12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 KJV)
The Resurrection of the Dead
Having confirmed the truth of our Savior’s resurrection, the apostle goes on to refute those among the Corinthians who said there would be no resurrection: “If Christ is preached that He rose from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:12). It appears there were some in Corinth who thought the resurrection was impossible, a common belief among the heathens. Against this, the apostle presents an undeniable fact—the resurrection of Christ—and argues from the absurdities that would follow their claim.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen (1 Corinthians 15:13). “If the dead do not rise, then Christ is not raised” (1 Corinthians 15:16). Yet it was foretold in ancient prophecies that He would rise, and it has been confirmed by many eyewitnesses that He has risen. How then can anyone say that cannot be which God has declared and which is now proven beyond doubt?
It would also follow that the preaching and faith of the gospel are in vain: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). This would destroy the main foundation of Christianity.
It would make preaching vain. “We apostles would be found false witnesses of God,” claiming to speak for Him and perform miracles by His power while asserting something false. Would that not make us the vainest of men and our ministry the most useless thing in the world? What purpose would we have in enduring such hardship if our religion rested on a lie? What should we preach for? If Christ is not raised, the gospel is empty and meaningless.
This would also make the faith of Christians vain: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). No forgiveness could be obtained except through His death and resurrection. If He had not been raised, what evidence would we have that through Him we are justified and given eternal life? If He remained under the power of death, how could He deliver us from it? He was delivered for our sins and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25); without His resurrection, there would be neither justification nor salvation.
Another absurdity that follows is that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost” (1 Corinthians 15:18). If there is no resurrection, they cannot rise, and therefore they are gone forever—even those who have died in the Christian faith. Those who denied the resurrection at Corinth meant there was no future life or retribution, not merely the absence of bodily revival. They considered death the end of the person entirely, not just of the body. Otherwise, the apostle could not have inferred that those who slept in Jesus would be lost if they never rose again.
If there is no resurrection—no life after death—then dead Christians are lost, and our faith and religion are utterly vain.
This would also imply that Christ’s ministers and servants are of all people most miserable, “if only for this life we have hope in Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Their condition would be worse than others. All who believe in Christ have hope in Him for redemption and salvation. But if there is no resurrection or future life, their hope must be limited to this life. At that time, believers were persecuted and had no protection from rulers; preachers and private Christians alike suffered hardship. If their hope was confined to this world, they would indeed be most miserable—hated, abused, stripped of comforts, and exposed to suffering, yet with no better hope beyond the grave.
It is absurd for one who believes in Christ to accept a belief that leads to such a conclusion. Could anyone have true faith in Christ while believing He would leave His faithful servants worse off than His enemies? It is a great error for any Christian to suppose there is no resurrection or future state. Such a belief would leave no hope beyond this world and would make the Christian’s condition the most pitiable. The believer is crucified to this world and lives in hope of another. Earthly pleasures lose their appeal, and heavenly ones become his desire. How sad his case would be if he were dead to the pleasures of this world and yet had no hope of anything better!