Finally, Paul gets to another controversy that the Corinthians are involved in: whether the dead are raised or not. Apparently this is another disagreement that the Corinthians have, and Paul meets it head on, and ends up with one of the most beautiful (and oft-quoted) chapters in the New Testament.
It appears that the Corinthians do believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, because one of the arguments he uses is that, if you aren't raised from the dead, that means that Jesus wasn't raised either. He also appeals to the witnesses to the resurrection: Cephas (Peter), the Twelve, 500 disciples, James, and then, finally, to Paul. (Note that when he sees Jesus on the road to Damascus, it is more like a vision, but it is still proof to him that Jesus has been raised.)
Here's what I don't like about Paul: he doesn't mention Mary Magdalene, or any of the other women. Nothing. Is it because women are considered to be unreliable witnesses? Still, all of the gospels put the women first....
He's pretty blunt: if you don't believe in some sort of resurrection, for yourself and for Jesus, then your faith is in vain, and you are dead in your sins. In other words, the resurrections means victory over sin, the possibility of new living, and victory over death itself.
He tries to describe resurrected bodies (with limited success); they will be very different than the physical bodies we have now, just as a tree is different than the seed that is planted. They will be real, but spiritual bodies, designed to live in a new realm, a new reign. And this new reign is the purpose and end of our faith.
Chapter 16 brings greetings and a recommendation to for them to care for Timothy, as well as final words of encouragement and exhortation. This is a congregation that Paul has corrected, warned and yelled at. But he ends by saying, "My love is with all of you in Christ Jesus."
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