Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 15
Overview:
The
Apostle proves the
Resurrection of Christ from the dead.
(1-11) Those answered who deny the resurrection of the body.
(12-19) The resurrection of believers to eternal
Life.
(20-34)
Objections against it answered.
(35-50) The
Mystery of the
change that will be made
On those living at
Christ's second
coming.
(51-54) The believer's triumph over
Death and the
Grave,
An exhortation to diligence.
(55-58)
1-11 The
Word resurrection, usually points out our existence
Beyond the
Grave. Of the
Apostle's doctrine not a trace can be
found in all the teaching of philosophers. The doctrine of
Christ's
Death and resurrection, is the foundation of
Christianity. Remove this, and all our hopes for eternity sink
at once. And it is
By holding this
Truth firm, that Christians
stand in the
Day of trial, and are kept
Faithful to
God. We
believe in vain, unless we keep in the
Faith of the
Gospel. This
Truth is confirmed
By Old
Testament prophecies; and many saw
Christ after he was risen. This
Apostle was highly favoured, but
he always had a low opinion of himself, and expressed it. When
sinners are,
By Divine
Grace, turned into saints,
God causes the
remembrance of former sins to make them humble, diligent, and
Faithful. He ascribes to Divine
Grace all that was valuable in
him. True believers, though not ignorant of what the
Lord has
done for, in, and
By them, yet when they look at their whole
conduct and their obligations, they are led to feel that none
are
So worthless as they are. All true Christians believe that
Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and then risen from the dead,
is the
Sun and substance of Christianity. All the apostles
agreed in this
Testimony;
By this
Faith they lived, and in this
Faith they died.
12-19 Having shown that
Christ was risen, the
Apostle answers
those who said there would be
No resurrection. There had been
No
Justification, or
Salvation, if
Christ had not risen. And must
not
Faith in
Christ be vain, and of
No use, if he is still among
the dead? The proof of the resurrection of the body is the
resurrection of our
Lord. Even those who died in the
Faith, had
perished in their sins, if
Christ had not risen. All who believe
in
Christ, have
Hope in him, as a
Redeemer;
Hope for
Redemption
and
Salvation By him; but if there is
No resurrection, or future
recompence, their
Hope in him can only be as to this
Life. And
they must be in a worse condition than the
Rest of mankind,
especially at the time, and under the circumstances, in which
the apostles wrote; for then Christians were hated and
persecuted
By all men. But it is not
So; they, of all men, enjoy
solid comforts amidst all their difficulties and trials, even in
the times of the sharpest
Persecution.
20-34 All that are
By Faith united to
Christ, are
By his
resurrection assured of their own. As through the
Sin of the
first
Adam, all men became mortal, because all had from him the
same sinful nature,
So, through the
Resurrection of Christ,
shall all who are made to partake of the
Spirit, and the
spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. There will be an
order in the resurrection.
Christ himself has been the
First-fruits; at his coming, his redeemed people will be raised
before others; at the last the wicked will rise also. Then will
be the
End of this present state of things. Would we triumph in
that solemn and important season, we must now submit to his
rule, accept his
Salvation, and live to his
Glory. Then shall we
rejoice in the completion of his undertaking, that
God may
receive the whole
Glory of our
Salvation, that we may for ever
serve him, and enjoy his favour. What shall those do, who are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Perhaps
Baptism is used here in a figure, for
Afflictions, sufferings,
and martyrdom, as Mt 20:22,23. What is, or will become of
those who have suffered many and great injuries, and have even
lost their lives, for this doctrine of the resurrection, if the
dead rise not at all? Whatever the meaning may be, doubtless the
Apostle's argument was understood
By the
Corinthians. And it is
as
Plain to us that Christianity would be a foolish profession,
if it proposed advantage to themselves
By their faithfulness to
God; and to have our
Fruit to
Holiness, that our
End may be
Everlasting Life. But we must not live like beasts, as we do not
die like them. It must be ignorance of
God that leads any to
disbelieve the resurrection and future
Life. Those who own a
God
and a
Providence, and observe how unequal things are in the
present
Life, how frequently the best men fare worst, cannot
doubt as to an after-state, where every thing will be set to
rights. Let us not be joined with ungodly men; but warn all
around us, especially children and young persons, to shun them
as a pestilence. Let us awake to
Righteousness, and not
Sin.
35-50 1. How are the dead raised up? that is,
By what means?
How can they be raised? 2. As to the bodies which shall rise.
Will it be with the like shape, and form, and stature, and
members, and qualities? The former objection is that of those
who opposed the doctrine, the latter of curious doubters. To the
first the answer is, This was to be brought about
By Divine
power; that power which all may see does somewhat like it,
Year
after
Year, in the
Death and revival of the
Corn. It is foolish
to question the Almighty power of
God to raise the dead, when we
see it every
Day quickening and reviving things that are dead.
To the second inquiry; The
Grain undergoes a great change; and
So will the dead, when they rise and live again. The seed dies,
though a part of it springs into new
Life, though how it is we
cannot fully understand. The
Works of
Creation and
Providence
daily teach us to be humble, as
Well as to admire the Creator's
Wisdom and
Goodness. There is a great variety among other
bodies, as there is among plants. There is a variety of
Glory
among heavenly bodies. The bodies of the dead, when they rise,
will be fitted for the heavenly bodies. The bodies of the dead,
when they rise, will be fitted for the heavenly state; and there
will be a variety of glories among them. Burying the dead, is
like committing seed to the
Earth, that it may
Spring out of it
again. Nothing is more loathsome than a dead body. But believers
shall at the resurrection have bodies, made fit to be for ever
united with spirits made perfect. To
God all things are
possible. He is the Author and Source of spiritual
Life and
Holiness, unto all his people,
By the supply of his Holy
Spirit
to the soul; and he will also quicken and change the body
By his
Spirit. The dead in
Christ shall not only rise, but shall rise
thus gloriously changed. The bodies of the saints, when they
rise again, will be changed. They will be then glorious and
spiritual bodies, fitted to the heavenly world and state, where
they are ever afterwards to
Dwell. The human body in its present
form, and with its wants and weaknesses, cannot enter or enjoy
the
Kingdom of God. Then let us not sow to the
Flesh, of which
we can only reap corruption. And the body follows the state of
the soul. He, therefore, who neglects the
Life of the soul,
casts away his present good; he who refuses to live to
God,
squanders all he has.
51-58 All the saints should not die, but all would be changed.
In the
Gospel, many truths, before hidden in
Mystery, are made
known.
Death never shall appear in the regions to which our
Lord
will
Bear his risen saints. Therefore let us seek the full
Assurance of
Faith and
Hope, that in the midst of pain, and in
the prospect of
Death, we may think calmly
On the horrors of the
tomb; assured that our bodies will there sleep, and in the mean
time our souls will be present with the
Redeemer.
Sin gives
Death all its hurtful power. The sting of
Death is
Sin; but
Christ,
By dying, has taken out this sting; he has made
Atonement for
Sin, he has obtained remission of it. The strength
of
Sin is the
Law. None can answer its demands, endure its
Curse, or do away his own transgressions. Hence terror and
anguish. And hence
Death is terrible to the unbelieving and the
impenitent.
Death may seize a believer, but it cannot
Hold him
in its power. How many springs of joy to the saints, and of
thanksgiving to
God, are opened
By the
Death and resurrection,
the sufferings and conquests of the
Redeemer! In verse 58, we
have an exhortation, that believers should be stedfast, firm in
the
Faith of that
Gospel which the
Apostle preached, and they
received. Also, to be unmovable in their
Hope and expectation of
this great privilege, of being raised incorruptible and
immortal. And to abound in the work of the
Lord, always doing
the
Lord's service, and obeying the
Lord's commands. May
Christ
give us
Faith, and increase our
Faith, that we may not only be
safe, but joyful and triumphant.