Day 32: 15:1-11 (The Foundation of Our Faith: Witnesses to the Resurrection)

1. SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1. Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2. and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8.Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

2. OBSERVATIONS :
a.  What did this passage mean to its original audience? 
Some people in the Corinthian church began to doubt or misunderstand the resurrection.  In Greek culture, the body was often seen as unimportant or even bad, so it was hard for them to accept the idea of a bodily resurrection. So Paul brings them back to the core of the gospel.

He reminds them that the gospel is not a new idea or philosophy, but a real historical event. Jesus died for our sins. He was buried. He was raised on the third day. And He was seen by many witnesses. This message was a call for them to return to the foundation of their faith.  Without the resurrection, Christianity has no power and no hope.  So the gospel they believed must remain at the center of their lives.

b. What does this passage reveal about God?

• God is faithful to His promises. “According to the Scriptures” (verses 3–4) means that God had already promised the death and resurrection of Christ long ago.
• God gives grace that transforms lives. “By the grace of God I am what I am” (v. 10). Paul was once a persecutor of the church, but God’s grace changed him completely. 

c. What does this passage reveal about people?
We are sinners in need of salvation.  We can be changed by grace. God’s grace forgives our sins. It also gives us new life. Because of His grace, we are not the same as before. We can grow and become more like Christ.
 3. APPLICATION: What does this passage impact my affections, attitudes and actions?
Today, I was reminded that my life is built on God’s faithfulness, not my own effort. God kept His promise through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Because of that, I can trust Him in my life today. Even when I feel unsure, I believe God is working according to His plan. I am a sinner who needed salvation. I could not save myself. Everything I have is because of God’s grace.
 
I thank God His grace changes me. I am not the same person I used to be. I want to depend on God more each day, not on my own strength. So today, I want to remember the gospel. When I fail, I will come back to God’s grace. In everything I do, I want my life to show the change God is making in me.

4. PRAYER:
Father God,
 Thank You for being faithful to Your promises. Thank You for Your grace that forgives my sins and gives me new life.
Help me to trust You more and not rely on my own strength. Remind me each day that I am changed by Your grace. Shape my life to become more like Christ.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.