Exploring the Scripture

Chapter 15 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians begins with a recitation of creedal statements. Familiar principles of faith ground and connect the young church of new disciples in Corinth to the earliest Christian testimonies of Jesus. Paul also frames it in language that speaks to the heart of the Jesus experience and the gospel’s good news. As Paul recounts how he, the people of Corinth, and others received the gospel, he shines a light on the transformation that “the grace of God that is with me” brings to all people who receive the gospel found in Jesus Christ, the Risen One (v. 10).

For Paul, it is a journey of discovery, a new way of living and seeing the world. It goes beyond a set of belief statements. It becomes life in action, embodying enduring principles and proclaiming to all who will listen to the power found in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s gift of grace. It is also a holy rhythm of receiving and proclaiming—passing along the gospel—so others might experience “being saved [and] hold firmly to the message…” (v. 2).

This way of being is integrally connected with how Paul experiences the designation of an apostle. He does not understand it as an office of the ecclesiastically elite, but instead as a function of whole-life discipleship as a missionary commissioned to share the transforming power of Christ who “died for our sins” (v. 3). Christ’s death was not as ransom, but to set the world free from the violence of tyranny. Love overcomes hate, greed, and the powers wreaking havoc, destruction, and desolation in countless lives through the resurrection. Hope is born.

Telling the sacred story, handed down from the prophets of old, fulfilled through the life and resurrection of Jesus Emmanuel, God with us, and in the spirit of Paul’s words to the Corinthians, calls us still. As disciples and as the church, every generation stands as witnesses who have received the gospel sent to proclaim and share as living witnesses of Jesus, the Peaceable One, Jesus, the Risen One.

Each time the people of God gather in worship, fellowship, breaking bread, and drinking wine, the gospel story is lived and shared. As we go into the world, Christ lives in and through us in the settings of our everyday lives. The old story becomes ever new and expressed in changing times through diverse peoples, cultures, and spaces. The freeing truths of the gospel take shape and form, and, like Paul, a new generation of disciples say, “by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain” (v. 10).

Project Zion Podcast

Co-hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith consider how this week's scripture connects to our lives today.

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Central Ideas

1. For Paul, the gospel is a new way of living and seeing the world.
2. Hold firm to the gospel message and witness the living, risen Christ.
3. Receive and proclaim the good news of the gospel so others may come to believe and truly live.

Questions to Consider

1. How have you witnessed the risen Christ on your journey of life and faith?
2. How have the testimonies of others brought you closer to knowing and experiencing Christ and deepening your faith? Through these testimonies, how do you feel connected to past, present, and future generations?
3. How do the message and living presence of Jesus Christ challenge you or your congregation to be proclaimers of Jesus Christ in the world today?
4. How are you being called to be agents of change and transformation?