If the dead are not raised, the entire Christian story collapses—but Paul insists the resurrection of Jesus is a real event at the very heart of the gospel. 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 15:1–19, Krisan Marotta revisits the message the Corinthians first believed, shows how it includes both Christ’s death and bodily resurrection, and explains why denying resurrection empties faith of meaning and hope. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How chapter 15 opens the final major section of 1 Corinthians and addresses a new problem: some in Corinth are saying there is no resurrection of the dead at all
• Paul’s reminder of “the gospel… in which you stand”: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day “according to the Scriptures” 
• Why the resurrection is not a metaphor but a historical claim, rooted in eyewitness testimony: appearances to Peter, the Twelve, more than 500 believers, James, all the apostles, and finally Paul himself
• What Paul means when he calls himself “one untimely born”—the least of the apostles and unworthy because he persecuted the church, yet a true apostle by sheer grace 
• How Paul’s own story holds together deep humility (“I am the least”) and a clear awareness that God used him powerfully (“I labored more than all of them… yet not I, but the grace of God with me”)
• Paul’s sharp, logical argument: if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ is not raised, preaching is empty, faith is pointless, and the apostles are false witnesses
• The sobering implications if Christ is still in the grave: believers are still in their sins, those who have died in Christ are simply lost, and Christians are “of all people most to be pitied” 
• Why Paul refuses any “it’s helpful even if it isn’t true” approach to Christianity, insisting that our hope rests on real events in history—above all, the resurrection of Jesus

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of why the bodily resurrection is not an optional add-on but central to Christian hope. You’ll be invited to consider what you are actually staking your life on: whether the gospel is just a comforting story, or a true account of what God has done in Christ—who really died, really rose, and really offers forgiveness and a future beyond the grave.

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the church