"Which You Received"

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” (1Corithians 15:1-6

In writing to the church of Corinth, Paul desired to correct several things that have impacted this church since he left. There are now divisions within the church, theological confusion due to false teachers, and immorality.

In verse 1, Paul reminds Corinth of the gospel, what he preached, and what those who accepted Christ received. He also tells them to hold fast to the truth of Jesus Christ because they have strayed. This is bound to happen, and we see churches today that need to be reminded of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are pastors who need to be confronted because of the false doctrine they feed their people.

In verse 2, Paul asks the same questions we should ask. If you are a Christian, have you not been taught the gospel? Did you not receive it in your conversion? Do you live what you were taught? It may be as simple as asking someone, “What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” that ensures they know the true gospel.

In verse 3, Paul reminds Corinth of the gospel and the crucial role of faith in receiving it. It is through this unwavering faith that the followers in Corinth and the world's unbelievers today can receive salvation, a gift of Christ's finished work.

Paul uses verse 4 to remind Corinth that the true gospel is that Christ was born, suffered, died, and was resurrected as a payment to God for our sins. He reminds them that in his resurrection, Christ opened the door for our salvation and that He did so, fulfilling the Old Testament messianic prophecies, giving us confidence that Jesus is the Son of God. We, too, must take up the mantle and spread the gospel to those who have received false teachings and those who do not yet believe, clarifying the true good news of Jesus Christ.

In verse 5, Paul reminds them that Christ rose in a physical body, appearing to the apostles and to Paul himself. This is a powerful testament to the truth of the gospel, as it provides irrefutable evidence of Christ's resurrection, battling false teachings and strengthening the faith of believers.

Paul takes this witness and, in verse 6, increases its validity, reminding Corinth, in addition to the apostles, that over 500 hundred people had seen the risen Christ, many of whom were still alive at the time Paul wrote this Epistle, and witnessed to the glory of God and others who are now deceased (asleep). This furthers the evidence that rebukes the false teachings occurring in Corinth.

The very same evidence, teaching, and nurturing Paul taught must occur today. It is our responsibility to spread the message of salvation through Christ Jesus. Faith through God’s grace allows one to be changed by the Holy Spirit. Paul told us in Romans, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”(10:17). Let us spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ so others may hear and come.

If you do not know Christ, I urge you to seek Him today. Ask Him to be your Savior. Place your faith in the Resurrected living Son of God, God Himself through whom you were created. If you want to know more, contact us here at In Messiah. Do not wait; seek Jesus today.

Choose life, get saved.