1 Corinthians 15:12-14 addresses a false teaching in the Corinthian church. Paul has established the foundational importance of their faith, of the existence of the Corinthian church, being founded on belief that Jesus rose from the dead. That being the case, why then is there a false teaching circulating the Corinthian church that claims that believers will not also rise from the dead in the future, as promised? If there is no resurrection of the dead, as the false teachers claim, then Jesus was not raised from the dead. If Jesus was not raised and is still dead, then Paul has preached nonsense to no purpose. Which means the Corinthians' faith and church assembly is pointless.
In 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, Paul confronts the Corinthian claim that there is no resurrection ofthe dead by showing that the denial, if true, would unravel Christ's own resurrection and empty both the preaching and the faith in Christ. He puts the question to them directly:
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (v 12).
Paul now names the error he has been circling: Some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead (v 12). The deniers apparently accepted Christ's resurrection as preached while rejecting a future bodily resurrection for everyone else, treating the afterlife as the soul's escape from the body.
That split was native to their world. Greek thought from Plato onward honored the immortal soul and despised the corpse; the Athenians sneered when Paul reached the resurrection (Acts 17:32). Even within Judaism, the Sadducees said, "there is no resurrection" (Acts 23:8) likely because they had substantially assimilated Hellenistic thought and practice.
Given this historical context, it is readily conceivable that Corinthian believers could hold a spiritualized faith, confident of heaven for the soul, while finding the raising of dead bodies crude and unnecessary. Just as with other syncretized beliefs, Paul takes them to task. Paul's goal is to see Christ fully formed within his spiritual children (Galatians 4:19). He is not trying get them to like him. He refused to ask them for financial support, in order to avoid compromising his ministry and influence (1 Corinthians 9:12). His goal is to lead them to the truth.
Next Paul speaks directly about the centrality of resurrection for believers—the entire gospel rests upon there being a resurrection for those who believe as well as for Jesus: But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain (vv 13-14).
Paul began this train of thought with a creed of the gospel that was apparently in common use and had been embraced (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). He now claims the very foundation is pulled out from under the central claim of the gospel if believers do not raise from the dead.
His argument is that Christ's resurrection belongs to the category the deniers reject: If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised (v 13). Jesus died a fully human death; His rising was a dead man rising. Deny the category and the instance of Christ's resurrection falls with it.
The deniers of resurrection perhaps thought they were trimming an awkward teaching from the edge of the faith. Paul shows them that the teaching of the resurrection is central and essential.
Two consequences follow immediately if the denier's claim is true, that there is no resurrection from the dead for believers. First our preaching is vain (v 14). The Greek word "kenos" rendered vain means empty, hollow, without content. This means that everything Paul and the rest of the apostles have proclaimed since Pentecost collapses and is made void. It is all words without substance.
And further, the faith of the Corinthians goes up in smoke with it. Ifthere is no resurrection, then your faith also is vain. Paul opened with the creed that rests on faith in the resurrection of Christ. If there is no resurrection, then there is nothing in which to believe. Faith takes its value from its object, and faith aimed at an unrisen Christ connects to nothing, and therefore becomes nothing.
The Corinthians apparently prided themselves on knowledge and spiritual attainment (1 Corinthians 8:1). This would be a very Greek thing to do, since a core Greek value was seeking glory. Paul informs them that the position circulating among them, followed to its end, leaves them with empty preaching and an empty heart.
The remaining verses of the argument will extend the wreckage further before the great reversal of 1 Corinthians 15:20, where he argues that Christ is a first fruits--meaning that all who believe in Him will follow in resurrection. This is our great hope, and a certain future salvation for all believers. We will all be delivered from this body of flesh and death and gain a new, spiritual body without a fallen nature.
1 Corinthians 15:12-14
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
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1 Corinthians 15:12-14 meaning
In 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, Paul confronts the Corinthian claim that there is no resurrection of the dead by showing that the denial, if true, would unravel Christ's own resurrection and empty both the preaching and the faith in Christ. He puts the question to them directly:
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (v 12).
Paul now names the error he has been circling: Some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead (v 12). The deniers apparently accepted Christ's resurrection as preached while rejecting a future bodily resurrection for everyone else, treating the afterlife as the soul's escape from the body.
That split was native to their world. Greek thought from Plato onward honored the immortal soul and despised the corpse; the Athenians sneered when Paul reached the resurrection (Acts 17:32). Even within Judaism, the Sadducees said, "there is no resurrection" (Acts 23:8) likely because they had substantially assimilated Hellenistic thought and practice.
Given this historical context, it is readily conceivable that Corinthian believers could hold a spiritualized faith, confident of heaven for the soul, while finding the raising of dead bodies crude and unnecessary. Just as with other syncretized beliefs, Paul takes them to task. Paul's goal is to see Christ fully formed within his spiritual children (Galatians 4:19). He is not trying get them to like him. He refused to ask them for financial support, in order to avoid compromising his ministry and influence (1 Corinthians 9:12). His goal is to lead them to the truth.
Next Paul speaks directly about the centrality of resurrection for believers—the entire gospel rests upon there being a resurrection for those who believe as well as for Jesus: But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain (vv 13-14).
Paul began this train of thought with a creed of the gospel that was apparently in common use and had been embraced (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). He now claims the very foundation is pulled out from under the central claim of the gospel if believers do not raise from the dead.
His argument is that Christ's resurrection belongs to the category the deniers reject: If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised (v 13). Jesus died a fully human death; His rising was a dead man rising. Deny the category and the instance of Christ's resurrection falls with it.
The deniers of resurrection perhaps thought they were trimming an awkward teaching from the edge of the faith. Paul shows them that the teaching of the resurrection is central and essential.
Two consequences follow immediately if the denier's claim is true, that there is no resurrection from the dead for believers. First our preaching is vain (v 14). The Greek word "kenos" rendered vain means empty, hollow, without content. This means that everything Paul and the rest of the apostles have proclaimed since Pentecost collapses and is made void. It is all words without substance.
And further, the faith of the Corinthians goes up in smoke with it. If there is no resurrection, then your faith also is vain. Paul opened with the creed that rests on faith in the resurrection of Christ. If there is no resurrection, then there is nothing in which to believe. Faith takes its value from its object, and faith aimed at an unrisen Christ connects to nothing, and therefore becomes nothing.
The Corinthians apparently prided themselves on knowledge and spiritual attainment (1 Corinthians 8:1). This would be a very Greek thing to do, since a core Greek value was seeking glory. Paul informs them that the position circulating among them, followed to its end, leaves them with empty preaching and an empty heart.
The remaining verses of the argument will extend the wreckage further before the great reversal of 1 Corinthians 15:20, where he argues that Christ is a first fruits--meaning that all who believe in Him will follow in resurrection. This is our great hope, and a certain future salvation for all believers. We will all be delivered from this body of flesh and death and gain a new, spiritual body without a fallen nature.