Simply Summing It Up

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The good news according to Paul is not terribly complicated nor is it difficult to understand. He shares it with his readers in Corinth: “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). One thing to note here is that Paul is passing along what has been given to him. Faith is a gift he has received and one he is eager to share. Another thing to note is the role that scripture plays in Paul’s message. What Paul says about Jesus is a confirmation of the promise that God has made to past generations. None of this should come as a surprise to those who are familiar with Judaism. And finally, that which Paul says is of “first importance” to people of faith centers on the sacrificial (and very real) death of Jesus followed by his resurrection.

For Paul the spread of the gospel is based on the truth of what happened in and through Jesus and its foundation in the faith tradition of Israel. We should not allow centuries of theological wrangling to cloud this simple message: Jesus died; he was buried; he was raised again just like scripture said it would be. This is the “important stuff.”

We have celebrated the resurrection. Now we return to the work of sharing the gospel, and if we follow Paul’s lead we will do so with a reliance on the simple truth.

Prayer: Lord guide us as we seek to live the faith that we have been given. In Jesus’ name. Amen.