1 Corinthians 15

Resurrection

1 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time-this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand2 and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.)

3 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it;4 that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says;5 that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers,6 and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died);7 that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him;8 and that he finally presented himself alive to me.9 It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence.

10 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.11 So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it's all the same: We spoke God's truth and you entrusted your lives.

12 Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection?13 If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ.14 And face it-if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on is smoke and mirrors.15 Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ-sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection.

16 If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead.17 And if Christ wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever.18 It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves.19 If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot.20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

21 There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man.22 Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.23 But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming,24 the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father.25 He won't let up until the last enemy is down -26 and the very last enemy is death!27 As the psalmist said, "He laid them low, one and all; he walked all over them." When Scripture says that "he walked all over them," it's obvious that he couldn't at the same time be walked on.28 When everything and everyone is finally under God's rule, the Son will step down, taking his place with everyone else, showing that God's rule is absolutely comprehensive-a perfect ending!

29 Why do you think people offer themselves to be baptized for those already in the grave? If there's no chance of resurrection for a corpse, if God's power stops at the cemetery gates, why do we keep doing things that suggest he's going to clean the place out someday, pulling everyone up on their feet alive?

30 And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work?31 I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus?32 Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? Not on your life! It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, "We eat, we drink, the next day we die," and that's all there is to it.33 But don't fool yourselves. Don't let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. "Bad company ruins good manners."

34 Think straight. Awaken to the holiness of life. No more playing fast and loose with resurrection facts. Ignorance of God is a luxury you can't afford in times like these. Aren't you embarrassed that you've let this kind of thing go on as long as you have?

35 Some skeptic is sure to ask, "Show me how resurrection works. Give me a diagram; draw me a picture. What does this 'resurrection body' look like?"36 If you look at this question closely, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing.37 We do have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a "dead" seed; soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant.38 You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don't look anything alike. The dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different.

39 You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies-humans, animals, birds, fish-each unprecedented in its form.40 You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies -41 sun, moon, stars-all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we're only looking at pre-resurrection "seeds"-who can imagine what the resurrection "plants" will be like!

42 This image of planting a dead seed and raising a live plant is a mere sketch at best, but perhaps it will help in approaching the mystery of the resurrection body-but only if you keep in mind that when we're raised, we're raised for good, alive forever!43 The corpse that's planted is no beauty, but when it's raised, it's glorious. Put in the ground weak, it comes up powerful.44 The seed sown is natural; the seed grown is supernatural-same seed, same body, but what a difference from when it goes down in physical mortality to when it is raised up in spiritual immortality!

45 We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit.46 Physical life comes first, then spiritual -47 a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven.48 The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly.49 In the same way that we've worked from our earthy origins, let's embrace our heavenly ends.

50 I need to emphasize, friends, that our natural, earthy lives don't in themselves lead us by their very nature into the kingdom of God. Their very "nature" is to die, so how could they "naturally" end up in the Life kingdom?

51 But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die-but we are all going to be changed.52 You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes-it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed.53 In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal.54 Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life!55 Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?56 It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power.57 But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three-sin, guilt, death-are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

58 With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

1 Corinthians 16

Coming to See You

1 Regarding the relief offering for poor Christians that is being collected, you get the same instructions I gave the churches in Galatia.2 Every Sunday each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as generous as you can. When I get there you'll have it ready, and I won't have to make a special appeal.3 Then after I arrive, I'll write letters authorizing whomever you delegate, and send them off to Jerusalem to deliver your gift.4 If you think it best that I go along, I'll be glad to travel with them.

5 I plan to visit you after passing through northern Greece. I won't be staying long there,6 but maybe I can stay awhile with you-maybe even spend the winter? Then you could give me a good send-off, wherever I may be headed next.7 I don't want to just drop by in between other "primary" destinations. I want a good, long, leisurely visit. If the Master agrees, we'll have it!8 For the present, I'm staying right here in Ephesus.9 A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. (There is also mushrooming opposition.)

10 If Timothy shows up, take good care of him. Make him feel completely at home among you. He works so hard for the Master, just as I do.11 Don't let anyone disparage him. After a while, send him on to me with your blessing. Tell him I'm expecting him, and any friends he has with him.

12 About our friend Apollos, I've done my best to get him to pay you a visit, but haven't talked him into it yet. He doesn't think this is the right time. But there will be a "right time."

13 Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute,14 and love without stopping.

15 Would you do me a favor, friends, and give special recognition to the family of Stephanas? You know, they were among the first converts in Greece, and they've put themselves out, serving Christians ever since then. I want you to16 honor and look up to people like that: companions and workers who show us how to do it, giving us something to aspire to.

17 I want you to know how delighted I am to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus here with me. They partially make up for your absence!18 They've refreshed me by keeping me in touch with you. Be proud that you have people like this among you.

19 The churches here in western Asia send greetings. Aquila, Priscilla, and the church that meets in their house say hello.

20 All the friends here say hello. Pass the greetings around with holy embraces!

21 And I, Paul-in my own handwriting!-send you my regards.

22 If anyone won't love the Master, throw him out. Make room for the Master!

23 Our Master Jesus has his arms wide open for you.

24 And I love all of you in the Messiah, in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1

1 I, Paul, have been sent on a special mission by the Messiah, Jesus, planned by God himself. I write this to God's congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province.2 May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours! Timothy, someone you know and trust, joins me in this greeting.

The Rescue

3 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel!4 He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.5 We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort-we get a full measure of that, too.

6 When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times.7 When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it.

8 We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it.9 We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally-not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead!10 And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.11 You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation-I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

12 Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world-and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.13 Don't try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We're writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that14 you'll now see the whole picture as well as you've seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus.

15 Confident of your welcome, I had originally planned two great visits with you -16 coming by on my way to Macedonia province, and then again on my return trip. Then we could have had a bon-voyage party as you sent me off to Judea. That was the plan.

17 Are you now going to accuse me of being flip with my promises because it didn't work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth-a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next?18 Well, you're wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn't a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be?19 When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn't it a clean, strong Yes?

20 Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.21 God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us.22 By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge-a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.

23 Now, are you ready for the real reason I didn't visit you in Corinth? As God is my witness, the only reason I didn't come was to spare you pain. I was being considerate of you, not indifferent, not manipulative.

24 We're not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We're partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours.