’That Which I Also Received’

‘That Which I Also Received’

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…

I Corinthians 15: 3 & 4

As the Apostle Paul began his great exposition of the doctrine of the resurrection, he laid the groundwork for all that would follow with the verses we will be considering for the next little while. For today, let us dwell upon just these words, ‘For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received.’ From whence had Paul received this message? Remember that Paul was an Old Testament scholar. He knew, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, came to understand that the Old Testament is full of the Message of Christ. From the very first mention of Christ, and right away through the prophecies of the ‘holy men of God’ who ‘spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,’ Christ appears again and again. Beyond that, Paul had heard the testimonies of the saints of God whom he had persecuted, and had seen them die in faith.  The third source from which Paul had received his message was from Christ, Himself. Christ had revealed Himself to Paul upon the Road to Damascus, and had expanded that revelation during his three years in Arabia. This made Paul very certain about this message which he was preaching. It was a message upon which he would stand, and from which he would not waver. It is the message that we also have received and from which we cannot and will not waver. As Paul declared it, so also do we declare it. Christ is all. This is what we have received.

O God of Truth,
we praise You that You have revealed unto us
all that is necessary for us to know You.
We rejoice that Your message leads us to Christ,
and to eternal peace.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning