The World's Darkest Assumption
It has been called “the world’s darkest assumption.” What is it? It is the following hypothetical—“IF Christ is not risen” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, summarized the case for the bodily resurrection of Jesus when he (Paul) wrote about it not more than 25 years after the event had happened. Heaven had revealed it prophetically through the Scriptures that prophesied it (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Eyewitnesses had verified it (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The apostles had preached it, and the Corinthians believed it (1 Corinthians 15:11). Yet, some among them, in spite of the sufficient evidence that proved it, were denying the reality of it (1 Corinthians 15:12-13). With flawless logic, Paul addresses it, explicating the implications of darkness and doom that reside in the proposition: “Christ is not risen” (1 Corinthians 15:14-19).
(1) If Christ is not risen, then Gospel preaching is unsubstantial (1 Cor. 15:14). Paul affirmed that without the resurrection “our preaching is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). The word vain here means empty (NKJV). Remove the resurrection and Gospel preaching is “without content. . . . [T]here is nothing left” (Rogers and Rogers 386).
(2) If Christ is not risen, then Christian faith is unreasonable. “Your faith is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Faith is left in futility and without purpose apart from the resurrection (cf. Acts 17:18; 26:6-8).
(3) If Christ is not risen, then the apostles of Christ are unethical. Paul stated “[W]e are false witnesses . . . if the dead do not rise” (1 Corinthians 15:15). If Christ is not risen, then the apostles were colossal liars because they “testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom he did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise” (v. 15).
(4) If Christ is not risen, then the soul of man is unredeemable. Without the resurrection “you are still in your sins!” (1 Corinthians 15:17). A dead Savior could not and cannot save, but Jesus Christ is “able to save . . . since He ever lives” (Hebrews 7:25).
(5) If Christ is not risen, then the end of life is unrewardable. Paul declared, “Then also those who have fallen asleep [died, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18] . . . have perished” (1 Corinthians 15:18) if Christ was not raised.
(6) If Christ is not risen, then the Christian life is undesirable. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). If Christianity is false, then being a Christian does not make anyone better. Rather, Paul implies one should be pitied for believing what is a lie if Christ is not risen.
Paul’s sound logical argument set forth in the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians (vv. 14-19) implies that if it is true that Christ is not risen, then the above six consequences are also true. However, it is false that the above consequences are true, therefore, it is also false that Christ is not risen. In other words, Christ is risen!
Paul’s argument, guaranteed and affirmed through the process of inspiration (2 Timothy 3:14-17; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 14:37; 2 Peter 1:16-21; 3:15-16), may be precisely stated as follows:
1. If Christ is not risen, a) then Gospel preaching is unsubstantial, b)Christian faith is unreasonable, c) the apostles of Christ are unethical, d) the soul of man is unredeemable, e) the end of life is unrewardable, and f) the Christian life is undesirable.
2. It is false that a) Gospel preaching is unsubstantial, b) Christian faith is unreasonable, c) the apostles of Christ are unethical, d) the soul of man is unredeemable, e) the end of life is unrewardable, and f) the Christian life is undesirable.
3. Therefore, it is false that Christ is not risen.
The dark, doomful, and damnable assumption “Christ is not risen” is false! With certainty, Paul declared, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead . . .” (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV). The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is an authenticated fact of ancient history. The same writer, Paul the apostle, who wrote the logically sound argument implied in 1 Corinthians 15 introduced his inexhaustible letter to the church at Rome with the claim that the One “declared to be the Son of God in power . . . by His resurrection from the dead” is Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4).
Up from the grave He arose! Life is worth the living and dying because He died for my sins in accordance with the Scriptures, was buried, and He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He is my life and my hope (Colossians 1:27; 3:4). I await my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who one day will transform my lowly body to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). What a Savior!