Vital Signs

people please take their Bibles
and turn to First Corinthians chapter 15. And I think it’s okay to be excited
to come into this new chapter to change subjects. Having walked
through Paul’s very lengthy treatment of spiritual gifts in chapter
14, Perhaps any subject might have
been a refreshing change after such a tense and even controversial
study of Paul’s discussion in chapters 12 through 14. But the
subject of chapter 15 is not just any subject. It is Paul’s
greatest articulation of the doctrine of the resurrection
of Christ anywhere in his writings. Indeed, this chapter is second
only to Christ’s own words on the resurrection, and while Paul
gently brought his discussion of spiritual gifts to a close
at the end of chapter 14, we might have expected at least
some kind of segue into a new subject. and yet there is virtually
none. Paul just opens chapter 15 with
a word translated in most of our translations as now. Admittedly,
the Greek word is a mild adversative and it could be translated but
or and. But now does fit the rather abrupt
transition into an entirely new subject. And the introduction
of this subject is surprising for another reason. Back in chapter
three, Paul had rebuked the Corinthian believers for their immaturity.
which was evidenced by the strife among them. And in verse one
and two of chapter three, he lamented, and I, brethren, could
not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh,
as to infants, babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not
solid food, for you are not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even
now you are not yet able for you are still fleshly. He basically says to them, I
had to feed you pablum, I had to feed you baby food. I could
not teach you the deep things of God. And yet here in chapter 15, Paul
nudges aside those sentiments and he provides for them some
of the deepest doctrine in all of the Bible. Sound doctrine
is crucial for the vitality of any church. The relative strength
or weakness of any given church is in direct proportion with
the depth and the purity of its teaching. Error, like the seeds
of a noxious weed in an otherwise fruitful garden, will soon flourish
and do real harm. And so Paul seeks to root out
the error that was already in bloom there in Corinth. And in 1 Corinthians chapter
15, he makes this ambitious and impressive treatment of one of
the greatest doctrines in the Bible. Others have likened the
depth of chapter 15 to Paul’s treatment of justification by
faith in Romans chapters three through five, or to his discussion
of predestination in Ephesians one, or to his Christology of
Colossians one. This chapter is right up there
with all of them. What prompted Paul to pick this
occasion and this moment, this point in his epistle, to address
so grand a subject is somewhat of a mystery. But it’s welcome
nonetheless. It seems very clear that the
Corinthians themselves did not pose a question to Paul on the
matter of the resurrection. Rather, it was again something
that Paul heard about this church, a report that had come to him,
something that stirred him to take up this subject. Paul, you
will remember, had a visit from a delegation from Corinth, and
it seems that they brought much and dismal news of the state
of the church there in Corinth. And it seems that they brought
this particular concern to Paul’s mind. You might remember in the
opening chapter, Paul acknowledged that he had caught wind of their
quarrels. But Paul also heard of people
teaching doctrinal heresy. Because here in this chapter,
he challenges it directly. Scroll down, if you would, just
briefly to verse 12. How do some among you say that
there is no resurrection? And so neither should doubt about
Christ’s resurrection surprise us. The Jewish people had ample
testimony in their scriptures of the resurrection. Isaiah 26,
19, your dead will live. Their corpses will rise. You
who lie in the dust awake, shout for joy.” Daniel 12 too. Many of those who sleep in the
dust of the ground will awake to everlasting life or to disgrace
and everlasting contempt. Job 19.26, even after my skin
is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God. The Jews had
ample evidence of the resurrection, and yet the Sadducees did not
believe in this idea of a resurrection, and so it was among the Gentiles.
When Paul preached in Athens, you might remember that Paul
declared, God has fixed a day in which he will judge the world
in righteousness through a man whom he has appointed, our Lord
Jesus, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from
the dead. And what was the response to
this glorious news? Verse 32 records, when they heard
of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer. Roman procurator Festus, we just
saw this in our Sunday school class, when he was dealing with
Paul, he spoke with a hint of disdain of both Christ and the
resurrection. When he described Jesus as a
mere dead man, whom Paul asserted to be alive. So it should not
come as a surprise to us that there were false teachers among
the Corinthians casting doubt and disbelief in the resurrection. Paul challenges them directly
in chapter 15, verse 12. How do some among you say that
there is no resurrection. These so-called teachers are
never identified, but their false teaching about the resurrection
is not only answered, it is utterly destroyed by Paul in his treatise
here in chapter 15. Paul has a very clear purpose
in this chapter. It is to extol the richness and
the fullness of the doctrine of the resurrection. If you would,
I’m only going to read the first four verses in full. Well, let’s
make it 11. I’ll read the first 11 verses
in full, and then I’m just gonna kind of skip through the rest
and give you the overall outline, and then we’ll pick up those
verses in the weeks to come. First Corinthians. Chapter 15,
beginning in verse 1, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel
which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also
you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the
word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received,
that Christ Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas,
and then to the twelve. After that, He appeared to more
than five hundred men at one time, most of whom remain until
now, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then
to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born,
he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles,
and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church
of God. But by the grace of God, I am
what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain. But I
labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace
of God with me. Whether then it was I or they,
so we preached, and so you believed. Now that section, that opening
11 verses, I would suggest to you, it declares a truth about
the resurrection, as do all of the sections here in chapter
15. That first section declares that
the resurrection is inextricably part of the gospel. Without the
resurrection, you have no gospel. The gospel is, in essence, the
resurrection. The second section, beginning
in verse 12, says that the resurrection is logically necessary. Just
look at a few verses there, verse 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? 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. Paul
is reasoning with the Corinthian believers. The third section
begins in verse 20. where Paul says that the resurrection
is not only inextricably part of the gospel, it is not only
logically necessary, it is theologically crucial. Look at verse 21. For since by man came death,
by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. The fourth section
begins in verse 35, where the resurrection is metaphorically
illustrated. Paul just pulls out all the stops
and brings forth all kinds of metaphors for the doctrine of
the resurrection. Look at just briefly at verse
42, where he says, so also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown like a seed, a perishable body, It is raised an imperishable
body. It is sown in dishonor. It is
raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is
raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It
is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there
is also a spiritual body. Paul brings a series of metaphors,
and then he closes this incredible chapter with a final thought,
he says the resurrection is gloriously anticipated. After all of that,
it almost goes without saying, but look at verse 51. Behold,
I tell you a mystery, we will not all sleep, but we will all
be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet For the trumpet will sound, and
the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” What
an incredible close to this incredible chapter. Well, we’ll begin our
first section this morning. We won’t make a lot of headway,
but I just want to pose a question to you, a scenario, really. What parent has not had the occasion
to embark on an epic family trip, a driving vacation, everyone’s
favorite, a driving vacation. And even as I say it, you chuckle
because those words don’t seem to fit together. Somewhat of
an oxymoron, driving and vacation. And you think of it, weeks, if
not months, have gone into planning this big adventure. Funds have
been saved. Maps and guides and friends have
been consulted. Family has been included in the
planning, at least a little bit. Hotel rooms have been reserved. Far away friends have been notified
or forewarned of your coming. Attraction tickets have been
purchased. House and pet sitting have been
arranged. Vehicle is ready. Tires checked. Tank filled. Windows washed.
Bags and suitcases packed. Coolers packed with road snacks. And very early, on the big day,
you’re off. But suddenly, You hear a voice
from amidst the pillows and the bags in the back seat, a familiar
voice with a predictable question. Mom? Dad? Are we there yet? Any parent who’s ever taken a
car trip of any significant length has heard that familiar question. Are we there yet is essentially
the same question that Paul begins to deal with in the opening verses
of chapter 15. Are we there yet? And it’s very
obvious that there were some professing believers in the church
of Corinth, but sadly some of the Corinthians, both by their
behavior and by the questionable doctrine which they were imbibing,
rendered their Christian testimony questionable. And so, before
the question is even verbalized, are we there yet, Paul moves
to address it. No, we’re not there yet. You’re
not there yet. We are not yet in glory. And
once more, Quite surprisingly, Paul begins to proclaim the gospel
to these professing believers, and he thereby effectively calls
the Corinthians to a personal examination, a renewed repentance,
and ultimately to perseverance in grace. In these opening verses,
I’ve called them vital signs. And what Paul gives us is glimpses
of the heralding of the message of life. That’s what the gospel
is. It’s a message of life. Come
and believe. Place your faith in Christ and
live. The first vital sign that we
see, the first glimpse of this heralding of the message of life
is the special intention by the gospel. The special intention
by the gospel. This just gives Paul’s objective. Look at verse one. Now I make
known to you, brethren, the gospel. Then there’s no way around it.
This had to smart. We recently reviewed Jesus’ confrontation
of Peter in John chapter 21, there in the midst of Peter’s
ill-timed fishing trip, remember? Jesus takes occasion to confront
Peter for the purpose of restoring him into the ministry, and three
times he poses a very uncomfortable question to Peter. Simon, son
of John, do you love me? Paul’s statement here in verse
one is like that. Now I make known to you, brethren,
the gospel. And even embedded in that sentence,
there’s a bit of a conundrum. Paul calls them brethren, brothers
in Christ, and yet to them, he desires to make known the gospel. There’s just no question the
gospel here is no other than the good news of salvation secured
by Christ’s atonement on the cross. So this is a strange thing,
or at least it would have seemed so to the Corinthians. Preach
the gospel to us? It’s subtle, but there is a definite
measure of reproach in Paul’s statement. Do I need to go back
to the very beginning? This statement would have stung
because Paul feels as if he has to go back to the very basics
of Christianity, back to the message of the gospel itself.
In a sense, it’s a reminder, but that Paul felt the need to
provide a reminder of this particular content had
to be painful to hear for the Corinthians. Had they forgotten
the significance of the gospel? Was it that obvious to their
beloved friend? And this verb, make known, it
has the sense of revealing to someone something for the first
time. This was an uncovering, a revelation
of something they’d already heard. It’s a word that was regularly
used of preaching the good news of Christ. I make known to you
the gospel. That hurts. Or at least it did
for the Corinthians. Paul’s intention is not to abuse
or injure them. But this is his stated intention
to make known again the gospel. Even though they had already
professed acceptance, Paul has to go back to the very beginning.
And none of the Corinthians could challenge Paul on his commitment
to preaching the gospel. They were all converts largely
because of his ministry. Even if they had not yet grasped
his purpose for making the gospel known to them again, they had
to acknowledge that Paul was all about making the gospel known. He provides another promise. The second glimpse of the heralding
of the gospel we see in the remainder of verse one and then a portion
of verse two. In addition to the special intention
by the gospel, Paul gives us the dynamic history with the
gospel. Would you look at the verse one
there? I make known to you, brethren,
the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received,
in which also you stand, by which also you are saved. That’s quite
a history. And in rapid succession, Paul
reviews the history of the gospel in Corinth. It was undeniable.
In four concise statements, Paul sums up 18 months of ministry. there in Corinth. He says, to
begin with, I preached. And how succinctly does Luke
record this very thing? Luke says in 18.4 that Paul was
reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade
Jews and Greeks. He was preaching the gospel. There you have it. And with God’s
encouragement of him, his preaching bore much fruit. There is an
absolutely fantastic play on words here in verse 1 that is
unfortunately almost not translatable in the English. Paul first uses
the noun form of the word and then the verb. In the initial
sentence, Paul says, I make known the gospel. The Greek word there
is euangelion, the good news, the gospel. And then in the very
next phrase, which I preached to you, Paul employs the verb
form of that word, euangelizo, to preach the good news. And
so I said, it’s difficult to reproduce this exactly in the
English. we would have to say something
like, he was good newsing the good news. He was gospelizing
the gospel. The bottom line is that Paul
faithfully proclaimed the good news of Christ, and you know
what? The Corinthians accepted it,
they received it. Paul starts a series of and statements,
translated in some of our translations as also. Statements that build
to a crescendo. I preached, and you received,
and you were established, and you were saved. Glance at the
second clause there, which you received. They not only heard
the gospel preached, they received it into their hearts. The gospel
was welcomed by faith and appropriated into the hearts and lives of
those who heard. One of the first believers in
Corinth, you might recall, one of the few mentioned was Crispus.
He was the leader of the synagogue. And yet when he heard the gospel,
God moved in his heart and he came to Christ in faith. But there were others. It says
that all of his household came to faith. And many of the Corinthians
also came to faith. After all, God had assured Paul
that he had many people in the city of Corinth. They received the message of
the gospel, but this wasn’t just a fleeting reception. Because
in the third clause, Paul reminds the true believers there in Corinth
that in their reception of the gospel that Paul preached, they
were established. Look at it. The third clause
says, in which you stand. They were established in Christ
by God’s grace. They were enabled to stand firm
against the world and the devil’s assaults. It’s another one of
Paul’s favorite metaphors, standing in Christ. Paul encouraged the
Roman believers, 5-2, we have obtained our introduction by
faith into this grace in which we stand. Or to the Ephesians,
put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand
firm against the schemes of the devil. And there was still a greater
affirmation that Paul provides in the fourth clause. Paul adds
finally, not only is the gospel preached, not only did you receive
it, not only do you stand in it, but look at the fourth clause.
Paul adds finally that the gospel is that in which they are saved. Their salvation here spoken of
is already being enjoyed in the present moment. But now, if all of that is true,
why then does Paul open this chapter with the embarrassing
line, now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel. Paul gives them a third glimpse
of the preaching of the gospel at the end of verse two. Would
you glance there, not only in our third glimpse, the special
intention by the gospel, the dynamic history with the gospel,
and the exacting condition in the gospel. If you hold fast
the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain,
that’s a very big if. If you hold fast the word which
I preached to you unless you believed in vain. It’s imperative
that we recognize to begin with that Paul is not suggesting for
a moment that someone can lose their salvation, to let go of
Jesus and fade into oblivion. That is impossible. Once God
has done the work of salvation in a person’s life, that divine
work can never be undone. But it is possible. It is possible
for a person to exercise a false and feeble faith, a faith that
inevitably fades over time. Most people don’t even know that
this is a possibility. But think of the various soils
in the parable of the soils. Remember that story that Jesus
told? Some of those little plants got
off to a great start, didn’t they? Regardless of what soil
they were on, the rocky soil, those among the thorns, they
sprang up, they germinated, they looked just like the seedling
that was coming out of the good soil. But in time, they withered
and died. And so is the person who believes
in vain with a half-hearted faith, just this kind of casual assent
to Christ, praying a one-time prayer, nodding their head, joining
a church as if that’s all they need. They have this idea that
faith is a one-time exercise, a one-time act that they perform. It’s not so. Faith is initiated at the moment
of salvation, but it’s sustained throughout life. This is why
God’s word tells us to examine ourselves, test ourselves, 2
Corinthians 13, five, to see if we are in the faith. Am I
convicted of sin? Do I enjoy the grace of God in
eradicating sin? There is in the believer’s life
to be perseverance. The one who endures to the end
will be saved. Faith is an enduring principle. It’s not a one-time acceptance.
We believe and we keep on believing. We believe so as to never stop
believing. Or as Paul says here, we are
to hold fast to the word. We are to cling to the gospel
that we receive by faith. This doesn’t necessarily mean
that Paul was doubting the salvation of the Corinthians across the
board, but there must have been enough people about whom he had
questions that in order to be faithful, he had to warn them. There is such a thing as a false
faith. There is such a thing as a feeble,
unproductive faith. James does the same thing, does
he not? By this caution in verse two,
Paul points up two possible fatalities. The first would be that the person
never truly believed in the first place. never truly repented of
his sin, he probably doesn’t even really believe that he’s
a sinner or that what he did is that bad. This is the person
who says all the right things, looks the part, and at times,
but does not truly and savingly believe. There’s a second fatality. These are the ones that are deluded.
in time, and in time they are led astray into error. They believe
that which is false. This is the person who makes
a bold profession, and for a time they appear to be genuine and
strong, and yet they are led astray. Both of those things are possible,
and in the end, either of those types of people, Paul says, believed
in vain. It’s a fascinating word, it means
hastily. They were quick to believe, they
shot up their hand, they raced down the aisle, they couldn’t
wait to pray the prayer before they even counted the
cost. Before they even realized that this was a life commitment. And Paul basically, it’s as if
he wonders aloud, how, Corinthians, how could you vacillate? How
could you doubt? How could you even question the
doctrine of the resurrection, since that is what your faith
was established in? There’s a fourth glimpse of his
heralding of the gospel, these vital signs that Paul has given,
the special intention by the gospel, the dynamic history with
the gospel, the exacting condition in the gospel, and fourth, the
ultimate priority of the gospel. Would you look at verses three
and four? For I delivered to you as of first importance what
I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised
on the third day according to the Scriptures. Here in verses
three and four, Paul provides support for what he says in the
opening two verses, and there’s a bit of a question as to what
exactly Paul is explaining. There are some that want to append
verses three and four to that first line in verse one. Now, I make known to you, brethren,
the gospel, for I delivered to you. And then again, he could
be appending verses three and four to the last clause in verse
two, unless you believed in vain, for I delivered to you. This is, really difficult stuff,
but I think it’s far better because the first option is vague, and
the second option seems completely disconnected. I think it’s far
better to take verses three and four as explaining the entirety
of verses one and two. Paul had indeed come preaching
the gospel. These believers had a dynamic
interaction with the gospel, and they stood warned about their
perseverance in the faith. And Paul provides proof for all
of that in verses 3 and 4. Look there if you would. Paul
says in verse 3, I delivered to you as of first importance
what I received. Paul was faced with the message
and the promises of the gospel like everyone else, he received
it. He doesn’t tell us when or from
whom he received this good news. It is very possible that he received
these things directly from the Lord. When Paul gave his testimony
in the opening chapter of Galatians, remember, he told them that the
gospel was preached to me is not according to man. That means
he’s suggesting he received it as a direct revelation from Christ. For I neither received it from
man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation
of Jesus Christ. Paul was faithful in this calling
too. He delivered that same divine
message to others. Paul received the good news and
he delivered the good news. This is what every believer is
called to do, right? But note this amazing thing.
Paul says that I delivered to you as of first importance. Paul isn’t talking about first
in order of time, but first in order of importance. The doctrine
of the resurrection was crucial to Paul. Corinth wasn’t the first
city that Paul visited. It wasn’t even close. But as
soon as he arrived, he had one primary message. This is the
priority that Paul placed on the declaration of the good news.
It was the main thing. Wherever Paul went, whatever
Paul wrote, the doctrine of the resurrection was at the core
of his preaching and teaching. Think of this, in his very first
recorded sermon, Paul declared of Christ, they laid him in a
tomb, but God raised him from the dead. In his very earliest
epistles, the resurrection was always foremost. Galatians 1.1,
arguably the first verse that Paul ever wrote, He says, he
speaks of Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from
the dead. What a way to start a ministry. To the Thessalonian
church early, very early in his ministry, he tells them up front
in 110 to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the
dead. In his epic work, the Epistle
to the Romans, he expounds upon the resurrection over and over
again. Chapter 1 verse 4, Christ Jesus
was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from
the dead. Chapter 4 verse 25, he was raised
for our justification. Romans 6.4, Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father. 8.11, he who raised
Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. 8.34, Christ Jesus who died rather
who was raised. It’s the same thing in all of
the epistles that he writes, 1 Corinthians. God has not only
raised the Lord, but will raise us up through his power. The
resurrection was a crucial doctrine to Paul. 2 Corinthians 4.14,
he who raised the Lord will raise us also. And he does the same
thing to the Ephesians, he who raised him from the dead, seated
him at the right hand of the father. Philippians 3.10, the
power of the resurrection. Wherever Paul went, wherever
Paul spoke, whatever Paul wrote, it was all about the resurrection.
And then he took up his pen one last time. There was nothing more important
for him to write than the resurrection. 2 Timothy 2.8, remember Jesus
Christ, risen from the dead. You could distill it all down
to that one truth. Look, won’t you know that how
Paul describes this all important message? There are three elements. Christ died for our sins. He
was buried and he was raised on the third day. That’s not the totality of the
gospel message. There is faith, there is repentance,
but that is the essence of the gospel message. Christ died for
our sins, was buried, and he rose from the dead. That is good
news. Jesus, the gospel writers tell
us, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many. to die for our sins. That Christ
died for sinners is one of Paul’s most surely held convictions. 2 Corinthians 5.14, one died
for all. Jesus Christ died for the sin
of all. Romans 5 8, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. First Timothy 2, Christ Jesus
gave himself as a ransom for all. First of all, he says Christ
died for our sins. Would you look at that? We’re
preparing to go to the Lord’s table. And this one truth should
make us all to rejoice in this table, in the celebration of
the Lord’s table, Christ died for our sins. And then he adds,
according to the scriptures, this is what the Bible said, that Christ died would not have
been remarkable to the average here, everybody dies. The remarkable
part was that he died for our sins. Christ went to the cross
to atone for our sin. And by the scriptures, Paul cannot
possibly be talking about the episode of his crucifixion as
recorded in the gospels. That’s not what Paul is referencing.
The gospels were not yet written What Paul is pointing to here
is the Old Testament scriptures, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Genesis
22, and particular passages such as Zechariah 1210. Just listen.
They will look on me whom they have pierced, they will mourn
for him as one mourns for an only son. Isaiah 53. Surely our griefs he himself
bore, and our sorrows he carried, yet we ourselves esteemed him
stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was pierced
through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities.
The chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging
we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone
astray. Each of us has turned to his
own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall
on him. Second, he was buried. This seems almost matter of fact.
The dead must be properly dealt with, buried or cremated, what
have you, and all four Gospels record that Jesus was indeed
buried, but why does Paul feel the need to share this seemingly
mundane detail? Because it highlights the fact
that Jesus Christ was really and truly dead. which presupposes
the fact that he was really and truly raised. And that’s his third point. This
makes this third point astonishingly possible. Jesus was dead and
buried, but he was raised on the third day, according to the
scriptures. And here again, Paul is not referencing
any New Testament writings when he mentions the scriptures here. He has in mind passages like
Psalm 1610. You will not abandon my soul
to Sheol, nor will you allow your Holy One to undergo decay.
Peter cites this very passage in his first sermon, Acts 2.
Remember, he’s defending the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. It was a passage that was ostensibly
written about David, but it cannot ultimately apply to him. Peter
said it this way, the patriarch David died and was buried. No, David looked ahead, Peter
says, and spoke of the resurrection of Christ. So great was this
explanation that Paul uses the exact same argument in Acts 13. David fell asleep. He died. But he whom God raised did not
undergo decay. The third day, he mentions that,
was not a not only a definitive proof of real death, I mean three
days, it’s hard to trick everybody, for three days, but it was also
proof of real resurrection. He was really dead, he was really
raised, and it was in fulfillment of Christ’s own words in Matthew
12. An evil and adulterous generation
craves for a sign, and yet no sign will be given except the
sign of Jonah the prophet, For just as Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the
Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth. Paul tells us in this passage that the resurrection
is inextricably linked to the gospel. One pastor even referred
to it explicitly as the gospel of the resurrection of Christ.
Because without the resurrection, there is no gospel. Would you
humble yourself before the throne of grace?