1Cor 15:1-8 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Cor 15:1-58: 15:1-58 Some people in the church had doubts about a future resurrection of the dead . Paul reassures them and, perhaps in response to their skeptical questions, discusses the nature of a resurrection body. Summary for 1Cor 15:1-11: 15:1-11 Paul summarizes the Good News that he preached. 15:1 At the heart of the Good News stands the message of the atoning death and resurrection of Christ (see 15:3-4 ; Rom 5:8-10 ; 6:5-11 ).

Summary for 1Cor 15:1-58: 15:1-58 ^a Some people in the church had doubts about a future resurrection of the dead. Paul reassures them and, perhaps in response to their skeptical questions, discusses the nature of a resurrection body.
Summary for 1Cor 15:1-11: 15:1-11 ^b Paul summarizes the Good News that he preached. 15:1 ^c At the heart of the Good News stands the message of the atoning death and resurrection of Christ (see 15:3-4 ^d; Rom 5:8-10 ^e; 6:5-11 ^f).
15:2 ^g if you continue to believe: Those who continue firm in their faith will be saved (cp. Matt 10:22 ^h; 24:13 ⁱ; John 15:6 ^j; Gal 5:4 ^k; Col 1:23 ^l; Heb 6:4-6 ^m; contrast 1 Cor 1:8 ⁿ; Rom 8:38-39 ^o; Phil 1:6 ^p; Heb 6:9 ^q).
15:3 ^r The heart of the Good News is that Christ died for our sins (see Rom 3:24-25 ^s; 5:8-10 ^t; Gal 1:4 ^u; 1 Thes 5:9-10 ^v).
15:4 ^w just as the Scriptures said: See Ps 16:10 ^x; Hos 6:2 ^y; Jon 1:17 ^z; Matt 12:40 ^aa; Acts 2:24-32 ^ab.
15:5 ^ac He was seen by Peter: See Luke 24:34 ^ad.

• then by the Twelve: See Matt 28:16-17 ^ae; Mark 16:14 ^af; Luke 24:36 ^ag; John 20:19 ^ah.
15:6 ^ai he was seen by more than 500: We have no other account of this event.

• most of whom are still alive: When this letter was written (around AD 53–56), the factuality of Christ’s resurrection could be verified by consulting living eyewitnesses.
15:7 ^aj This James was almost certainly Jesus’ brother, who became a leader of the Jerusalem church after Jesus’ death (see Mark 6:3 ^ak; John 7:1-5 ^al; Gal 1:19 ^am; cp. Acts 12:17 ^an; 15:13 ^ao; 21:18 ^ap).
Summary for 1Cor 15:8-9: 15:8-9 ^aq as though I had been born at the wrong time (or as though I were stillborn): This phrase can refer to a miscarriage or stillbirth. Here it might express the unusual manner of Paul’s conversion, or the derogatory view some opponents held of his apostleship, or his own sense of unworthiness to be an apostle. The overall emphasis is on the extraordinary grace of God to Paul as a former persecutor of Christ’s people (see Gal 1:13 ^ar; Phil 3:6 ^as; cp. Acts 8:3 ^at; 9:1-2 ^au).

• I also saw him: Paul came face to face with the risen Christ at his conversion (see 1 Cor 9:1 ^av; Acts 9:3-6 ^aw; Gal 1:15-16 ^ax).