1 Cor 15:1-7 | ACC Commentary

15:1 | The Gospel in Which You Stand

THE GOSPEL RECEIVED. AMBROSIASTER: Paul is showing the Corinthians that if they have been led away from his teaching, especially from belief in the resurrection of the dead on which it is based, they will lose everything they have believed. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL. CHRYSOSTOM: When Paul calls the Corinthian Christians his brothers, he establishes the basis for most of his subsequent assertions. For we became brothers through the work of Christ in his earthly life and death. After all, what is the gospel but the message that God became man, was crucified and rose again? This is what the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary, what the prophets preached to the world and what all the apostles truthfully proclaimed. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.2.

15:2 | The Gospel by Which You Are Saved

THE RESURRECTION. PELAGIUS: The resurrection of the body is the whole point of our gospel message. Without it, all the works of prayer and fasting which we do are meaningless. COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15.

A REMINDER. CHRYSOSTOM: The Corinthians did not need to learn the doctrine, which they already knew, but they had to be reminded of it and corrected from their errors in understanding it. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.2.

15:3 | Christ Died for Our Sins

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES. AMBROSIASTER: The prophet Isaiah said: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter” [Is 53:7] and so on. Revelation [13:8] adds that he was slain from before the foundation of the world. And Deuteronomy [28:66] says: “You will see your life hanging before your eyes, yet you will not believe.” This is expressed in the future tense, to prevent the wicked from claiming that it does not apply to Christ. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE JUSTICE WROUGHT IN HIS DEATH. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: The iniquity of sinners was not as great as the justice of the One who died for them. The sins we committed were not as great as the justice he embodied, when he laid down his life for us. CATECHETICAL LECTURES 13.

FOR OUR SINS. CHRYSOSTOM: How could Christ die for sinners if he were a sinner himself? If in fact he died for our sins, then it is clear that he himself must have been sinless. Therefore he did not die the death of sin but the death of the body. This is what the Scriptures everywhere proclaim. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.3.

NO LOSS IN GIVING. AMBROSE: The Son loses nothing when he bestows upon all, just as he also loses nothing when the Father receives the kingdom, nor does the Father suffer loss when he gives what is his own to the Son. THE HOLY SPIRIT 1.3.49.

ONE DIED FOR ALL. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He made his life be an exchange for the life of all. One died for all, in order that we all might live to God sanctified and brought to life through his blood, justified as a gift by his grace. LETTER 41.11.

15:4 | Buried, Raised on the Third Day

HE WAS BURIED. CHRYSOSTOM: This serves to confirm that Christ died a genuine human death and points us once more to the Scriptures for proof. Nowhere does Scripture mean the death of sin, when it makes mention of our Lord’s death, but only the death of the body, and a burial and resurrection of that same body. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.4.

ON THE THIRD DAY. PELAGIUS: Hosea [6:2] says: “He will revive us after two days; he will raise us up on the third day.” COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES. HILARY OF POITIERS: Paul reminded us that we are to confess the manner of the death and resurrection not so much by literally naming these things but strictly according to the testimony of the Scriptures, so that our understanding of his death might be in accord with the apostles. … He did this in order that we might not become helpless or to be tossed about by the winds of useless disputes or hampered by the absurd subtleties of unsound opinions. ON THE TRINITY 10.67.

15:5 | He Appeared to the Twelve

WHO WAS THE TWELFTH? ORIGEN: Evidently Matthias was chosen to replace Judas before Jesus ceased appearing to the disciples after his resurrection. COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 4.77.

THE TIME UNSPECIFIED. CHRYSOSTOM: The gospel tells us that he appeared first to Mary. But as far as men were concerned, he appeared first to those who most wanted to see him. But which of the apostles are meant here? For Matthias was not added to their number until after the ascension. However, it is likely that Christ appeared even after his ascension into heaven. Paul does not specify the time but merely records the experience. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.5.

MATTHIAS INCLUDED? OECUMENIUS: Note that he does not say “to the eleven,” and neither does John (Jn 20:24), who writes that Thomas was “one of the twelve.” We should probably say that either he has included Matthias with the other apostles by anticipation or else that he is still thinking of Judas, even after his betrayal and hanging. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

15:6 | Appearing to Five Hundred

TO FIVE HUNDRED. AMBROSIASTER: This is not recorded in the Gospels, but Paul knew it independently of them. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE COMPELLING LIST OF UNBIASED WITNESSES. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: “He appeared to Cephas; and after that to the twelve.” So if you disbelieve one witness, you have twelve witnesses. “Then he was seen by more than five hundred people at once”—if they disbelieve the twelve, then listen to the five hundred. “After that he was seen by James,” his own brother and the first overseer of this [Jerusalem] diocese. Since so noteworthy a bishop was privileged to see the risen Christ, along with the other disciples, do not disbelieve. But you may say that his brother was a biased witness. So then he continues: “He was seen by me.” But who am I? I am Paul, his enemy! “I was formerly a persecutor” but now preach the good news of the resurrection. CATECHETICAL LECTURES 14.22.

SOME HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul does not say that some have died but that they have fallen asleep, thereby confirming the truth of the resurrection. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.5.

15:7 | Appearing to James

HE APPEARED TO JAMES. CHRYSOSTOM: This must be James, the Lord’s brother, whom he ordained as the first bishop of Jerusalem. The apostles mentioned here would include the seventy and others besides the Twelve. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 38.5.

WHAT WE CONFESS. BASIL: We believe and confess that, rising on the third day from the dead, according to the Scriptures, he was seen by his holy disciples and others, as it is written. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father when he will come at the end of time to raise up all men and to render to each according to his works. CONCERNING FAITH.

THEN TO ALL THE APOSTLES. AMBROSE: By this he makes it clear that there are other apostles besides those eleven. HOMILIES ON NUMBERS 27.11.