No Resurrection?

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 

I Corinthians 15:12-14 

The faith we have rests upon the fact that Christ has risen from the dead. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, he expounds the truth of the resurrection because of some in Corinth who were saying there is no resurrection. Our text reflects Paul’s logic that, ‘if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.’ He goes on to point out the logical implications of that by saying, ‘And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.’ Thus, the faith we have is integrally connected to Christ’s resurrection. This is why the resurrection of Christ is so clearly set forth by the evangelists, Peter, and Paul. Without the resurrection, the whole thing becomes a vain, empty fantasy. Paul goes to great lengths to establish, first, that there is a resurrection from the dead, and second, that Christ has risen. This was the perpetual message of the New Testament era. It continues today among all who preach Christ. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is critical to faith. We have the privilege to believe it and to proclaim it. Thus faith is not empty, and belief is not foolish. ‘He is risen indeed.’  

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. 
We praise You that because you live, 
we shall live also. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning