I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Corinthians 15-16

I know people who claim to be followers of Christ who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  Paul makes it quite clear that such a belief is contrary to the message that he, and the other apostles taught. Paul makes two arguments here for the Resurrection, and resurrection, being a critical part of the Gospel message. First he points out that all of those who preached what Jesus taught also preached that they had first hand knowledge of Jesus’ resurrection, including himself in that number. There was no one who claimed to have heard Jesus preach, and claimed to follow that preaching, who did not also claim to have witnessed Jesus’ resurrection. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, they were all either liars or crazy.  Which would mean that whatever they were teaching was fatally flawed.  Paul’s second argument for the Resurrection, and our resurrection, was that there was no value to following Gospel teachings if there was no resurrection. If there is no resurrection, then risking the suffering which so often accompanies following Christ’s teachings had no upside. Sure, it might make the world a better place, but I will not be around to see that change. Paul tells us that if there is no resurrection then we should live by the motto, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  I have many friends who live by that credo, and it always saddens me.