine is necessary. Wherefore also it was "delivered" among "the first," and from the beginning straightway. And what didst thou so deliver? tell me. But this he doth not say straightway, but first, "I received." And what didst thou receive? "That Christ died for our sins." He said not immediately that there is a resurrection of our bodies, yet this very thing in truth he doth establish, but afar off and by other topics saying that "Christ died," and laying before a kind of strong base and irrefragable foundation of the doctrine concerning the resurrection. For neither did he simply say that "Christ died;" although even this were sufficient to declare the resurrection, but with an addition, "Christ died for our sins."
But first it is worth while to hear what those who are infected with the Manichaean doctrines say here, who are both enemies to the truth and war against their own salvation. What then do these allege? By death here, they say, Paul means nothing else than our being in sin; and by resurrection, our being delivered from our sins. Seest thou how nothing is weaker than error? And how it is taken by its own wings, and needs not the warfare from without, but by itself it is pierced through? Consider, for instance, these men, how they too have pierced themselves through by their own statements. Since if this be death, and Christ did not take a body, as ye suppose, and yet died, He was in sin according to you. For I indeed say that He took unto Himself a body and His death, I say, was that of the flesh; but thou denying this, wilt be compelled to affirm the other. But if He was in sin, how saith He, "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" and "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me?" and again, "Thus it becometh Us to fulfill all righteousness?" Nay, how did He at all die for sinners, if Himself were in sin? For he who dies for sinners ought himself to be without sin. Since if he himself also sin, how shall he die for other sinners? But if for others' sins He died, He died being without sin: and if being without sin He died, He died not the death of sin; for how could He being without sin? but the death of the body. Wherefore also Paul did not simply say, "He died," but added, "for our sins:" both forcing these heretics against their will to the confession of His bodily death, and signifying also by this that before death He was without sin: for he that dies for others' sins, it followeth must himself be without sin.
Neither was he content with this, but added, "according to the Scriptures:" hereby both again making his argument credible, and intimating what kind of death he was speaking of: since it is the death of the body which the Scriptures everywhere proclaim. For, "they pierced My hands and My feet," saith He, and, "they shall look on Him Whom they pierced." And many other instances, too numerous to name all one by one, one may see in them stored up, setting forth His slaughter in the flesh and that He was slain for our sins. For, "for the sins of my people," saith one, "is He come to death:" and, "the Lord delivered Him up for our sins:" and, "He was wounded for our transgressions." But if thou dost not endure the Old Testament, hear John crying out and declaring both, as well His slaughter in the body as the cause of it: thus, "Behold," saith he, "the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sin of the world:" and Paul saying, "For Him Who knew no sin, He made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him:" and again, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us:" and again, "having put off from himself principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them;" and ten thousand other sayings to show what happened at His death in the body, and because of our sins. Yea, and Christ Himself saith, "for your sakes I sanctify Myself" and, "now the prince of this world hath been condemned;" showing that having no sin he was slain.
He made his life be an exchange for the life of all. One died for all, in order that we all might live to God sanctified and brought to life through his blood, justified as a gift by his grace.
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SUMMARY
First Corinthians 15:3 encapsulates the foundational truth of the Christian gospel, emphasizing its divine origin and essential content. Paul declares that the core message he imparted to the Corinthian believers, a truth he himself received, is that Christ died for humanity's sins in perfect accordance with the Old Testament scriptures. This verse serves as the bedrock for Paul's subsequent extensive argument for the resurrection, establishing the historical and theological necessity of Christ's atoning death as the prerequisite for resurrection and the hope of eternal life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul employs several significant literary devices in this concise verse. The most prominent is Chiasm (or a chiastic structure in the broader context of delivery/reception), though more simply, there is a clear Repetition of the concept of transmission: "I delivered... that which I also received." This emphasizes the authoritative and traditional nature of the gospel message, highlighting that Paul is a faithful steward, not an innovator. The phrase "first of all" serves as a device of Emphasis, signaling the paramount importance and foundational nature of the truth about to be stated. The verse itself functions as an Aphorism or a concise, pithy statement of a universal truth, making the core gospel memorable and impactful. Finally, "according to the scriptures" is a direct Allusion to the Old Testament, grounding the historical event of Christ's death in the prophetic word of God and demonstrating its divine intentionality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Corinthians 15:3 is a theological cornerstone, asserting the absolute necessity and efficacy of Christ's atoning death. It establishes that human sin required a divine remedy, and God, in His infinite love and justice, provided that remedy through the sacrificial death of His Son. This verse undergirds the doctrines of propitiation (satisfying God's wrath against sin), reconciliation (restoring relationship between God and humanity), and justification (being declared righteous before God). It underscores that salvation is not earned through human effort or adherence to law, but is a gift received through faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. The "according to the scriptures" clause further connects the New Covenant fulfillment to the Old Testament promises, demonstrating God's consistent and unfolding plan of redemption throughout history.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This foundational verse calls believers to a profound reflection on the magnitude of God's love and the depth of Christ's sacrifice. To truly grasp that "Christ died for our sins" is to confront the reality of our own sinfulness and the immense grace extended to us. This truth should cultivate a spirit of deep gratitude, humility, and unwavering assurance of salvation. It reminds us that our standing with God is not based on our performance but on Christ's perfect work, freeing us from the burden of earning favor and empowering us to live lives of joyful obedience. For those who have not yet embraced this truth, the verse presents the gospel in its most potent form, inviting them to acknowledge their sin and receive the forgiveness offered through Christ's death. Furthermore, the emphasis on "according to the scriptures" challenges us to delve into the Old Testament, discovering the intricate tapestry of God's redemptive plan woven throughout history, thereby strengthening our faith in the reliability of God's Word. Just as Paul faithfully transmitted what he received, we are called to cherish, understand, and clearly articulate this unchanging, life-transforming message to a world desperately in need of hope.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Paul emphasize that he "delivered" what he "received"?
Answer: Paul's emphasis on both "delivering" (G3860, paradídōmi) and "receiving" (G3880, paralambánō) highlights the authoritative and traditional nature of the gospel message. In the ancient world, these terms were often used for the transmission of sacred or authoritative teachings. By stating he "received" it, Paul underscores that the gospel is not his own invention or a human philosophy, but a divine revelation, a sacred trust passed down. This bolsters its credibility and authority, especially crucial for a church like Corinth that was questioning fundamental doctrines. It also connects his teaching to the broader apostolic tradition, as he states in 1 Corinthians 15:11 that he and the other apostles preached the same message.
What does "according to the scriptures" refer to in this context?
Answer: The phrase "according to the scriptures" (G2596, katá G1124, graphḗ) refers specifically to the Old Testament prophecies and types that foretold the suffering and death of the Messiah. Paul is asserting that Christ's death was not a random or unexpected event, but a pre-ordained act of God, meticulously planned and revealed centuries before its fulfillment. This would have pointed the Corinthian believers, and us, to passages such as Isaiah 53, which vividly describes a suffering servant who bears the iniquities of others, and Psalm 22, which prophetically details aspects of the crucifixion. This emphasis grounds the historical reality of Christ's death in the divine, unchanging word of God, demonstrating God's sovereign plan of redemption.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 Corinthians 15:3 powerfully presents Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The declaration that "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" is the very heart of the gospel, revealing Jesus as the promised Messiah whose sacrificial death was not an arbitrary event but the divinely ordained culmination of centuries of prophetic anticipation. He is the Lamb of God, foreshadowed in the Old Testament sacrificial system, who perfectly and finally atoned for humanity's sin, taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His death on the cross fulfills the suffering servant passages of Isaiah 53, where the righteous one bears the iniquity of many. This verse points to Jesus as the one in whom all the Old Testament promises find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). His death was the necessary act to satisfy divine justice and open the way for reconciliation between God and humanity (Romans 3:25). Thus, Christ is not merely a historical figure who died, but the very Son of God who, by His intentional and scripturally foretold death, accomplished salvation for all who believe, making Him the central figure of all redemptive history.