I Corinthians 15:1-6
We here today understand the importance of establishing everything according to the Scriptures. There has always been a push to not take the Word of God so seriously. We see this attack in Genesis 3. The flesh is at enmity with God and it would rather anything besides the Scriptures in context. Those preachers who are able to pull on people's emotions from one extreme to another seem to be very popular. Those preachers who twist Scripture to fit an agenda or a topic to appeal to the flesh, people will flock to. Then there are those who just mention the bible in passing and hardly ever say anything about the death burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There are a lot of motivational speakers standing behind pulpits today. Some have no back bone and are scared they may offend someone but have no concept that they are offending God.
The primary task of the preacher is to teach the people. His primary goal should be to glorify God, but his primary task is to teach the people. In order to teach he must know. When we know then we can be bold. We can stand strong, and boldly lead our people. "That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more," Job 34:32. "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," Psalm 119:18. These are truly great Scriptures to pray.
Here in I Corinthians Paul is writing a book of rebuke. He spent 18-20 months in Corinth establishing the church in the Scriptures. Here in chapter 15 Paul is reminding them of this. "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand," I Corinthians 15:1. "Declare" in this verse means to put in mind of, impress upon, confirm. Paul is confirming what he had previously preached to them. "Preach" here is to preach the Gospel, the Word, the faith; all that pertains to the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Then Paul reminds them this is the same gospel that they received and that they stand upon.
"By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain," verse 2. "Are saved" refers to those being saved; those who have obtained salvation through Christ and are kept by Him. "Keep in memory" is to hold fast in one's mind and heart. Paul is compelling them to go back to the Scriptures. Remember how ye were saved and remember where your hope is. It is like he has to grab hold of them and yank them out from where they are. Well, where are they? Are they in trouble or are they in danger? Yes! They are in danger of being swept away by heretics. How do you inflict the most pain and heart ache on God's people, you get them away from the Scriptures? They begin to look at the things around them instead of looking towards heaven. "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you," John 16:22. What great comfort for the Lord's disciples, if they would remember the Words of Christ. The devil is a thief, and so are his ministers. His ministers bring in damnable heresies that are designed to take away our hope in Christ. When we forget what we have been taught we become a hopeless people. A result of this is that we are easily hurt. When we are in this state, we are not able to help others. Peter is a prime example.
"Keep in memory" means to hold fast in one's mind and heart. To believe in vain is vain belief which is not salvation (John 8). Here again Paul is challenging them to examine themselves by the same Scripture that they say they believe to make sure they are saved. Who are those who have believed in vain? They are still lost, and their lifestyle shows it. They will easily follow a heretic. "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers," John 10:4-5.
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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," verses 3-4. Notice that Paul is careful here to point them back to the Scriptures. This is the same thing Jesus Christ did. "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself," Luke 24:25-27. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope," Romans 15:4. The devil and his ministers bring in heresies which cause those that believe those lies to be hopeless, and hurt. God's faithful slaves consistently give the people Scripture in context which gives the people clarity, confidence, and comfort. "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech," II Corinthians 3:12. "Plainness" here speaks of boldness. We should be the boldest people on the earth. Turn to I Peter 1:18-21.
It is important that we continue to preach the Scriptures. Even when it seems like we aren't seeing any fruit. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures," Luke 24:45. Only Jesus can give them understanding. Who gave us understanding? This is another reason it is important for us to put down roots and invest much labour and time, our life, into those whom the Lord has placed us over. We are to feed the flock of God the Scriptures in context.
The cry of the reformation was Scripture, Scripture, Scripture alone. I believe we are beginning to hear this cry again today, and we are also beginning to see the results. Lord help us to be faithful slaves who lovingly proclaim Scripture, Scripture, Scripture. I want to end by reading a quote by A.W. Pink, "What is needed today is a wide proclamation of those truths which are the least acceptable to the flesh. What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the character of God-His absolute sovereignty, His ineffable holiness, His inflexible justice, His unchanging veracity. What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the condition of the natural man-his total depravity, his spiritual insensibility, his inveterate hostility to God, the fact that he is "condemned already" (John 3:18) and that the wrath of a sin-hating God is even now abiding upon him (John 3:36). What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the alarming danger in which sinners are-the indescribably awful doom which awaits them. What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the nature of that punishment which awaits the lost-the awfulness of it, the hopelessness of it, the endurableness of it, the endlessness of it." May the Lord grant us the grace to be faithful in the Scriptures. Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. To God be the glory.
