Thursday, September 13, 2018: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

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.

Though the identity of Memphis is more closely associated with the Mississippi River, it’s not uncommon for residents to drive about 3 hours west to enjoy Lake Pickwick. Though motor boats and jet skis are allowed, visiting the lake on an early summer or fall morning can be peaceful and serene. Without wind, the water appears as smooth as glass. Yet even with such still water, a canoe that is not tied to a dock and has no one navigating it will inevitably drift. Underneath the apparent calm is the work of currents, moving things on the surface that have no means of correcting their course. One would be hard-pressed to determine where a drifting canoe would end up if left to the mercy of the currents.

Organizations, including the church, can suffer the same fate. That is, they can drift away from their purpose and mission, especially when things seem very calm around them. No one was more aware of this problem in the early church than the apostle Paul. Though on the outside, the church appeared to be thriving, the Corinthians were drifting theologically, as some in the church taught there could be no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-58). Paul’s corrective to this slippery slope was simple: they must return and hold fast to the gospel—“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, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

Christianity lives or dies with the claim of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. It is possible to believe in these things and not become a Christian, but without them, Christianity crumbles. It’s for this reason that Paul urged the Corinthian church and we at Island Community to keep the gospel as of first importance. And this is not something that we do idly. No person or church drifts naturally toward holiness.

1. What, if any, core doctrines of the Christian faith are unclear to you and why? How might a lack of understanding of these things lead to a crisis of faith?
2. Do you find it tempting to compromise your beliefs in our culture? Why or why not?
3. Pray, praising God for who Christ is. Praise Christ for being God in the flesh who died and rose again. Thank God for the resurrection, which is the power of salvation. Pray for yourself and ICC’s faithfulness to these things of first importance.