The Resurrection of the Dead
“…There will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.”
Acts 24.15
A few years ago, my wife and I visited the ancient city of Corinth. As we walked through the vestiges of this once powerful, Greek city, I reflected on the two letters that Paul had written to the Church there. Even though it was a fairly large church, it was plagued by moral sins, factions, doctrinal heresies, interpersonal strife and jealousies. As I looked around, trying to imagine what it was like in the First Century, I thought: “What a messed up place this must have been.”
Before arriving at Corinth, Paul had been preaching in Athens. He had met with the thinkers of the city on the Areopagus and was explaining the Gospel to them. They were quite interested with this “new” teaching, until he mentioned the resurrection of the dead, (Acts 17.31). At this some mocked and left, while others wanted to hear more. This was the dividing point; the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead meant something entirely different that the immortality of the soul. Immortality of the soul was not something new for the Greeks, for Plato and Socrates were already highly esteemed for presenting such thoughts. Why some mocked is because Paul taught the resurrection of the physical body.
This is the message Paul also preached in Corinth and was the basis of their faith. He said: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (I Cor. 15.13-14) It was not a mystical or spiritual “resurrection” into some kind of heavenly bliss, as the Greek philosophers had taught. It was a bodily resurrection with the purpose of standing before the judgment seat of Christ to give account of all the deeds done in the body. Paul wrote to Timothy, warning him of those who had swerved from the truth by saying that the resurrection had already taken place, thus adhering to the mystical Platonism of the day. This error was so serious that it was upsetting the faith of some.
We are not told exactly what form of denial of the resurrection of the dead was taking place in Corinth, but I believe it is similar to what Timothy was confronting in Ephesus. Paul told Timothy that this error would “lead to more and more ungodliness”, (II Tim. 2.16). Though Paul only exposes the error of denying the resurrection of the dead in chapter 15 of First Corinthians, the fruit of this error is evident throughout chapters 1-14. The reason why some deny the resurrection of the dead is because they want to avoid what follows; judgment. But this is unavoidable for the Scriptures say: “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment.” (Heb. 9.27)
Paul and the other Apostles saw the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead as fundamental for their faith. They traveled the world calling men everywhere to repent, to receive the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. There is a day coming when we must all give an account of how we have lived our lives. Those who have had their sins washed clean by the blood of Jesus have nothing to fear when they stand before Christ at His judgment seat.
Scriptures to meditate on:
I Cor. 15.12-14; II Cor. 5.10; II Tim. 2.17-19; Heb. 6.1-2; 9.27; Rom. 14.10