Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Thursday, July 21, 2022
Death came through a man (1 Cor. 15:21).
When Adam sinned, he caused his own death and that of his descendants. Today we continue to suffer the tragic consequences of his disobedience. But the hope we have because God raised his Son from the dead is wonderful. The apostle Paul explained: “The resurrection of the dead also comes through a man [Jesus]. For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will receive life” (1 Cor. 15:22). Who was Paul referring to when he said that "in Adam all are dying"? To the descendants of Adam, who have inherited sin and imperfection, and are condemned to die (Rom. 5:12). Adam is not among those who "shall receive life." He cannot benefit from the ransom, for he was a perfect man who knowingly disobeyed God. He received the same thing that those whom “the Son of Man” judges as “goats” will receive: “eternal destruction” (Matt. 25:31-33, 46; Heb. 5:9). w20.12 5 paras 13, 14
According to Acts 9:3-5, what other proof could Paul give for the resurrection of Jesus?
Later, Jesus appeared to Paul himself (1 Cor. 15:8). Paul, also called Saul, was on his way to Damascus when he heard the voice of the risen Jesus and saw him in a vision in heaven (read Acts 9:3-5). That experience was further proof of Jesus' resurrection (Acts 26:12-15).
What was Paul willing to do when he became convinced that Jesus had risen?
Some people would find Paul's testimony very interesting because in the past he had persecuted Christians. When he became convinced that Jesus had risen, he went out of his way to convince others of it. As he carried the message that Jesus had come back to life, he endured beatings, was imprisoned, and suffered shipwrecks (1 Cor. 15:9-11; 2 Cor. 11:23-27). He was so sure that Jesus had risen that he was willing to die to defend what he believed. Isn't it true that these proofs also convince us today that Jesus came back to life? And do they not strengthen our belief in the resurrection?
Why did some Corinthian Christians have wrong beliefs about the resurrection?
In the Greek city of Corinth, some Christians had mistaken beliefs about the resurrection, to the point of denying this teaching (1 Cor. 15:12). Why? In the neighboring city of Athens, there were philosophers who scoffed at the idea that Jesus had been resurrected, and that way of thinking may have rubbed off on some Christians in Corinth (Acts 17:18, 31, 32). Others may have seen the resurrection as symbolic. They thought that, before being Christians, being sinners was as if they were dead; but, by becoming Christians, they received the forgiveness of sins and it was as if they came back to life. For one thing or another, if they did not believe in the resurrection, their faith was worthless. If God had not raised Jesus, the ransom had not been paid and their sins had not been forgiven.
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