Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds 1 Corinthians 15:1-19, emphasizing the indispensable role of the bodily resurrection of Christ in the apostolic gospel. He outlines three core principles: the necessity of hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel for salvation; the gospel's heart being two fundamental affirmations—Christ's death for sins and His bodily resurrection on the third day, both 'according to the scriptures'; and the destructive nature of any human opinion that denies these affirmations. Martin meticulously details the 'office,' 'purpose,' 'pattern,' and 'proof' of Christ's death and resurrection, concluding that denying the resurrection renders faith vain and leaves one in their sins.
Primary Texts
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1 Corinthians 15:1-19This is the central passage from which Martin reads, expounds, and draws all three main principles of the sermon, focusing on the gospel's content and the resurrection's necessity.
Introduction to the Resurrection's Importance in the Gospel0:21
Principle 1: The Necessity of Holding Fast to the Apostolic Gospel4:47
Principle 2: The Heart of the Apostolic Gospel - Two Fundamental Affirmations7:38
Affirmation 1: Christ Died for Our Sins According to the Scriptures9:15
Affirmation 2: Christ Was Raised on the Third Day According to the Scriptures14:58
Principle 3: Denying the Resurrection Destroys the Gospel21:16
Call to Believe and Conclusion25:25
Key Quotes
“Hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel is a matter of salvation or damnation.”
“One of the clearest statements of the necessity of persevering in the faith of the gospel if we are to be saved.”
“No, the God who records the events tells us their significance as well.”
“Sin that is taken so seriously by God. That nothing less than the enfleshment of the second person of the Godhead. Could give us a person adequate to pay the penalty for the sins of men.”
“My friend, blame my arrogance on my God. My God is the Gospel. He is the instrument of our salvation. God be true. And every man a liar.”
“You see, to put it in temporal terms, Easter rests down upon Good Friday. If you misunderstand the significance of Good Friday, you'll miss the meaning of Easter.”
“I was dead and I am alive forevermore. I was dead, but I am alive forevermore. The factual statement of his resurrection. It wasn't an idea. It wasn't a noble concept.”
“The reception of any human opinion which cancels the validity of these affirmations of apostolic gospel destroys the gospel. And leaves us with no hope.”
Applications
All listeners
Recognize that hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel is a matter of salvation or damnation.
Persevere in the faith and obedience of the gospel firm unto the end to ensure saving experience.
Do not simply believe the affirmations of scripture (Christ died, Christ rose) but also accept God's declared significance of those events.
Hear, receive, hold, and mold the truth that Christ died for our sins and was buried, for salvation depends on it.
Do not flirt with human opinions that deny bodily resurrection, as this undercuts the resurrection of Christ and renders faith vain.
Examine whether your only hope for life and salvation rests totally and unreservedly in Christ who died for sins and was raised, as interpreted by God.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, for you shall be saved.
A full transcript is available on the
tab. 56 paragraphs, roughly 27 minutes.
Machine transcription
Introduction to the Resurrection's Importance in the Gospel
Welcome to God's Word to Our Nation, a weekly broadcast bringing you a message of new life and liberty. This program is brought to you each week by the Grace Baptist Church of Canton. We believe that the gospel is God's word to this and every nation. Through the gospel, God has shown that our deepest need, the need for freedom from the guilt and power of sin, can be fully met by His Son, Jesus Christ.
Here now is pastor, author, and conference speaker, Albert N. Martin, with this week's message. Let us turn this morning to the great resurrection chapter in the Word of God. I refer, of course, to 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
1 Corinthians chapter 15. And I shall read in your hearing verses 1 through 19.
And I would ask you to note not only the things that are affirmed with respect to the word of God, but also to the historical validity of the resurrection and its place as an essential element in the gospel, but especially beginning in verse 12 and going through verse 19, the close logical connections that the apostle makes between a denial of the bodily resurrection in general and an undercutting of the gospel, and all of its distinctive blessings. Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which also I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James. Then, then to all the apostles, and last of all as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not fit 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 they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised, and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain. Your faith also is vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised.
And if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain. Ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
Principle 1: The Necessity of Holding Fast to the Apostolic Gospel
I want you to work through this section of the word of God with me in terms of three great principles that are important to us. Three great principles that are found in this passage of the word of God. The first one is found in verses 1 and 2. Now I make known unto you brethren the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.
And the principle that the apostle sets before us in these first two verses is this, that hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel is a matter of salvation or damnation. Now do you see that in the verses? Hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel is a matter of salvation or damnation.
You see how clearly he states that. I make known to you brethren the gospel which I preached unto you in my capacity as an apostle, and yet with a gospel perfectly consistent with the other apostles, and you received, that gospel, you stand in that gospel, and by that gospel you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. Whatever dealings you Corinthians have had with my gospel, whatever experiences you claim to have had in virtue of researching, Receiving that gospel, it falls short of saving experience and virtue unless the gospel you heard, received, in which you now stand, you hold fast in the faith and obedience of it firm unto the end. One of the clearest statements of the necessity of persevering in the faith of the gospel if we are to be saved.
Principle 2: The Heart of the Apostolic Gospel - Two Fundamental Affirmations
So the first great principle then that is set before us in this passage is that hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel is a matter of salvation or damnation. It's a matter of life and of death. But then secondly, see in this passage that the heart of the apostolic gospel is comprised of truth. Two fundamental affirmations.
Both of these affirmations that comprise the heart of the apostolic gospel pertain to events in the life history of Jesus of Nazareth and their true significance as declared to us by God himself. And the apostolic gospel contains an affirmation of two basic facts.
Their significance as declared by God. And it's holding to that which is a matter of salvation and damnation. And that's why I emphasize it. It is not enough simply to say, yes, I believe the affirmation of scripture.
Christ died, Christ rose. And then to place your own significance upon those events. No, the God who records the events tells us their significance as well. All right then, what are the two basic affirmations?
Affirmation 1: Christ Died for Our Sins According to the Scriptures
Look at the text. Verse 3. I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried.
I make that one unified affirmation. Second one. And that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures. And.
And he appeared. What is the first affirmation that lies at the heart of the apostolic gospel? Paul said, I remind you of that which I preached unto you. Here it is.
That Christ for our sins. It is an affirmation concerning the death of Jesus of Nazareth. And we have in that affirmation four elements. Let's look at them very quickly.
Number one. The office. In which he died. He does not say, my gospel is this.
That Jesus died for our sins. Though it was Jesus of Nazareth who died. But he places the emphasis upon his official office as the Christ. You see, Christ is not just a name like I have three names that identify me.
Albert, Newton, Martin. But they are official titles that describe and define. His office and function as the Savior of sinners. And when Paul says in this first affirmation, Christ died for our sins.
He is underscoring the office in which he died. Christ means the anointed one. It is the New Testament counterpart of the Old Testament Messiah. It is God's long promised prophet, priest, and king.
God's father. The final and glorious revelation to men. The one through whom God would redeem his people. As that one anointed of God would bring about a redemption.
In his capacity as the anointed prophet, priest, and king. Prophet to teach us the will of God. Priest to sacrifice and intercede for us. King to subdue his and our enemies.
And to reign. Over us in grace. And the office in which Jesus of Nazareth died was his official office as God's Messiah. But then notice the purpose for which he died.
Christ died who per. For sins. The purpose of his death had directly to do with our sins. What we end up in this simple phrase is the whole reality.
Of humanity. Human sin as an offense against God. Sin that demands death. And judgment.
And punishment. Sin that is taken so seriously by God. That nothing less than the enfleshment of the second person of the Godhead. Could give us a person adequate to pay the penalty for the sins of men.
Then we have the pattern within which he died. Look at the text. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Everything pertaining to his death for our sins was according to the pattern previously marked out by the Old Testament scriptures.
And what's the proof he really died? Look at the text. And was buried. What they took down from the cross was a corpse, a lifeless, bruised, blood-spattered, disfigured corpse.
And his burial, his improvement, was the proof that he really died. Now this is the first and fundamental affirmation of the Apostolic Gospel. Christ died for our sins. According to.
He was buried. And listen. If you don't hear that. And receive it.
And hold it. And mold it. You will not be saved. You will be damned.
That's what the scriptures says. You say you are the most arrogant man I have ever heard. My friend, blame my arrogance on my God. My God is the Gospel.
He is the instrument of our salvation. God be true. And every man a liar. But the heart of this gospel has a second affirmation.
Affirmation 2: Christ Was Raised on the Third Day According to the Scriptures
A second affirmation. And what is that affirmation? And what is that second affirmation? The second affirmation is this.
Look at the text. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried, and that He hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He appeared. You see, to put it in temporal terms, Easter rests down upon Good Friday. If you misunderstand the significance of Good Friday, you'll miss the meaning of Easter.
That's why the gospel is called the preaching or the word of the cross. Paul could say, I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him as crucified. If you and I do not understand, the first affirmation will never make sense out of the second. And so we are given the first.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Now the second affirmation, and that He hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared or that He was seen. Now notice again, four elements. The office within which He was raised, it's the same Christ of verse 3a.
Christ died, and He, Christ, He was raised as He was crucified in His official office as God's Messiah. The one anointed to deliver His people is Himself first delivered from the pangs and from the bonds of death. And it is within that office, His official office, as Messiah that He is raised from the dead. Then the factual statement of His resurrection, He hath been raised on the third day.
And what the translators here tried to do was to show the difference in the Greek tenses. The tenses for death and burial are aorists. He died once for all, definitive. He was buried once for all, definitive.
But He hath been raised. It's a perfect tense. And as you Greek students know, that points to action accomplished, and the results of which continue on.
And so He would die once for all. Once for all, He has been raised, and in the resurrection state He now is, and ever shall be to all eternity. He hath been raised and maintains the reality of resurrection, life and existence. And this on the third day, according to Jewish reckoning, buried on Friday, part of the day, is taken for the whole on the Jewish Sabbath.
That old Jewish Sabbath is with Him in His tomb, and it's buried, and it never came out of the tomb. And on that first day of the week, the risen Lord comes out of the tomb, leaving the Jewish Sabbath, Sabbath in that tomb and bringing out of it with him the original day of rest, the Lord's day Sabbath now bursting with all the glorious dynamics of the new creation. And on the third day, he was raised and remains the risen and the living one. That's why when he appears to John in the book of the Revelation, he says, I was dead and I am alive forevermore. I was dead, but I am alive forevermore. The factual statement of his resurrection. It wasn't an idea. It wasn't a noble concept. It wasn't the springing forth of all of the
life in the spring that somehow cast its life giving ethos into the tomb. And though Jesus of Nazareth still lives. Lay on that slab somewhere or another. There is a religious spirit. No, no, no, no, no.
The one who died, whose body had a spear thrust in it, whose blood could be felt if you put your hands there as it dripped down his dying form. That same Jesus came out of the tomb alive forevermore. And what was the pattern of his resurrection? Look at the text. According to the scriptures, it happened exactly as the scripture said it would. And in the apostolic preaching, we don't have time to look at it, but you'll see in passages such as Acts 2 and then again in Acts 13, where they take Old Testament scriptures and prove that the resurrection of Jesus was prophesied in the scriptures. Pattern of his resurrection like the pattern of his death. It accorded with the scriptures. It was no notion imposed
upon the Christian faith by overly enthusiastic Christians. It was no notion imposed upon the Christian faith by overly enthusiastic first or second century zealots, as some liberals say. Humble Jesus of Nazareth never made great claims about himself. It's his followers who did nonsense. The Old Testament scriptures pointed to the fact that the one who would die would be raised from the dead. And what was the validation of his resurrection? Four times the verb is used. He appeared. He appeared. More literally, he appeared. He appeared.
Principle 3: Denying the Resurrection Destroys the Gospel
He was. He was. He was. You don't see notions. You don't see phantoms. You don't see noble ideas. Now we've looked at two principles and taken the bulk of our time. Briefly now in closing, we look at the third. What was the first principle? We saw it in verses one and two. Hearing, receiving, holding fast the apostolic gospels, a matter of salvation or damnation. Secondly, the heart of the apostolic gospels. The gospel is comprised of two fundamental affirmations. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and was buried. And he has been raised the third day according to the scriptures and was seen. Here's the third principle. The reception of any human opinion which cancels the validity of these affirmations of apostolic gospel destroys the gospel.
And leaves us with no hope. The reception of any human opinion which cancels the validity of the affirmations in the apostolic gospel destroys the gospel and leaves us without hope. Where do we find that? Look at verse twelve and following. Now, if Christ is preached and he is that he hath been raised from the dead. I'll say some among you, there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul had received word that among the Corinthians, whether church members or people infecting, trying to infect the congregation from without, whether these were perverse men from within, wolves from without, we have no way of knowing. In my study, it's not uncovered anything definitive. But this much we know
there were some who were saying there's no such thing as the resurrection of the dead. The concept of death is the resurrection of the dead. Dead bodies coming to life is foolish. And Paul goes on to say, all right, you Corinthians, you want to flirt with that stuff? Let me tell you what it does. You flirt with that human opinion that there is no such thing as bodily resurrection. And this is what you do. Verse thirteen. If there is no resurrection of the dead, if you accept the premise, dead bodies can't come to life, then Jesus Christ who had a dead body, he can't come to life.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain. You're yet in your sin. You're yet in your sins. Yet in your sins. Now I ask you as we close, do you sitting there this morning, find yourself at peace in the knowledge that your only hope for life and salvation rests totally, unreservedly in this Christ who died for our sins according to the scriptures and was buried. Christ hath been raised and stands in resurrection life. According to and in believing that, you know, you're not following a cunningly devised fable, for he was seen. He was seen. He was seen. He was seen. And I, witnesses, have
borne witness to the reality of his resurrection. Is your only hope for life and salvation in that Christ and in what he has done in his own life history as interpreted by God himself? It is that gospel which hearing, receiving, holding is the alone instrument of your salvation and mine. But thank God it is the instrument of our salvation.
Call to Believe and Conclusion
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in thine heart that God hath 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. That brings us to the conclusion of this week's broadcast. Our speaker has been Pastor Albert N. Martin and you've been listening to God's Word to Our Nation. If you would like to hear today's message again or share it with a friend, it is available on audio cassette. To order your cassette, simply call 1-800-722-3584.
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This transcript was generated by automated speech recognition and may contain errors.
It is provided for study and reference only; the audio recording is the authoritative source.
Passages Expounded
1 Corinthians 15:1-19
This is the central passage from which Martin reads, expounds, and draws all three main principles of the sermon, focusing on the gospel's content and the resurrection's necessity.
Texts Expounded
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This passage serves as the primary text for the sermon, with Martin reading and systematically breaking down its arguments regarding the resurrection.
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These verses introduce the first principle: the necessity of hearing, receiving, and holding fast to the apostolic gospel for salvation.
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This verse is central to the second principle, affirming Christ's death for sins 'according to the scriptures' and His burial.
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This verse is central to the second principle, affirming Christ's resurrection on the third day 'according to the scriptures' and His appearances.
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These verses list the witnesses to Christ's resurrection, validating its historical reality.
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These verses form the basis for the third principle, demonstrating the logical consequences of denying the resurrection of the dead, particularly Christ's.