{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"First Day","title":"1 Corinthians 15: What happens to us now?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2204,"description":"(NRSV, 1989)In my estimation, 1 Corinthians 15 is one of the most doctrinally dense chapters in the New Testament outside of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Why the apostle writes what he does in here is easily in keeping with the rest of this letter, but the nature of its subject matter is not. In respect to the former, the Corinthians have strayed from what they were taught and had been demonstrated by Paul, and he was trying to get them back on track. When considering the latter, however, up to this chapter Paul has been focused more on practical or pastoral theology—the hows of the faith and where they have erred in their practice—but here in fifteen, Paul seems to be addressing error that has arisen in their belief. 1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.The gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and Risen—is the only instrument for salvation that is available to the Corinthians. It seems that there may have arisen some doubt within the congregation of the gospel’s uniqueness in this regard. The Corinthians had heard and accepted Paul’s message and had staked their lives on it: “on which you have taken your stand…” Paul was under the impression that this was a done deal; but the apostle’s response here seems to indicate that there is now some doubt: maybe springing from the Corinthians’ determination to keep up the practices of their former lives. Note that it is through the gospel that they “are being saved, if [they] hold to the message…unless [they] believed in vain.” This is not a doctrinal statement that some denominations and traditions like to hear. Salvation is a process here and not a single, exclusive act. The Corinthians must “hold to the message” to achieve complete salvation in the future. Thus, believing is not enough to...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/QuQW_cZXSsuBMOigLtAJwx1STWkIimOEzRB22DVXWLI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMwOC8xNTM2OTc2/NTk0LWFydHdvcmsu/anBn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}