Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Why is the Apostle Paul speaking in a circular argument, he seemed to be going round in circles concerning the resurrection of Christ. It seemed he is till we realize that he is speaking a statement of truth, a factual declaration. Then his argument makes sense. If it is founded on the truth, there is there no dispute.
The truth of the resurrection was sorely challenged as an untruth. But the truth cannot be nullified because it is fixed upon the backbone of history. The Apostle Paul himself saw the resurrected Christ. He was an eye-witness. He cannot deny the truth of the resurrected Christ that he saw. He has to be true the heavenly vision that turned his life around.
It was the grace of God that enabled the Apostle Paul to labour for the Lord. He testified how God enabled him to go labour on, spend and be spent. God’s favour was with him to make a way for him to do His work. It was effectual. The Apostle Paul not only was enabled to spread the gospel to Asia Minor and Europe leading to the conversion of souls and the formation of churches but he was gifted to write the Scripture. Scroggie gave this chart highlighting the grace of God upon this man to complete the bulk of New Testament Scriptures.
The resurrected Christ was witnessed by the Apostle Paul and he writes to testify for our blessing. He felt himself unworthy but salvation is indeed only by God’s grace. It certainly keeps us humble because we cannot boast any wit concerning our salvation. It enabled him to be an effective witness for his Lord. In his testimony to King Agrippa, he testified of His God-given mandate for the gospel:
The resurrection Christ appeared to all the apostles including James and lastly by Paul himself on the road to Damascus:
Acts 9:1-6 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was seen of above 500 brethren at once. What a proof of the resurrection. Jesus is alive. And many of God’s people have seen Him personally. We receive this truth by faith in the infallible record of Scripture.
It’s so wonderful to consider the realities of the day that Christ rose and even more wonderful to consider the realities of all that has happened since He rose and happens every day as sinners are given salvation who believe in the risen Christ. If you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved.
The Apostle Paul testified the resurrected Christ appeared and was seen by Cephas or the Apostle Peter. This is the Peter who denied the Lord three times and yet the Lord was gracious to appear to him first. Jesus also appeared to the twelve disciples. It is proof of the resurrection by eye-witnesses. Jesus’ disciples testified of His resurrection. It is an eye-witness truth and is to be made known to the world. The resurrected Christ’s appearance to the disciples made them bold proclaimers of the truth of the resurrection from the Day of Pentecost.
Christ died and was buried and rose from the dead the third day. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead marks the greatest event in human history. Death was conquered when Christ rose from the dead. It was a historical event, the third day after Jesus died, He rose from the dead. By that power of the resurrection, the bondage of sin was broken.
The Scriptures predicted the coming of suffering Messiah – the Christ, the Lamb of God that will take away the sins of the world fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:
Isaiah 53:4-8 (KJV) 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
The Corinthian believers are reminded of God’s grace that came to them through the preaching of the gospel by the Apostle Paul by which they were saved. He is reminding them of the power of the gospel that mightily shattered their bondage to sin and granted to them the freedom to choose not to sin. They now live as free men, by the merits of Jesus Christ, wherein they stand justified.