Why does 1 Corinthians 15 suddenly go so deep into doctrine about the resurrection and our eternal state?
Paul shifts gears from answering carnal people's questions into profound doctrine because the resurrection from the dead is the very core of Christian belief. It undergirds salvation—being made spiritually alive—and the believer's eternal state, truths not made known until Paul's writings.
Les explains that Paul had been answering the questions of carnal people, and then all of a sudden he shifts gears. In 1 Corinthians 15 he comes into profound doctrines concerning our eternal state and the resurrection from the dead. Les stresses that at the very core of the whole Christian belief is this power of resurrection. It begins in salvation: as Ephesians 2:1 puts it, we who were dead in trespasses and sins have been made alive spiritually. We were raised from a dead spiritual existence to an existence filled with the Spirit of God, possessing the new divine nature and all that salvation brings. All this was unknown until the writings of the Apostle Paul. So when considering our eternal state, the heart of it all is the resurrection.
More Questions
What deep topic does Paul suddenly take up in 1 Corinthians chapter 15?
After dealing with the Corinthians' problems, Paul suddenly turns in chapter 15 to some of the deepest aspects of the Christian faith, namely resurrection.
How is 1 Corinthians 15 different from other Bible passages about resurrection?
Unlike other portions of Scripture, 1 Corinthians 15 gives a detailed description of what resurrection will entail.