Many believe that the Christian message is illogical and irrational, based only on fuzzy feelings and invisible instincts. Paul, in 1 Cor 15:12-19, refutes that idea, using logical statements to show the Corinthians the fallacy of their belief that there was no such thing as resurrection from the dead. Computer programmers will be very familiar with the idea of ‘if/then’ statements (‘the most basic of all the control flow statements’), and Paul effectively demonstrates to the Corinthians that we cannot approach the resurrection with a kind of pick-and-mix approach, choosing which elements we would like to believe and which elements we want to leave out.
Some people at Corinth were saying there is no resurrection of the dead. But this blanket statement would also inevitably mean Christ was not raised from the dead either, which would have huge implications for our faith – since the gospel is based on the fact that Christ died and was raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:3-8). Without this, ‘our preaching is useless and so is your faith.’ (1 Cor 15:14) Empty, useless, ineffectual, unprofitable preaching and faith cannot save anybody; the implications of the Corinthians’ statement cannot be ignored. If our faith is in vain, then our sins are not forgiven, so death retains its victory and we are actually liars (deceiving others and ourselves) and ‘of all people most to be pitied.’ (1 Cor 15:19) Paul’s logic is clear: since Christ has been raised, resurrection obviously is possible, but if we look at the hypothetical scenario that he has not been raised, the implications are too vast to be ignored.
The Corinthians may well have agreed that Christ had been raised from the dead, but did not see that this necessarily meant that believers would be raised too. Paul shows that Christ’s resurrection is the ‘firstfruits’ (1 Cor 15:13), guaranteeing our ultimate resurrection. That is why belief in the physical resurrection of Christ is ‘of first importance’ to our faith. Christianity is, after all, not a system of philosophy or a moral code, but the declaration of what God has done in Christ. If the dead are not raised, then the whole gospel is a sham and those who preach it are liars. If we only have hope for this life, Paul declares, we are to be pitied and may as well live with the Epicurean philosophy of pleasure as the chief goal of life.
Many people do not seem to think through questions of faith; they prefer not to reflect on matters such as these, even though they are of great importance. The resurrection of Christ has profound implications for us all. An implication is ‘a conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.’ Paul wants us to draw the correct conclusions about salvation, death and resurrection and gives us the opportunity to think through clearly what would be the conclusions if Christ had not been raised from the dead. If this fact is true, then the consequences are profound!