Sabbath School Week

Read for This Week’s Study

1 Corinthians 15; Luke 24:44–47; Rev. 20:5, 6; Col. 2:12; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Thess. 4:13–17.

Memory Text:

“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. . . . And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Corinthians 15:14–17, NKJV).

How fascinating that, even in his time, Paul had to deal with those who denied the resurrection of the dead. After all, people back then saw what death did to the human body. They knew how the corpse liquifies, then dries up into dust, and then becomes almost nothing. And they knew that people have been dead for a long time, too. In fact, most people have been dead a lot longer than they were alive.

The resurrection of the dead seemed no more plausible to them back then than it does to us now, at least from a human standpoint. And that must have been an issue that Paul was addressing.

And it was crucial, too. If Jesus is not risen, He is not who He said He was, the Cross had no effect, and our sins have not been paid for. Despair is really all we would have remaining. But our Lord is risen, ascended into heaven, and will return to take us home!

This week we will focus on 1 Corinthians 15 and its teaching on the resurrection of Christ. Influenced by the surrounding pagan worldview, some in Corinth were saying that there is no resurrection. In response, Paul affirms the resurrection of Christ as our only hope of salvation.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 22.

Supplemental EGW Notes

As a Christian submits to the solemn rite of baptism, the three highest powers in the universe—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—place Their approval on his act, pledging Themselves to exert Their power in his behalf as he strives to honor God. He is buried in the likeness of Christ’s death, and is raised in the likeness of His resurrection. . . .
The three great powers of heaven pledge Themselves to furnish the Christian with all the assistance he requires. The Spirit changes the heart of stone to the heart of flesh. And by partaking of the Word of God, Christians obtain an experience that is after the divine similitude. When Christ abides in the heart by faith, the Christian is the temple of God. Christ does not abide in the heart of the sinner, but in the heart of him who is susceptible to the influences of heaven.
The light that shines forth from the life of the true Christian testifies to his union with Christ. Self is hidden from view, and Christ is revealed. . . . “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Then those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God.
My brother, my sister, God’s purpose for you is that you shall live a life that will make others better—a life which will show that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. It is His purpose that you shall be able to say with the apostle Paul, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). In perfect content, resting in the love of Christ, trusting the Redeemer and Life-giver to work out for you the salvation of your soul, you will know, as you draw nearer and still nearer to Him, what it means to endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. . . . The contentment that Christ bestows is a gift worth infinitely more than gold and silver and precious stones. . . .
Our lives are pure only when we are under the control of God, and happy only when we hold communion with Him. The luster possessed by those who have gained the richest experience is but the reflection of the light of the Sun of Righteousness. He who lives nearest to Jesus shines the brightest.—Reflecting Christ, p. 107.

The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.

Paul begins 1 Corinthians 15 by focusing on the gospel. He speaks about the gospel: (1) which he preached to the Corinthians; (2) which they received; (3) in which they stood; and (4) by which they were saved (1 Cor. 15:1, 2, NKJV). This opening prepares the reader for what comes next in the chapter and shows how essential Christ’s resurrection is for our salvation (see also Rom. 10:9, 10). His resurrection is such a vital part of the gospel message that denying it contradicts one’s faith in Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Luke 24:44–47, and Romans 1:1–4. What do these passages have in common?

In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, one can find a summary of Paul’s message. Whether the phrase “according to the Scriptures” refers to particular Old Testament passages or to the Old Testament as a whole doesn’t matter. Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfill God’s promises found in the Old Testament.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:2, 11. Why do these verses place the concepts of believing and preaching side by side? What is the relationship between the two?

All who proclaim that Christ is risen must first believe that His resurrection is a historical event. In this case, 1 Corinthians 15:5–8 plays a critical role in the New Testament. This passage provides solid scriptural evidence that Christ was seen by numerous people after His resurrection, many of whom were still alive by the time Paul wrote the letter (1 Cor. 15:6).

Basically, Paul is saying, Go ask them for yourselves what they saw. That is how confident he was in the reality of Christ’s resurrection.

These people were eyewitnesses. They were what Jesus said they would be, namely, “witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48).

What reasons do we have for believing in Christ’s resurrection? Also, what other things, secular or sacred, do we believe even if we haven’t seen them ourselves?

Supplemental EGW Notes

The events of Christ’s life, His death and resurrection, the prophecies pointing to these events, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus for the remission of sins—to all these things they [His disciples] had been witnesses, and they were to make them known to the world. They were to proclaim the gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour.
Before ascending to heaven, Christ gave His disciples their commission. He told them that they were to be the executors of the will in which He bequeathed to the world the treasures of eternal life. You have been witnesses of My life of sacrifice in behalf of the world, He said to them. You have seen My labors for Israel. And although My people would not come to Me that they might have life, although priests and rulers have done unto Me as they listed, although they have rejected Me, they shall have still another opportunity of accepting the Son of God. You have seen that all who come to Me confessing their sins, I freely receive. Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. To you, My disciples, I commit this message of mercy. It is to be given to both Jews and Gentiles—to Israel, first, and then to all nations, tongues, and peoples. All who believe are to be gathered into one church.
The gospel commission is the great missionary charter of Christ’s kingdom. The disciples were to work earnestly for souls, giving to all the invitation of mercy. They were not to wait for the people to come to them; they were to go to the people with their message.
The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved. Their faith was to center in Him who is the source of mercy and power. In His name they were to present their petitions to the Father, and they would receive answer. They were to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing was to be recognized in His kingdom that did not bear His name and superscription.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 27, 28.

The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.

In 1 Corinthians 15:9–19, Paul explains how severe and dreadful the consequences of denying the Resurrection are. Without the Resurrection, believers have no hope in the present, much less in the future.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:9–19. What do we lose if Christ has not been raised?

By and large, ancient pagans did not believe in resurrection, especially in the Greek world, with its belief in body-soul dualism (at death the soul soars off to wherever the souls of the dead supposedly go). Paul begins the paragraph in 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 with a rhetorical question that shows his deep bewilderment: “What? How can some of you say that there is no such thing as the resurrection of the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:12, author’s translation). For Paul, disbelieving in the Resurrection is inconceivable, especially because there were so many eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:5–8). But even worse, without the Resurrection, their hope is built on a lie, and they are still in their sins.

He says, in fact, that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then (1) Christ has not been raised (1 Cor. 15:13, 16); (2) our preaching is empty (1 Cor. 15:14); (3) our faith is also empty (1 Cor. 15:14); (4) we are false witnesses (1 Cor. 15:15); (5) our faith is futile (1 Cor. 15:17); (6) we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17); and, obviously, (7) those who have died are no more (1 Cor. 15:18).

Without the Resurrection, both preaching and faith are empty (1 Cor. 15:14). The Greek term rendering the word “empty” is kenos. This is a good translation, but it is too broad. Interpreters debate whether kenos means “empty” in the sense of lacking truth (so, “untrue”) or lacking results (so, “without result or effect”) or lacking purpose (so, “without purpose,” “in vain”).

Whatever the specific meaning, in a scenario in which resurrection does not exist, faith is portrayed as futile, from the Greek mataios (1 Cor. 15:17). Although mataios is not much different from kenos, the idea is that if Jesus is not alive, faith is fruitless, a delusion, because our sins have not been forgiven (1 Cor. 15:17). We would be false witnesses, deceiving and being deceived (1 Cor. 15:15).

How does one make sense of 1 Corinthians 15 if the dead soar off to heaven (or to hell) immediately? Why, then, is understanding that the dead sleep such an important teaching?

Supplemental EGW Notes

Hope has been set before us, even the hope of eternal life. Nothing short of this blessing for us will satisfy our Redeemer, but it is our part to lay hold upon this hope by faith in Him who has promised. We may expect to suffer, for it is those who are partakers with Him in His sufferings who shall be partakers with Him in His glory. He has purchased forgiveness and immortality for the sinful, perishing souls of men, but it is our part to receive these gifts by faith. Believing in Him, we have this hope as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. We are to understand that we may confidently expect God’s favor not only in this world but in the heavenly world, since He paid such a price for our salvation. Faith in the atonement and intercession of Christ will keep us steadfast and immovable amid the temptations that press upon us in the church militant. Let us contemplate the glorious hope that is set before us, and by faith lay hold upon it. . . .
We gain heaven not through our own merits but through the merits of Jesus Christ. . . . Let your hope not be centered in yourself, but in Him who has entered within the vail. Talk of the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is true that we are exposed to great moral peril; it is true that we are in danger of being corrupted. But this danger threatens us only as we trust in self and look no higher than our own human efforts. In doing this we shall make shipwreck of faith.
In Christ our hope of eternal life is centered. . . . Our hope is an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast when it entereth into that within the vail, for the tempest-tossed soul becomes a partaker of the divine nature. He is anchored in Christ. Amid the raging elements of temptation he will not be driven upon the rocks or drawn into the whirlpool. His ship will outride the storm.—That I May Know Him, p. 79.

Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in men’s minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God. . . . He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness. He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ.—Maranatha, p. 99.

The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.