Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NIV

In the first verse of chapter fifteen of Paul’s initial letter to the Corinthians, he reminds his readers of the gospel message he shared with them at the time of their conversion and the establishment of the church in Corinth. Since that time, an issue arose in the church. Confusion affected the church as some members challenged the validity of Christian resurrection after death. For some, this called into question the eternal life promised to those who place their faith in Christ. 

To address the issue of eternal salvation, Paul encouraged his readers to hold firmly to the word he preached. The gospel, exactly as he presented it to them, is the foundation of the faith. Any changes to the content of the true gospel corrupts the message. The apostle warns his readers that if they do not hold firmly to the gospel he first preached to them, they have believed in vain. 

Christ Died for Our Sins

Paul then reiterates the gospel message. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. WEB” Continuing, Paul reminded his readers of the multiple appearances of Christ to his disciples after his resurrection.  

The gospel that Paul preached was the same as the message preached by those disciples who witnessed the ministry, miracles, and death of Jesus. As mentioned, they also encountered the resurrected Christ. And so, for these men, there was no question about life after death. Paul explained to the Corinthians that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, not only is their faith in vain but also his preaching. 

Yesterday’s Devotional: By One Man