Verse of the Day 9/4

Through the Bible - Proverbs 7-8, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go to 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul goes to the "heart of the gospel" and in doing so, ties together some of the thoughts that we've been considering for the past couple of days.

 

Of this passage, Tony Evans in his book "Who is this King of Glory" writes, "Paul wanted these believers to know that the message about Christ he had preached to them five years earlier, which they had received and believed resulting in their salvation, had not changed at all.  What he was about to write was the same message he had preached back then.

In fact, the gospel is so constant and so unchangeable that Paul could confidently tell the Corinthians they were still standing in it's truth.  The verb "stand" at the end of verse 1 is in the perfect tense, which in Greek denotes an action completed in the past that has abiding results in the present."

 

Today's verses are the beginning of Paul's message.

1 Cor 15:3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.  NLT

The gospel hasn't changed.  Jesus came and died for us, He rose again and still lives.  He was seen be the disciples and over 500 eye witnesses.  It is the truth.

 

Another thing that hasn't changed is the power of Christ, the power of the gospel to change lives.  If we are among His children we are living examples of this.  Paul was one of the greatest living examples of a transformed life (Romans 12:1-2).  If you remember yesterday's verses from Proverbs, prior to being blinded and changed on the road to Damascus, Paul would have been one of those with "haughty eyes" and "hands that take innocent blood", along with pride and arrogance among others.  He was changed by this gospel and now has the heart of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13.

 

The pride has been removed as is evidenced a few verses later in the passage.

 

1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.   NKJV

Who is this King of Glory that can bring about such change?  It is the Lord, strong and mighty to save those who will believe and hold onto this message that Paul and others have passed down through the generations.

 

Can you look back and see the changes brought about in your life?

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Cor 15:1-12

 

The Risen Christ, Faith's Reality
(cf. Mark 16:9-20)

 

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.

 

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

 

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.   NKJV