November 18, 2002

BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for Nov. 24

The promise of the resurrection eliminates death
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_1 Corinthians 15 ___1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. ___3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. ___9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. ___12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. ___20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ... ___29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ... ___35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" ... ___40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. ___42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. ___If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ... ___50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." ___55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

___By Mark Ray
___Charles Spurgeon referred to it as "that magnificent portion of Scripture ..."
___A more recent preacher declares: "Despite the fact that some of our non-Baptist friends refer to themselves as 'Full Gospel,' let me assure you this passage defines the gospel in its fullest form."
___Indeed, 1 Corinthians 15 remains one of the most inspiring and beloved chapters of the entire Bible. For generations, it's been a favorite preaching text--and not just for Easter Sunday! But why?
___First of all, Paul's account of the resurrection predates the four gospels themselves, providing an added boost to Paul's credibility. In fact, 1 Corinthians is believed to be the oldest New Testament writing known to exist.
___Also significant is that Paul's testimony cannot be dismissed as one who merely lectures with hollow words that are drawn from a detached, far-removed experience. Having initially supported the persecution of many early disciples, Paul was transformed from being a legalistic zealot--one who previously ordered Christians to be martyred--into someone who would eventually become an actual martyr for that same cause.
___From that vantage point of his own authority, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul therefore begins to address pivotal themes of Christianity; all of which still speak to eternal and perplexing questions of life:
___ What exactly is the gospel? That Jesus died, was buried, then resurrected and later appeared, all according to the Scriptures.
___ Will the dead in Christ also be resurrected? Yes! "Even so in Christ, shall all be made alive ..."
___ Is it possible that one is true without the other? No! "If Christ be not raised ...," then we ourselves have no hope of resurrection. "If Christ be not raised ...," then every sermon, prayer, Sunday School lesson, every act of Christian witness and sacrifice will have all taken place in vain.
___ What will our own resurrection from the dead be like? More glorious than we can ever imagine!
___In his famous sermon, Tony Campolo reminds us: "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming!" Paul's writings confirm that when we, along with our loved ones, carry daily crosses of hardship, disappointment, sickness, grief and despair, we share both in the fellowship of Christ's suffering and the joy of Christ's resurrection.
___Or, as another great preacher, E.V. Hill, states even more succinctly: "This ain't it!" Proceeding in his own inimitable style, he then powerfully suggests there would have been mass suicide during America's years of slavery if this blessed hope of resurrection had not existed.
___Meanwhile, our contemporary society remains fascinated with old cemeteries, but fearful of death and dying. Elaborate headstones and other traditions continue to give way to smaller plots, tiny "stackable" vaults and much-hastened funerals.
___Granted, some will quickly point out, as did my parents upon returning from the Holy Land, that nothing is more inspiring than the simpler, much-less-ornate reverence of "Gordon's Calvary"--now believed much more likely to have been the actual place where Jesus was crucified than the excessively-gilded, traditional location.
___Yet back in the United States, there remains a widespread belief that issues surrounding life and death are becoming more impersonal. One backlash which has been interesting to observe is that an increasing number of churches--even Baptist churches--are erecting memorial walls into which ashes of beloved parishioners are laid to rest.
___Are all of these trends good or bad? Jesus himself experienced soul-wrenching grief, yet Christians often refuse to give themselves permission to do so. They forget that the cross and the resurrection go hand and hand.
___In a previous lesson, one which beautifully set the stage for this week's text, Mark Wingfield wrote powerfully and poignantly about his father's agonizing struggle with cancer. As we reflect upon the bodily resurrection described in 1 Corinthians 15, would you indulge another writer with the same first name to relay a somewhat similar experience?
___In 1998, my own father, a faithful Baptist preacher both before and after being stricken with lymphoma months earlier, was having to struggle even more painfully. At the end of those last two weeks, he finally lapsed into a coma. Every semon ever preached, every principle he had ever stood for was being tested, tried and validated. In typical fashion, Dad appeared to be enduring everything much better than the rest of us. His funeral was a glorious celebration of our eternal hope in Christ Jesus.
___There were, however, some lingering spiritual questions surrounding Dad's death which continued to nag at my soul; and I wasn't at peace. Having worked for years in the counseling and psychiatric field, I realized the various stages of grief taking place within those of us who remained--as it should be. And yes, we knew he was in a better place, no longer suffering.
___But as much as I tried to use a mental eraser, thoughts of uncertainty refused to leave. I kept pondering, over and over, what might have been going through Dad's mind during those final hours--or for that matter, any person resigned to the sobering reality that one's final chapter of earthly life has now arrived. No turning back; knowing that heaven will be wonderful. Yet from a human standpoint, I believed there had to be--at least for those stricken with illness in the prime of life--a profound sense of disappointment.
___Then, waking early one morning and deciding it would be an excellent time to pray, Providence grabbed my attention. Not an audible voice, but it was as if God was saying, "Just let me do the talking this morning." (An aspect of prayer we sometimes forget when offering God our wish list.) Had there been a literal conversation, here's how it could be described: "Is my grace still sufficient?" (Yes, Lord, of course.) "Do you still believe that it's sufficient?" (Of course, Lord, I believe it. Have I now become Peter, having to be asked the same question three times?)
___And then, it was as if the Prince of Peace slammed me against the wall: "Do you or do you not believe that I'm powerful enough to have given your dad the full amount of grace needed to sustain and comfort him throughout his final hours of suffering?"
___Don't miss the portrait of irony the Apostle Paul paints for us, as you read, study and cherish 1 Corinthians 15. His emphasis on a bodily resurrection cannot be overstated. Why? This giant of the Christian faith, one who now speaks joyfully of heaven, is the same person who begged (in Galatians) for God to deliver him from an unidentified "thorn" of suffering.
___Just as Isaac believed himself to be abandoned by Abraham.
___Just as in his humanity, Jesus cried out to God, believing himself to be abandoned by the Father.
___Just as many have felt abandoned while sitting helplessly beside a loved one in a hospital bed.
___Grief and loss remain very real, yet only temporary in hindsight. Ultimately, the Father never abandons any of his children! While suffering remains, there are spiritual lessons to be learned in the wilderness that cannot be explained by human experience or earthly reason. In the shelter of life's storms, his grace is sufficient.
___"Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory?" No doubt for Paul, as he approached the end of his own earthly life, these words would become more than just empty "what-ifs" or sentimental reflection. Despite the pain and uncertainty of his immediate trials, he knew that any degree of personal suffering would be infinitely small in comparison to the glory which lay ahead. Is our own commitment to the Christian faith that strong?
___Mark Ray is a former Texas Baptist now serving as minister of education at First Baptist Church of Hartselle, Ala., where his congregation uses BaptistWay Press Sunday School materials

Questions for thought and discussion
___ How easy is it for churches and individuals to lose track of the essentials of the gospel and become focused on secondary issues of lesser consequence? How can that be protected against?
___ How often do thoughts of the resurrection enter your mind? Is the resurrection a pivotal point of your faith? Is it important that it be, or is it one of those lesser matters?
___ How is the resurrection central to the hope we find in Christ? Is it possible to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection?
___ How is the resurrection a hedge against thoughts that God has forgotten and abandoned you?
___ How does the assurance of the resurrection change the way Christians deal with death? Why is it still appropriate for Christians to grieve if the promise of the resurrection has removed death's "sting"?
___ How does the resurrection affect the way you live your life each day on Earth? Is this a conscious thing, or is it more of a matter of lifestyle?

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