August 6, 2022

I Corinthians 15: 3-6 (NIV)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time . . .

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are the very essence of the gospel. They are matters of fact and matters of faith.*

In case you didn’t know exactly what the gospel is, here is the Apostle Paul’s condensed version. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul provides a succinct outline we can employ to increase our own knowledge of the gospel and be better prepared to share it with others. 

  I.  Who is Christ? 

       A. “According to scriptures” – prophecies 

       B. His birth and life 

 II.  He died for your sins 

       A. “According to scriptures” – prophecies 

       B. Death, burial and resurrection 

III.  He lives 

       A. Witnesses 

       B. Your testimony 

Use Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to fill in the details. Read the eye-witness testimonies in the Book of Acts. Refer to the prophecies in the Old Testament. Seek the Lord’s will for your life and begin to live it. Now you have a testimony to share. You are a witness.

The gospel message cannot stop with reflections on the historical Jesus but must bear witness to the current reality of Christ.*