If Christ Is Not Raised, Christian Faith Collapses

Some Corinthians apparently affirm Christ while denying a resurrection of the dead. Paul shows the contradiction: if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised. If Christ is not raised, preaching is empty, faith is empty, the apostles are false witnesses, believers remain in sins, dead Christians have perished, and Christian hope is pitiable.

The logic matters because Paul does not reduce resurrection to the survival of a soul or a metaphor for personal renewal. Christ’s resurrection belongs to the same future God promises for his people.

Aha: Christianity does not merely use resurrection language because it feels hopeful. Paul deliberately places the whole gospel at risk on the claim that God actually raised Christ and will raise the dead.