Christ's death and resurrection are the core of Paul's gospel, which he received directly from the ascended Lord and delivered to others for their salvation.
Paul emphasizes that Christ died for our sins, was buried (proving His real death), and rose again on the third day, all according to the Old Testament Scriptures. This gospel is the means by which believers are saved and stand, and it was planned by God from eternity past.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — This passage is Paul's clearest statement of the gospel, which he received and delivered, and it explicitly defines the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 states, 'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved... For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.' Paul emphasizes that this gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) and that believers are saved by it when they hold fast to the word preached.
Les teaches that Paul's gospel is the purest form of the gospel message, received directly from the resurrected Christ. He stresses that Christ's death was not an afterthought but was preplanned from eternity past and prophesied in the Old Testament. The burial is critical as it proves Christ was truly dead, not merely unconscious, and the resurrection confirms His victory. Les emphasizes that salvation comes through believing this gospel, and it is for all humanity—Jew and Gentile alike.
Les emphasizes that the burial proves Jesus was truly dead. He didn't go into a coma or an unconscious state; He was genuinely dead, and the three days in the tomb confirmed there was no life left in Him. This is vital because the gospel hinges on the reality of His death and subsequent resurrection.
Paul repeatedly says Christ died and rose 'according to the Scriptures,' meaning this was prophesied in the Old Testament. Les points out that this was not an afterthought or an emergency plan; it was preplanned from eternity past, even before man was created. God was in complete control, and the events fulfilled His eternal purposes.
Paul connects the gospel to salvation: 'by which also ye are saved.' Les teaches that salvation means being saved from something—like eternal doom—and that a person must believe the gospel and stand on it. He uses the analogy of a man saved from bankruptcy by an inheritance, showing that salvation rescues us from spiritual ruin.
Gospel and Salvation
Les explains that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul declares the gospel by which believers are saved, and he clarifies that salvation is a Scriptural concept meaning to be saved from something, like eternal doom.
Burial Proves Death
Les emphasizes that Paul's gospel includes the burial, proving Jesus was truly dead—not in a coma—and that His three days in the tomb confirmed His death.
Divine Plan
Les teaches that the crucifixion was not merely Israel's rejection of Christ but the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose, giving the whole human race access to salvation, culminating in the resurrection.
Scriptural Prophecy
Les stresses that Christ's death was 'according to the Scriptures,' meaning it was prophesied in the Old Testament and was not an arbitrary event.
Preplanned from Eternity
Les emphasizes that Christ's death was not an afterthought but was preplanned from eternity past, and that Paul received these truths directly from the ascended, glorified Lord.
Paul's Gospel
Les calls 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 'Paul's Gospel' and the purest form of the gospel found in Scripture, emphasizing that it must include the burial and resurrection.
Gospel in Paul's Writings
Les shows how Paul continually refers to the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection, and that believers are to live for the one who died and rose for them.
Purest Gospel Form
Les affirms that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the purest form of the gospel, and that all of Paul's writings are pregnant with this theme of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
This is Paul's primary definition of the gospel, directly answering the question of Christ's death and resurrection's significance.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Shows the gospel's power for salvation, reinforcing the significance of Christ's death and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:17: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Emphasizes the necessity of the resurrection for salvation, a key aspect of Paul's teaching.
Paul emphasizes the burial to prove that Christ was truly dead. Les teaches that the three days in the grave confirmed there was no life left in Him, ruling out any idea of a coma or unconscious state. This ensures the resurrection is a genuine victory over death.
It means that Christ's death, burial, and resurrection were all prophesied in the Old Testament. Les teaches this shows it was part of God's eternal plan, not an afterthought or accidental event. God was in complete control of all these events.
According to Paul, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, we are saved from eternal doom. Les uses the analogy of a person saved from bankruptcy to illustrate how salvation rescues us from our spiritual debt.
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