The Gospel Paul Received: Christ Died, Was Buried, and Was Raised

Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he preached and they received: Christ died for sins “according to the scriptures,” was buried, was raised on the third day “according to the scriptures,” and appeared to Cephas, the Twelve, more than five hundred believers, James, all the apostles, and finally Paul.

Many scholars recognize verses 3–5 as preserving an early received tradition because Paul explicitly says he “delivered” what he had “received.” That does not by itself prove an exact date or every later reconstruction of how the formula developed, but it does show that the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances were not ideas Paul invented late in his career.