For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures[.]

1 Corinthians 15

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures[.] 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "The gospel is the most important message in the history of the world, for it alone is an eternally saving message and is therefore to be a universally shared message."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "The church has been given one mission, and that always will be the first activity we are to be about: fulfilling the Great Commission—making disciples of all nations."
• "The church is unique in many ways compared to any other institution or entity in the world, not the least of which is because the mission of the church is actually determined by the message of the church. The church must put above everything else the proclamation of the message of the church, which is called 'the gospel.'"
•  "It is accurate to say that the primary reason Jesus came was so we would have a gospel to embrace and so we would proclaim the gospel. Yet I believe we are living in a day when more and more churches and more and more pastors and teachers are putting less and less emphasis on the gospel—to our detriment."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. We Must Prioritize the Message of the Gospel (15:1-3):"But for reasons to be seen, Paul obviously felt the need to make crystal clear the true essence of the gospel again. In the early church there was a need to continuously clarify the heart of the gospel....Paul had to deal with so many subjects in this church—from incest, to sex, to spiritual gifts, to marriage, to the single life, to temptation, to the Lord’s Supper, to speaking in tongues—but he declares that the most important subject is and always will be the gospel. To reiterate, it is not the only message of the church, but it is the main message of the church."
   
2. We Must Recognize the Meaning of the Gospel (15:3-8).
3. We Must Emphasize the Might of the Gospel (15:2,9-11): "Paul feels the need to point out why he is qualified to talk about the gospel. This he does in a powerful, personal way that relates to the impact the gospel has had in his own life....The transparency and honesty of perhaps the greatest Christian who ever lived is both heartwarming and breathtaking. He fully admits he is the least of all apostles. He should not even be called an apostle. In fact, he had been the ultimate anti-apostle by persecuting God’s church. Nevertheless, it was the resurrected Lord who saved Paul by grace, changed him by grace, and empowered him with grace to do the work that he did and become the person he became.  Suffice to say that every true child of God could put his or her name in a similar paragraph." Amen!   
   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and Your Word is true and You save!  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and Your Word both of which You freely give to me so that I can have life and I can know You more.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.