Shalom, my dear friends. God bless you. I would like you please to turn with me to the book of 1st Corinthians as we are continuing with our study together of this most important letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth. We are going to go through now the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians and the subject here in this 15th chapter is the importance of the resurrection, of the bodily resurrection. This is one of the most important truths that are found in God's Word. In fact, my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters, the Word of God teaches us concerning the need to believe in the resurrection of our Lord jesus the messiah because it is important to realize that the messiah jesus was raised from among the dead because scripture teaches us that he was raised for our justification to remind you that in romans 10 and verses 9 and 10 we do read that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God had raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This is a fundamental truth of the Word of God, which everyone must adhere to in order to be a forgiven sinner and so turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and I would like to read the first 19 verses out of the 58 verses of this 15th chapter please follow me and I'm reading moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ, Mashiach, Messiah, died for our sins according to the Scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remains unto this present, but some are fallen asleep after that he was seen of James then of all the apostles and last of all he was seen of me also as one born out of due time for I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. And His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But I labored more abundantly than Roy. Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believe. Now, if Christ, if Mashiach, if Messiah, be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then his Messiah, Christ, is not risen. And if Mashiach, Christ, be not risen, then his preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.

Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, Mashiach, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

for if the dead rise not then is not christ raised and if christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins then they also which are fallen asleep in messiah in christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in christ we are of all men most miserable well i will stop here beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters with the first 19 verses of first corinthians chapter 15 now this chapter is so important and i trust that the lord will help us all to understand this important 15th chapter you remember beloved brothers and sisters that we said concerning the corinthian believers throughout the study of the first

letter to the corinthians that the corinthians saints were in a very sad spiritual state we have mentioned this as the apostle Paul is mentioning this throughout the whole first epistle to the Corinthians that there were many many problems in that local assembly though they are called saints according to chapter one and they were because they have accepted the Lord Jesus the messiah as their lord and their savior yet in practice their life did not give evidence to their position they were a division among themselves they were taking each other to court there was immorality in their midst there were lack of liberties as they were dealing with one another there was an issue with divorces

in their local assembly they did not practice properly the lord's supper the lord's table they were abusing the lord's table and also they had an issue of the abusing the gifts that the lord had given unto them and of course they did not practice these gifts in love that's why we have a 13th chapter as a love chapter to show the more excellent way to deal with one another and of course in chapter 14 the issue of the fact that the abuse of the spiritual gifts specifically the outward gifts such as tongues and such as the gift of prophecy speaking forth the word of god all these up to now were issues that prove the

carnality of the corinthians and lest we speak of them each and every one of us must search our own hearts to see where we are in relationship to all that which the apostle shaul paul wrote to the Corinthians.

Are we dividing from others? Are we living a moral life? Are we taking each other to court? Are we having divorces and remarriages in the midst of the saints? Are we don't give one another liberties?

Are we coming to the Lord's table in a sensitive manner and in a right attitude what about the spiritual gift that we receive do we use the spiritual gift in a proper way do we love the brethren and all this is applying to each and every one of us as believers in Yeshua Jesus our Lord and our Messiah but now when we arrive to the 15th chapter here is not so much the issue of ways in which they have dealt with one another we might say incarnality in a carnal way in a selfish way in the flesh but with respect to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 the issue is doctrinal the issue is the doctrine of

the teaching of the word of God concerning the truth of the bodily resurrection and this is important to understand that the subject here in first Corinthians chapter 15 is not so much the immortality of the soul but the resurrection of the body to remind you that every believer has spirit and soul and body we all have the spirit and soul and body and when a person leave this scene when a person pass away out of this world that person if he or she are believers his or her body will go into the tomb and the soul and the spirit will go to be absent from the body and present with the lord and the body

will wait the day of the resurrection and one day in a future day the body will be resurrected and the soul and the spirit will be reunited with the body the body will change and then the believers will go spirit, soul, and body to the presence of God.

It is the same thing with the unbelievers, because when the unbeliever die, he or she, their body is going to the grave, to the tomb, but their spirit and their soul is going to Hades, where there is tormentation. Then at the resurrection of the second resurrection of the unbeliever's resurrection, they also will rise from the dead, and their spirit and soul will be taken out of Hades and will be reunited with their body, and they will stand at the great white throne judgment, And then they will be cast into the final destiny of the unbelievers, to the lake of fire. That's how the apostle, if you remember in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, said to the believers in verse 23, And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved without blame until the coming of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, until the coming of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

In other words, the person, each person that God created in His own image, He created men in the image of God. God is a triune God, and mankind, people, are triune persons, spirit and soul and body. Now, this is what the Apostle Shaul Paul is seeking to communicate here with the Corinthians of the importance of the truth of the resurrection. But even more, of the importance of the truth of the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah himself. This is important. And so as we are going to go over this 15th chapter, beloved brothers and sisters, you will notice that the Corinthians needed to understand clearly and to embrace the truth of the resurrection.

If you remember, beloved brothers and sisters, that in the book of Job, we do read, Job asked this question many years ago. And Iov lived in the days of Abraham Avinu, of Abraham our father. And he asked a very important question in Job 14 and verse 14. He asked, he said, if a man die, shall he live again? In Hebrew it said, He's asking a very sincere question. If a man die, if a woman die, if a person die, shall he live again? Now, of course, we have over the generation have heard many people say, well, we are going to live only here and now. Therefore, enjoy your life.

Forget about God. Forget about any restriction. Forget about anything else. Just enjoy your life. Because when you die, you go six feet into the ground and that's all. In other words, when a person die, Some have taught that their souls and the spirits and their body are just an alley. There is no more that person. But God does not teach that. The Word of God does not teach it. God's Word teaching us clearly that there is a resurrection of the dead, that there is a life after death. And the question that Job asked, if a man die, shall he live again? He received that answer from the Lord.

And he could give the answer himself a little bit later on in chapter 19, verses 25 and 26. And after receiving a revelation from God, Job himself says, because he believed in God, and he believed in the Redeemer, in the Messiah that will come to the measure of light that he has had, he believed what God has said unto him. And in Job chapter 19, verse 25 and verse 26, we read, For I know, Job said, that my Redeemer liveth. And that, notice that, he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. He's speaking about the Redeemer, the Mashiach, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Savior. And they continue, and he says in verse 26, And though after my skin, worms destroy this body.

In other words, he's speaking about going to the grave and the body is decaying and worm will destroy his body. And yet he says, yet in my flesh, this is being in the resurrected flesh, I shall see God. Whom I shall see, verse 27 of Job 19, I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my rains be consumed within me. Beloved brothers and sisters and dear friend, Job, who had so much less light than you and I have today because we have the whole canon of the Word of God. Job received an answer from the Lord to the question, if a man dies, shall he live again?

And the answer is yes. The word death simply means a separation of the body from the soul and the spirit. The body goes to the tomb, the soul and the spirit return to the Lord who gave it. If a person was a believer, this believer would be in a good place, in paradise in days of old, in Abraham's bosom. But if a person died before the Messiah came and he or she were unregenerated, left this world without their sins forgiven, their soul and spirit will be in hell, in Hades, where there will be sorrow and suffering and tormentation. But there is a day of resurrection.

And the resurrection is that the body is raised by God from the dead, from the grave, and the soul and the spirit return to the body. And then the believer is eternally going to be in heaven, spirit, soul, and body in the presence of God, glorified body, to be with him forever. And on the other hand, the unbeliever will also be resurrected. The soul and the spirit will return to his or her body. And they will be cast eventually to the lake of fire, according to Revelation chapter 20. And so here we are here in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. And the Corinthians, to remind you, they were not coming from among the Jewish people, most of them.

although some may have been and to remind you because they came from a pagan world from an idolatry they were very limited in their knowledge of anything that had to do with the word of God the Jewish people because to them were committed the oracles of God they had much more light concerning the truth of the resurrection the bodily resurrection and that's why Daniel in Chapter 12 and verse 2 says that many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. That's why in Isaiah chapter 26, God said through Isaiah concerning those that have died.

The dead will ultimately rise. So the prophets of Israel gave these instructions to the people of Israel. And even Israel, even the Jewish people, even the Hebrews were limited to the knowledge of the truth of the resurrection because the Messiah hasn't come in their days, in the days of Yeshua or Isaiah or in the day of Daniel or in the days of earlier of Moses, Moshe, and the people of Israel in the land. The Messiah came in the fullness of the time, according to Galatians chapter 4, and after his life, death, burial, and resurrection, and this early Hebrew apostle that gave us the new covenant, we have so much more light today with respect to the truth of the resurrection in comparison than the Jewish people in days of old.

And that's how the Apostle Paul is now reminding the Corinthians of what he preached unto them. Now, just let me mention that because the Corinthians and the city of Corinth was a Greek city, and the Greeks did not believe in the resurrection, as we know that from the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 17, We do read in verse 32, And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. In other words, they mocked Shaul Paul when he was preaching to them the resurrection. So the Greek Gentiles did not believe in the resurrection. In fact, the skeptical view have invaded the local assembly.

In fact, to remind you, the whole problem that was there among the Corinthian believers is that skeptical individuals have crept in among the believers and caused trouble in the midst of the assembly. Then also, Paul had to deal with this essential doctrine because of the fact that there was so much influence by their pagan lifestyle from the past, although they became believers, but Paul needed to deal with this essential truth of the doctrine of the resurrection. And he answered them now in this letter to four basic questions that may have been asked of him when they came to him with these requests, with letters earlier when they came to him with some quest for an answer.

He had to answer them about marriages and about the Lord's table and about immorality how to to deal with immorality and and divisions he had to answer them and here he is answering the believers at Corinth concerning the truth of the resurrection so now Paul is answering four basic questions in the whole 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians first of all in the verses that we have read in this meeting today verses 1 to 19 the first answer that he answered to the question is are the dead raised are the dead really raised and he is dealing here with this question in verses 1 to 19 then later on in verses 20 to 28 he is going to answer to the second question and the second question will be when are the dead raised when will there there will be that resurrection when the dead are being raised then later on in this chapter in verses 29 onward to really actually even to the end he's inserting there another question later on in verse 29 onward the third question is why are the dead raised and he will answer in verses 29 to 34 And verses 49 to 58 to this question.

And finally, in verses 35 to 48, he will answer to the fourth question. How are the dead raised? Fourth question. Are the dead raised? When are the dead raised? Why are the dead raised? And how are the dead raised? That is what the Apostle Shaul Paul is responding to in this important chapter concerning the truth of the resurrection. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, let's follow these verses, these first 19 verses, that the Apostle Paul is responding to the question, are the dead raised? Well, from the book of Job in chapter 14 and verse 14, Job asked the very same question. If a man die, shall he rise again? And if you remember, he also gave us an answer in verses 25 and 26 of chapter 19.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and I'm going to see him. I'm going to see him. And so now the Apostle Shaul Paul is responding to the Corinthians, And the Corinthian believers apparently did believe in the resurrection of the Messiah. And Paul is reminding that to the Corinthians because otherwise they were not saved. because you remember we just read in Romans chapter 10 and verses 9 and 10 that we know salvation is involved, believe in the resurrection of Christ, of the Messiah. We read in verse 9 and 10, For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, and shalt believe in thine heart that God that raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

So to believe in the resurrection of the Messiah is essential for salvation.

with the heart a man believeth unto righteousness with the mouth confession is made unto salvation so in order for a person to be born again he or she must believe not only in the life of the Messiah Yeshua not only in the death of the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah not only in the burial of the Lord Jesus the Messiah but also in the resurrection in the bodily resurrection of the lord jesus the messiah so here we notice this that they believe the corinthians did believe in the resurrection of the messiah of christ of yeshua but the issue of the resurrection of all other men all other people male and female that's the issue that

they had a problem here in their midst so remember that in this 15th chapter Paul does not deal with the immortality of the soul the soul never dies although when a person dies the body goes to the tomb but the soul remains, never dies immortality and is returning to God the soul will never die the soul is eternal but the body went to the ground died and will rise again for the believer to receive a glorified body to be reunited with the soul that is eternal and then to be with the Lord forever while for the unbeliever is in a forever but in a place of sorrows and suffering in the lake of fire And

so notice that Paul now is presenting three proofs right at the beginning concerning the truth of the resurrection.

The first one is found in verses 1 and 2. The first proof is that the Corinthians themselves became believers because they believed the gospel, the good news, the glad tiding, which the Apostle Paul preached unto them. And notice there, writing to them in verses 1 and 2, he's saying to them, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel. The word for gospel has come from the Greek word gospel is euangelion. E-U-A-N-G-E-L-I-O-N. That's the gospel. Euangelion. And in Hebrew, it is besorah. It's glad tidings. It's news about salvation, the news about the Messiah. So he's saying to them, I declare to you the gospel which I preached past tense. You notice which I've already preached unto you, which ye have received wherein ye stand.

Verse 2, by which also ye are saved if or since ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain. So you notice you begin with proving to them the fact of the resurrection and reminding them, and you and I, my dear brothers and sisters, we are saved because we have received the glad tidings, the besorah, the gospel, the good news concerning the person of the Lord.

Yeshua the Messiah whom God had provided him for us in order to pay for our sins when he came to this world to die on a shameful cross and to be buried and to rise again so the first proof is we preached unto you the gospel you receive the message of the gospel this is the glad tiding and you are saved by that very same gospel here it is the first proof concerning the resurrection again let me read to you moreover brethren I declared unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received wherein ye stand then he said by which also ye are saved if or really it should be

since ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain in other words brethren I'm writing to you concerning the question are the dead raised and the proof that the dead raised is that you believed the gospel message and what is the gospel message he will say to us next what is the gospel message you will continue to tell them concerning to develop these truths concerning the gospel which they have heard which they have received by this gospel they have they are standing and they are saved the word for save come from the root word yeshua they are saved, that means that they are simply believers.

They are saved. When they've accepted the Lord, they are simply forgiven. To be saved, to be kept safe and sound, to rescue from a destruction, they are saved. They are rescued from eternal destruction, eternal separation from God when they have accepted the news, the glad tidings, the besorah in Hebrew, concerning God's provision.

Now the second proof is found in verses 3 and 4, and the second proof is the Hebrew scriptures, the Tanakh, the Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim, the Torah is the law, Nevi'im is the prophet to him is the writing so you notice that the apostle shaul paul is giving them a second proof and in verses three and four he's telling them in verse three for i delivered unto you first of all that which i also received how that the messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures now notice this beloved brothers and sisters this is very important the truth

of the resurrection of the messiah the truth of the promise of the coming the redeemer and messiah to this world was not invented by someone in this world it was predicted it was taught it was written it was provided to the people of Israel in the Hebrew scriptures in the Tanakh and that's why the Apostle Paul used the word in the scriptures here and it has a reference directly to the Hebrew scriptures because the canon of scripture including the new covenant were not yet completed and therefore the basis upon which the gospel could be preached to the gentile world and all the world is on the basis of the hebrew scriptures and that's why you

notice in verse 3a paul delivered unto the corinthians god's word god's word and to remind you notice that for i deliver unto you first of all that which i also received and you notice this beloved brothers and sisters i shared with you what i have received now remember shaul initially rejected yeshua the messiah the apostle paul before he became a believer he persecuted the early jewish believers who believe that jesus that yeshua was the messiah so he received from the lord the understanding concerning the life and the death and resurrection of the promised messiah of israel and the savior of the world so even through the sacrificial system in leviticus 1 and 2 and 3

and four and five, all the offerings that God have provided and requested from Israel to offer on an altar.

Why? Why the animal that lived had to die and shed its blood? The sacrificial system pointed to the life and the death of the Messiah. An innocent animal without blemish had to die shed its blood for the people of Israel for every individual in the nation of Israel the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering the sin offering, the trespass offering, all these sacrifices pointed to the life and death of the Messiah of course animals did not rise because animals did not have a spirit soul and body they only have a body of a certain animal whether it is a goat or a lamb they don't have a spirit to relate to God they were not created in the image and likeness of God therefore when an animal die an animal dies and live no longer that's why God could allow and could demand sacrifices of an animal without blemish to symbolize the coming of the Messiah.

But you notice, it's not only the system of the sacrificial system, but also the prophet spoke about the Messiah, the Messiah life, death, and resurrection. If you remember the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53, was speaking concerning the Messiah his life his death and also his resurrection in chapter 53 we read about the Messiah he shall grow up before him before God as a tender plant this is verse 2 as a root out of dry ground he has no form no commonness that and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows acquainted with grief that is life then in verse 6 we read of his death all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the lord laid upon him this man the man of sorrows the iniquity of us all that is death and then we have his resurrection in isaiah 53 and verse 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief, and then he said, Where thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.

After he died and became an offering for sin, then he shall see his seed, now that he will see fruit, believers, and he shall prolong his days. speaking about the resurrection of the messiah this is so beautiful because the prophets of israel spoke about the death and resurrection of the messiah david said in psalm 16 and verse 10 for thou will not leave my soul in hell in sheol that's the soul neither will thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption that's the body so when the messiah died he died he was buried and he rose again his soul was not left in sheol his body was not left in the tomb and he rose so the apostle paul reminding the corinthians that the gospel that he preached unto them was according to the Hebrew Scriptures.

I deliver unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. So He gave them, the first proof is the Corinthian salvation themselves, and yours and mine today, beloved brothers and sisters. Secondly, the second proof is the Hebrew, Tanakh the Hebrew scriptures that's the proof because God informed his people Israel that the Messiah will come and the prophets of Israel put it recorded that in the Hebrew scriptures and we have it in our hands today but the third proof is found in verses 5 to 11 of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and the third proof is the proof that there were witnesses who who saw the risen Mashiach, Yeshua HaMashiach.

There were witnesses that saw in their days, some 2,000 years ago, the Messiah Jesus Yeshua that was raised from among the dead. Now notice that in verse 5 to 11. You remember that on the cross, when Yeshua Jesus the Messiah was on the cross, all the passers-by could see Him.

the malefactors on his two sides could see him the religious leaders could see him the passers-by could see him the disciples could see him the Roman soldiers who pierced him could see him everyone could see him in his death but after his death on the cross after his burial and resurrection only believers have seen the risen Messiah only believers have seen the risen Messiah and that is important to understand and that's why the Apostle Paul will point to the believers that have seen the risen Messiah there is a verse in Matthew chapter 27 and verse 35 where we read and they crucified him and they parted his garment casting lots that it might be fulfilled

which was spoken by the prophet they parted my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots and then of course the Messiah died from here on we can read of his death but when we get to chapter 28 of the gospel of Matthew in the end of the Shabbat as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came miriam mary magdalene and the other miriam to see the sepulcher and behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it his countenance was like a lightning and his raiment was white as

snow and for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead and the angel answered and said unto the women, Feel not ye, for I know that you seek Jesus, Yeshua, which was crucified.

He is not here, he is risen. And then he told them, he said, Behold, he goes before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him. And so apparently the apostles were witnesses to Yeshua's resurrection and there were others who were witnesses to the Lord Jesus the Messiah's resurrection so you notice in verse 5 we do read 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 5 we read and that he was seen by Cephas then of the twelve so first of all we read that he was seen by Peter, Cephas, Shimon, Petros and then the twelve Then we continue and just point to these beloved brothers and sisters that in Gospel of Mark in chapter 16 we do read beloved brothers and sisters in verse 14.

afterward they appeared unto the eleven as they set at meat and they upbraid or rebuked them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen so we do read that he was seen by the eleven and by the twelve then verse 6 tells us that in verse 6 and that he was seen by of Cephas then of the 12 in verse 5 verse 6 says after that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once 500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto these present but some have fallen asleep now some have suggested that those 500 that have seen him one

that have seen him in the north in galilee as well then that is what the apostle paul record here in this 15th chapter in verse 7 paul is recording that yeshua jesus was seen by yaakov this is james then again by all the apostles and i'm reading again beloved brothers and sisters after that he was seen of james this is yaakov then of all the apostles so again you notice that he's seen by only by believers and these believers have seen him after his resurrection and to remind you in order for want to be qualified to be an apostle one must be with the lord in his life but also see him after his resurrection

according to the book of acts in act chapter one there's a verse in matthew chapter 28 and verse 16 where we read then the eleven disciples went away into galilee into the mountain, where Jesus had appointed them.

And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Yeshua came, and he spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you all way even unto the end of the age. Amen. And so in verse 7, Yeshua was seen by James and then again by all the apostles. Even though some of them doubted initially, but he revealed himself to them as their reason one, beloved brothers and sisters.

And as we continue on in verse 8, Yeshua was lastly seen by Shaul Paul himself. Now to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that Shaul Paul was initially, was not one of the twelve. He was not one of the apostles. And he was the one that met the Lord Jesus the Messiah on the way to Damascus when he was on his way to bring those rebel Jewish people who became believers in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, to bring them to Jerusalem, brought letters with him, and on the way you remember in chapter 9 of the book of Acts, he had heard that voice, he had seen that vision and he fell from the horse and Yeshua asked him, Shaul, Shaul why are you persecuting me?

And he said to him, Who art thou, Lord? And then he says, I am Jesus. I am Yeshua, whom thou persecuting. And from there on, Shaul came to know the Lord, and he became the apostles to the Goyim, to the Gentiles. Notice what he says in verse 8 of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And last of all, he was seen of me, also as one born out of due time. Why did Paul call himself or said, I was born as one out of due time? Why? Because he was anticipating the national regeneration of his people of Israel. And by becoming a believer in Yeshua the Messiah before the nation, the whole nation of Israel, He sensed, he felt that he was born early, as early bird, as out of due time.

In 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 16 we read, How bit for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, might show forth all long suffering for a patron of them this is in reference to Israel of them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting in his mind beloved brothers and sisters he felt that he was one that is born out of due time and he was one that is a patron that eventually the whole nation of Israel in the second coming of the Messiah will be born in a day. And he sends so much that he was one that was born out of due time.

Beloved brothers and sisters, in Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10, we read that they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. And Israel, national regeneration is recorded by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 12 verse 10 all the way to chapter 13 verse 6 where you read that every family a part of the nation of Israel husband a part, wife a part, children a part will come to know the Messiah they will repent before God and they will come to know the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and as a nation Israel will be born in a day but beloved brothers and sisters Paul Shaul Paul felt that he is one that is born out of due time and so he continued beloved brothers and sisters in connection with the proof of the resurrection that the Messiah was seen by witnesses and so we just read in verse 5 he was seen by Peter and the 12 in verse 6 he was seen by more than 500 brethren in verse 7 he was seen by Yaakov and then all the apostles in verse 8 he was seen by Shaul Paul himself as one that is born out of due time in verse 9 Paul always remember his persecution of God's people he says notice that in verse 9 for I am the least of the apostles that I'm not meant to be called an apostle.

Why? Because I persecuted the assembly, the church. That was something that bothered him. And to remind you that he persecuted his own Jewish brethren who became believers and he took letters from the high priest to the synagogue where the Jewish believers were to bring them back to Jerusalem in order to imprison them. Again, in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15, we do read, and I'll just read it again, beloved brothers and sisters. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Here he said, I am the least of the apostles. In 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, he said, I am the chief of sinners.

and so the apostle Paul was so burdened with their beloved brothers and sisters so he was the least of the apostles according to him in 1 Corinthians 15 9 and he was the chief of sinners according to 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15 in verse 10 and 11 Paul continue and he said that through God's grace he was saved in order to serve for I am the least of the apostles he said And then in verse 10, he said, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me.

In other words, Paul, Shaul, Paul was saying that it is God's grace that saved him, and it is God's grace that caused him to serve. And then in verse 11, in the final verse, the apostle Paul mentioned to the Corinthians that the Corinthian believers believed what he preached. He said in verse 11, Therefore, whether it were I or they, namely the other apostles, so we preached, and so ye believed. So Paul is giving witness to the fact that the Corinthian believers did believe the message of the gospel. And they believed in the resurrection. But apparently, what entering there in their midst was that which was not honoring unto the Lord.

And in the next verses, verses 12 to 19, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul points out to the importance of the resurrection of the Messiah. The importance of the resurrection of the Messiah and the importance of the fact that the Messiah rose. And because he rose from among the dead bodily resurrection, the believers in him will also be raised bodily. And you notice, in verse 12, Paul is challenging the Corinthians by saying to them, listen to that, beloved brothers and sisters. He's saying to them now in verse 12, he says, but if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, on the basis of what he have taught them, whether he quoted Isaiah 53 or Psalm 16, 10, or any other passages that he recorded for them from the Hebrew Scriptures, and there he presented before them the gospel, he says, if the Messiah be preached that he rose from the dead, he's saying to them in verse 12 how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead remember beloved brothers and sisters we emphasized earlier that there were some skeptical individuals that have entered in and invaded the local church the local assembly at corns and some people were skeptic they said well how is it possible that there will be resurrection of the dead it's not possible and to remind you that the corinthians did not believe this is the the greek they did not believe in the resurrection as we mentioned that according to act chapter 17 in verse 32 when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked they mocked paul when He was preaching in Athens, in Mars Hill, concerning the resurrection.

And so he's saying, how can some among you say that there is no resurrection from the dead? And so now notice this, and I will just lead to these verses here. In verses 13 to verse 19, the Apostle Paul is providing seven-fold effects concerning the resurrection. And he used the word if and then, if and then, if and then, quite a few times in these verses, beloved brothers and sisters. And so notice verses 13 to verse 19, he began with these seven-fold points to emphasize the truth of the resurrection. First in verse 13, if, notice that, if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.

in other words if there is no bodily resurrection of all god's people and even all the unbelievers later on but specifically here he's speaking about the resurrection of the people of god of the believers of those that belong to the lord yeshua jesus the messiah he said if there is no resurrection for you brothers and sisters for you corinthian then the messiah did not rise at all also and again to remind you that we read in matthew 28 and verse 6 psalm 16 and verse 10 isaiah 53 and verse 10 and we also would read roman chapter 4 and verses 24 and 25 where paul taught to the roman believers and he said but for

us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up yeshua our lord from the dead who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification beloved brothers and sisters the fact of the resurrection of the messiah is so important because if he did not rise from among the dead he did not justified us he was raised in order to declare the believer in him just and if there was no bodily resurrection of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah then he says then there is no hope for those who claim to believe in him and that's why it is so important that he's saying to them in verse

13 if there is no resurrection as some of you are saying then the Messiah was not risen himself in verse 14 he continues if the messiah was not risen our preaching is in vain it's empty has no value i'm reading verse 14 but if christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain if the messiah yeshua did not rise from among the dead he's still in the grave and he hasn't resurrected and therefore our belief is in vain and the preaching of Paul and all the message of the gospel that we're sharing today with the unbelieving world is really in vain our preaching is vain and our faith also

is in vain he continued in verse 15 he says and yea he says we have found false witnesses of god because we have testified of god that he raised up christ the messiah whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not you see in verse 15 he's saying well if there is no resurrection that the messiah did not rise and if the messiah did not rise we are preaching to you in vain your face is in vain and if we are preaching to you in vain then he says really we became false witnesses and we are telling you that the messiah rose if he didn't rise then we are false witnesses

we didn't preach to you the truth he continued notice how he built up beloved brothers and sisters and he continued now in verse 16 17 18 and 19 and he said in verse 16 if there be no resurrection messiah is not risen and he's going back again to verse 13 notice what he said in verse 16 if the dead rise not then is not christ raised in a sense what he's repeating in verse 16 what he said already in verse 13 if there be no resurrection of from of the dead then is christ be not risen amazing beloved brothers and sisters how fascinating this truth concerning the resurrection if a man dies shall he rise

again job ask in job 14 and then by the revelation that he received from god he said in job 19 i know that my redeemer is living is is alive and that he shall stand at the latter days upon the earth he is going to come back to this earth and he will be standing as a risen living messiah here on earth and though after my skin worms destroyed this body job is saying he said in my flesh i shall see god whom i shall see for myself in other words i will be resurrected and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me in other words what job answered

to his question is not only that the man dies shall he rise again not only that he will rise again but that he will see the risen Messiah the risen Messiah who will be the Redeemer that is alive he finished the work of redemption when he died on the tree as Job was anticipating and he will stand upon this earth in the latter days amazing now he continued beloved brothers and sisters and you notice what he says here and now in verse 17 it says if Christ be not raised your faith is in vain and listen to this ye are yet in your sins beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends if the Mashiach did

not rise then we have a dead Savior really he is not a Savior if God did not raise the Messiah from among the dead then we don't have a living Messiah but because God was so satisfied with the work of the Mashiach of Yeshua after he judged him on behalf of your sins and mine when he punished him for our sins and the Messiah died on the cross on the tree after three days he rose again and he rose for our justification in Matthew 12 and verse 40 Jesus the Messiah said for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish so shall the Son of Man be three

days and three nights in the heart of the earth in Matthew 16 and verse 21 Yeshua began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief trees and describe and be killed and be raised up on the third day.

Matthew 16, 21. In Matthew 17, verse 22 and 23, we read, And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Yeshua said unto them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him. And he will be raised on the third day. And they were deeply grieved. Yeshua taught of his resurrection, his death, burial, resurrection again and again. Beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends. We read in the other Gospels. In John 10 verse 14 we read, I am the good shepherd and I know my own and my own know me. Even as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

I have other sheep which are not of this world. I must bring them also and they will hear my voice. And they will become one flock and with one shepherd. This is concerning the resurrection of the Messiah.

one of the most wonderful verses that we love to read in john chapter 10 and verse 17 we do read beloved brothers and sisters listen to this therefore does my father love me yeshua said because i lay down my life notice that i might take it again no man taketh it from me but i lay it down of myself he laid down his life of himself notice i have power to lay it down and i have power to take it again this commandment have i received of my father john 10 17 and 18 all beloved brothers and sisters the messiah died and was buried and rose again and so in these last verses here paul

is saying your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins if the Messiah did not rise from the dead and then in verse 18 believers who died then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished in other words those that have already died if there is no resurrection of the dead then those that have already died they perished they will never be raised if there is no resurrection of the dead as some said that there is no resurrection of the dead in the city of Corinth according to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 12 you see how fundamental it is beloved brothers and sisters resurrection of the Messiah and resurrection of

the people of God and even the resurrection of the unbelievers is the truth that is taught in the word of God and so in verse 19 and this is the last for us for this ministry meeting if in this life only we have hope in Christ in Messiah we are all men most miserable most pitiful in other words if we became believers in the Lord Jesus in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah here on earth and then we live this life and we die and with no resurrection no life after death no resurrection of the body reunited with the soul and the spirit and being taken to glory with a glorified body to be with the

Lord forever and ever and ever if there is only here in this world and if we believe in the Messiah only for here and now then we are most miserable of all men why?

because the believers in Yeshua are being persecuted and suffering here for his name's sake and because their faith in him they have suffered loss here in this world so he's saying if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable well my dear friend praise God that the Messiah rose from among the dead and there is a resurrection from the dead well may the Lord bless you may the Lord help us as we continue together with the study of 1st Corinthians chapter 15 God bless you my dear friend until the next time we say to you all Shalom Shalom