1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-32

The resurrection is the lynchpin of all history. With it, all things hold together. Without it, nothing truly matters. Yet, in Corinth, as is today, many try to present the work of Christ without his physical or factual resurrection. Not only should this not be so, because it’s factually in error, but it is foolish to do so. Functionally, all of Christianity is angled toward self sacrifice. As paul reflects on unity in at Corinth, he notes that the witness of the apostles is only possible with this life orientation. This sacrifice is made wise by the truth that it is the beginning of relationship rather than the end. When we die for others, in any extreme, it opens the door for relationship. Without the fact of resurrection, this cannot be demonstrated as true. There is no hope in that. Self sacrifice cannot be a means to demonstrate God’s glory without resurrection. Yet many try to present the gospel without this central tenant of its hope. There is no gospel without life at its end.