What does Paul shift gears to teach in 1 Corinthians 15?
Paul shifts from addressing carnal people’s questions to profound doctrines about the eternal state and the resurrection from the dead. He shows that resurrection power is at the core of Christian belief, first in salvation—being made spiritually alive—and ultimately in our eternal state.
Les explains that Paul likes to shift gears on us. After answering the questions of carnal people, he comes into 1 Corinthians 15 and gives profound doctrines concerning our eternal state and the resurrection from the dead. Les teaches that at the very core of our whole Christian belief is this power of resurrection. It is first seen in salvation: as Ephesians 2:1 puts it, we who were dead in trespasses and sins have been made alive spiritually in this life. We were raised from a dead spiritual existence to an existence filled with the Spirit of God, having the new divine nature and all that salvation brings. Les notes that all of this was unknown until the writings of the Apostle Paul. When mulling over our eternal state, the heart of it all is the resurrection.
More Questions
What is 1 Corinthians 15 about?
The chapter following 1 Corinthians 14 is chapter 15, which deals with the resurrection, and that is what will be emphasized next.