The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-12-06
BIBLE SCHOOL LESSON FOX
DECEMBER IA
Corinthians 15:1-49
By Apostle Willis F. Jordan


CHAPTER THOUGHT: THE RESURREG-
TION OF CHRIST AND OF ALL IHE
SAINTED DEAD.
1t is important to get this clearly III Hlliu.
The FDistle is addressed to and concerns only
all who are in Christ Jesus s. all Christians, or
the Church. In our Lesson, Paul writes not
one word concerning the resurrection, or the
resurrection bodies, of the unsayed dead
THE CHAPTER PRESENTS:
OF THE GRACE OF GOD Verses One TO
Four.
/. 1t consists of three great fundamental facts:
IN Jesus the Christ was crucihed tor our
sins Matthew 26:33-5D.
(2) He was then buried Oohn l9:5o-4Al
Isl On the third day after His crucltlXon lie
arose FROM among the dead (Matthew, chap
ter Twenty-eight).
2. All this was in fulfllment of caccordlng
tor the Old Testament Scriptures. Compare
Isaiah 53:7-12 and Luke 24:25-27.
3. This Gospel was preached" to the churc en-
at Corinth, was received by it, and it Saved"
that church if that church kept IN memory
what was preached unless it had believed IN
yain'- only professionally.
TT. WITNESSES TO THE APPEARANCE
OF CHRIST AFTER, HIS RESURREC-
TION-Verses Five to Eleven.
/. "He was seen of Cephas"- Simon Peter
Gohn :4O-42; Mark 1917; Matthew 1852; Luke
24:34).
? "Then of the Twelve" This must have
included Matthias, for Judas was dead (Matt-
hew 1855 and Paul had not yet been CONVEX
ted
3. "Ie was seen of above (more than) hive
hundred bretheren (no sisters) at once" lone
time), most of whom were alive when Paul
wrote | Corinthians.
"After that He was seen OF James,, the
Lords own brother in the flesh; he who wrote
the Epistle of James and rendered the two
GREAT decisions in the first Church counc1l =
the great Dispensational decision of Acts HIS
Is. and the Sentence" concerning the Gentlie
Christians at Antioch and elsewhere, Acts
15:19-2l.
When lanes Divine Brother was crucihed,
lanes was not believer in His Divinity and
mission. The Resurrection of Christ probably
convinced him. He became not only disciple
but an apostle also Galatians l:l9). Ihls
appearance to James was probably his call TO
the apostleship.
S. "'Then of all the Apostles the Twelve
again (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:2-D.
s. "Last of all He was seen of me also Read
Acts 9:1-22; 22:l-2l; 26:9-19; Corinthians 9:l
GAS of one born" again BEFORE (not 'out
OFF, the "due time. Paul was an lsraehte.
Israel as nation will be "born again" at the
Revelation of Jesus Christ at the end OF Dan
iePs Seventeen Week Paul's "due time" natu-
rally would be with his nation but by the mar
velous Grace of God he was allowed to live
and be "born again" at that time when his
apostolic discipleship began.
Paul called himself "less than the least OF
all the saints" (Ephesians 3:8), "the least of all
the apostles and not fit to be called an apostle
because of his mistreatment OF Christ and the
Church.
He gave credit to the marvellous Grace of
God in making him apostle, and labored
more abundantly than all the Apostles put to-
gether yet, not he, but God through him.
In this list Of appearances and witnesses, Paul
1.-THE epstolary writer to the Church) omts
ct'c n
women, as recorded in the Gospels The Scrip
lures are silent about any appearance to, or
conversation with His mother after His
Crucfxon and Resurrection.
Ill THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS The
CHRIST Verses Twelve to Nineteen.
l. Christs resurrection FROM the dead.
The resurrection of the Dead Paul here writes
about is the Resurrection of the Church and all
the saints FROM the dead. Their resurrection
RESURRECTION FROM AMONG THE
DEAD. Compare Luke 14:l4; 20:34-36; John
14l-3; Acts 1914; Romans 8:22-25; Philippians
3:l0-21; Hebrews ll:35, 40.
2 Preaching is vain, faith is vain, and all
who have fallen asleep (not ded) in Jesus
have persisted, if this Resurrection be not true
g. If it be not true, the Apostles all
wilful, premeditated, deliberate liars and de-
ceivers.
Who can substantiate such charge?
4. Ii Christianity tine nope IN Chr1St) is only
for this life, if the Christian and the Church
perish at death, we, who deny the world, the
flesh and the Devil, "are of all men the most
miserable" IF death ends all, let us "eat
drink and be merry; for tomorrow $50 soon)
we die"
For life out of Christ, compare James Alb
II.
". THE SYSTEMATIZED ORDER OF
THE OUT RESURRECTION FROM A
MONG THE DEAD Verses Twenty to
Twenty
l. "Now (present tense) is Christ risen FROM
the dead" His Resurrection is continuing
thing. He is risen to die no more. Compare
Revelation 1879 So will the saints be. They
never will die again. Immortality (the Divine
nature II Peter 1:4) is indestructible
g. How could Jesus Zone PERSON. become
fruits" well first" Leviticus 23:9-11
declared that on "the morrow after the Sab
BATH" at the beginning of the WHEAT HAIR
VEST, the priest should take the FIRST RIPE
SHEAF OF CUT WHEAT and offer it before
the Lord
sheaf is made up of many wheat straws
and heads. Christ was crucihed on Friday
He lay in the tomb all of the Jewish Sabbath
He was raised on Sunday, the first day of the
week ION the morrow after the Sabbath"
being thus indicated and accepted of God