Paul addressed this in his first letter to the church at Corinth. He begins by handing them what they already know and believe. "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you," he starts (1 Cor 15:1) and goes on with what that gospel was.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4)He goes on from there to offer evidence -- proofs. Eyewitnesses. Verifiable. "Just go ask them." But "of first importance" was that Jesus died for our sins and that He rose on the third day. "So we preach," he concluded, "and so you believed" (1 Cor 15:11). So what's the big deal?
The next thing Paul did was address the claim that there was no such thing as resurrection (1 Cor 15:12). If there was no such thing, he said, then Christ didn't rise. And if Christ didn't rise then "our preaching is vain" and "your faith also is vain" (1 Cor 15:14). Worse, those who believe it would be lying about God (1 Cor 15:15). Further, we're still in our sins (1 Cor 15:17). Beyond that, there is no hope for those who have died (1 Cor 15:18). "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only," Paul concludes, "we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor 15:19).
What's so important about the Resurrection? Everything. Without it, Christianity is nonsense and life is useless. "If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'" (1 Cor 15:23). In the negative, then, if there is no resurrection, there is no hope and no purpose to life but temporary pleasure and then oblivion. On the positive side, if the Resurrection is true, there are some amazing ramifications. We have hope for new bodies (1 Cor 15:35-49). We have hope for eternal life -- imperishable (1 Cor 15:50). We have hope for immortality (1 Cor 15:53). Death is defeated! (1 Cor 15:54-57). And, very practically, we have a solid reason to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58).
There has always been and will always be as long as this world abides those who argue against any resurrection in general and the Resurrection of Christ in particular. It started the day He rose again (Matt 28:11-15). It hasn't stopped. It's primarily because on this singular claim, a fact attested to by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Cor 15:6), is our greatest source of hope and our greatest reason to serve God with joy and confidence. The Resurrection of Christ is not optional. It is essential. Don't ever let them tell you otherwise.
4 comments:
Isn't the Resurrection also important because it is proof that God accepted the sacrifice of Christ? Without it, we simply have another man killed by the government. Without it, his death is no different than any other. Without it, there is no proof that the payment has been made and death defeated.
The Resurrection certainly validates the payment as accepted. I just was going off of what I found in the text for this.
It seems like it could be argued that even those who want to disregard the resurrection, acknowledge how important it is. If they didn't, then I don't think they'd have invested so much in advancing alternate theories about it. I have to say that there have been some creative attempts to turn the resurrection into anything other than what it was.
I believe you're right, Craig. I think the Resurrection stands as a massive problem to the skeptic. I mean, if this thing is true, it changes everything. And the problem is that it is so ... defensible. Even in Paul's day he offered "eyewitnesses." It leaves little room for anything but the Faith as true. So it can't be ignored; it has to be combatted at every turn. Either diminish its significance or deny its truth or dismiss it outright, but don't just nod and say, "Whatever."
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