1 Coríntios 15

1 Coríntios 15

Morgan - The Boys and the Bee Scripture pervaded the life of M. R. DeHaan, founder of the Radio Bible Class, and was seldom far from his thoughts. In his early years, Dr. DeHaan kept bees, and one day his young sons Marv and Richard went with him to raid the hives. One of the bees zeroed in on Richard and, attacking him like a dive bomber, stung him just above the eye. The boy swatted frantically at the bee, then fell to the ground in agony, kicking and screaming. The same bee headed toward Marv and buzzed around his head. The terrified boy also hit the ground, rolling and screaming, hiding his head in the grass and crying for help. Dr. DeHaan rushed over to Marv, picked him up, and told him to stop crying. “The bee is harmless,” he said. “It can’t hurt you. It has lost its sting.” The two then went over to check on Richard. There stuck in the brow above his eye was a little black stinger. DeHaan removed the stinger and checked his son for damage. “When the bee leaves its stinger in the victim,” he told the boys, “from then on it is perfectly harmless. The bee can still buzz and scare you, but it is powerless to hurt you. Your brother took the sting away by being stung.” Unable to resist a sermon, DeHaan went on to quote 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” “The Lord Jesus, our older Brother,” he said, “hung on the cross and took the sting out of death. And death, which has only one sting, can no longer hurt us. It can buzz around and scare us, but its sting is gone.” The boys never forgot the lesson—though Richard would have just as soon learned it some other way. (From this Verse) Loins Girded - Death, Where is Thy Sting? 1 Cor 15:55 Some expositors think that death is here represented as a driver, who chases us relentlessly to hell, which is here the realm of death, and who uses for this purpose a stick that has a goad or a sharp prick at the end. Much richer is the image, if we see, according to other commentators, in death a poisonous monster, that, like a scorpion, is equipped with a death causing sting or goad. Much like such a frightful kind of vermin, does death sneak up to us, drives home the sting in the heart, and pours out the murderous venom into our blood. The sting, that he exercises his power with, he obtained by sin. No grave would have been dug into the earth, if there would have been no sin. And that sin could provide him that power, is because of the law, because it pronounces the curse upon any one who only in the slightest matter digresses from it. It is a fearful thought to be threatened continually by that ruinous power and to have to expect any moment the death blow of that sting. It is a sharp sting,—nothing can withstand it, no health nor blossoming youth, no wealth nor knowledge; there is nothing that keeps us from the blow of that sting. It is a poisonous sting,—dying is bitter, oh, not only because it separates us from those whom we love, but especially because we realize that it is ordained for man to once die and afterwards face judgment. It is not surprising that many flee from the thought of death, even though they cannot escape from death itself. This is the treachery of unbelief, it lacks the courage to face the enemy and it rather hides itself from him, till he conquers them in their hiding place and drags them to the grave as his prey. Much more noble was a man like Paul, who fully sensed the depth of death, who described it in its horrible character, and who added the taunting words to it: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” That is the language of faith. The language of faith is the language of heroes. The language of faith is the language of praise. It is the language of a heart that has triumphed over death. Oh, certainly, the faithful still has to die, but that is not the true, the depth of dying any more. His Jesus struggled through that for him. That Saviour caught the sting of death in His Mediatorial heart, absorbed all the venom of it, yes, even broke the sting for all His chosen ones. Now we can sing in the face of death, not because we are such heroes in and from ourselves, but because our trust is in Him who has gained the victory. Now we sing, even at the edge of the grave: “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” For Whom The Bell Tolls Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? —1 Corinthians 15:54-55 Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:51-56 In 17th-century England, church bells tolled out the news of what was taking place in a parish. They announced not only religious services but also weddings and funerals. So when John Donne, author and dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, lay desperately sick with the plague that was killing people in London by the thousands, he could hear the bells announce death after death. Writing down his thoughts in the devotional diary that became a classic, Donne urged his readers, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.” How true! The book of Hebrews teaches that we will all face death one day: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (9:27). But if we are believers in the gospel, news of death does not need to arouse dread. We know, as Paul joyfully assured us, that by His resurrection Jesus has broken the power of death and “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Death has been “swallowed up in victory” by the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54). Its sting is gone (v.55). Martin Luther - O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? This is so true that even Satan cannot deny it. Christ's resurrection and victory over sin, death and hell is greater than all heaven and earth. You can never imagine his resurrection and victory so great but that in actuality it is far, far greater. Billy Graham - Death has two stages, first the separation of the body from the spirit . . .for a purely spiritual existence, and second, reunion with the body and a glorious resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ. Three Certainties O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? —1 Corinthians 15:55 Today's Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 As I waited outside the Intensive Care Unit for changes in the condition of a loved one, I was reminded that death affects all of us: old and young, male and female, rich and poor. In 1 Thessalonians 4, the apostle Paul comforted those who mourned the death of their loved ones. He told them that excessive grief resulted from being uninformed. Weeping for our loss is good, but we need not weep like those who have no hope. Instead, we must rely on three certainties of death. The first certainty is that the soul does not die. The souls of departed believers are with the Lord (v.14). They have retired from this problematic world, and they “sleep in Jesus.” Second, Jesus will come for every believer. Whether a Christian is alive on earth or asleep in death, Jesus will return for all His children (vv.16-17). Third, there will be a joyous reunion. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (v.17). When facing death’s shadow, remember the Light; The shadows bring fear, and the dark shrouds our eyes; But if we will turn to face Jesus the Light, The shadows will fade as He brightens our skies. —Lee Sunset in one land is sunrise in another. A man who was suffering from poor health decided to move to a warmer climate. Wanting to make sure he would choose the area best suited to his needs, he visited several locations. While in Arizona, he asked, "What's the average temperature?" "What about the humidity?" "How many days of sunshine are there?" When he asked, "What's the death rate?" he received this answer: "Same as where you come from, friend—one death for every birth." As sure as setting of the sun In evening's western sky, This life's brief day will soon be done And we will have to die. —D. De Haan Dying is the last page of time and the first page of eternity Do you ever think about your inevitable death? Or are you like the influential theater tycoon Bernard Jacobs, who said, “Of all the things in the world I think least about, it’s what happens after you die. Dead is dead.” Is that what happens when we exhale our last breath and our brain cells stop functioning? When our life has come to an end, are we totally extinguished like a flame of a candle plunged into water? That’s a common belief. But it isn’t what the Bible teaches. Hebrews 9:27 declares that it is appointed for us “to die once, but after this the judgment.” If we have received Jesus as Savior from our sins, we need not fear facing Him. We will enter into blessed fellowship with God for all eternity, for we will be “absent from the body and . . . present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Jesus taught His disciples, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Jesus’ message in the Word of God gives hope when we face our own death or the death of someone we love. He promises that we will enter our heavenly home and be with Him forever. We can count on His word. “I go to prepare a place for you . . . That where I am there you may be,” Our death is not the end of life— Beyond, with Christ, eternity! —Hess Jesus’ resurrection spelled the death of Death. 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; (NASB 1995 - Lockman) sting Ge 3:17-19 Ps 90:3-11 Pr 14:32 Joh 8:21,24 Ro 5:15,17 6:23 Heb 9:27 power Ro 3:19,20 4:15 5:13,20 7:5-13 Ga 3:10-13 1 Corinthians 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries STING OF DEATH IS SIN & LAW EMPOWERS SIN The sting of death (thanatos) is sin - Cleon Rogers on sin (literally "the sin") "The article indicates the principle of sin (ED: SIN IS IN EFFECT PERSONIFIED AS IN ROMANS 6-7 WHERE IT IS REPEATEDLY "THE SIN" PRINCIPLE - SEE Sin = Principle). Death is not simply the result of decay; rather, it is the result of the deadly poison, sin itself, which became all the more energized in our lives through acquaintance with the law (SEE THIS DYNAMIC DESCRIBED BELOW). And the power (dunamis) of sin (hamartia) is the law - What Paul is saying is that "the law gives sin its power." How does the law give sin power. Think about what the law does to the fallen flesh. Tell your flesh "I'm not going to do "x" for the entire week." What have you just done to yourself? In effect you have placed yourself under the law (one you declared, but law nevertheless). And the moment you fall into this trap of legalistic obedience, it won't be long before you experience failure and frustration. The important spiritual dynamic is what Paul is alluding to in this passage. He describes the how law gives Sin its power in Romans 7:6 writing "while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law (NOTE THE EFFECT OF THE LAW!), were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." So we see that the Law arouses the sinful flesh to commit sins. And again in Romans 7:8 we Paul explains that "Sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, (THE LAW) produced (accomplished) in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead." And so we see the effect of the Law is to stimulate Sin producing coveting. In sum, the law gives sin its power. In his Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes Interpreter’s house, which Pilgrim entered during the course of his journey to the Celestial City. The parlor of the house was completely covered with dust, and when a man took a broom and started to sweep, he and the others in the room began to choke from the great clouds of dust that were stirred up. The more vigorously he swept, the more suffocating the dust became. Then Interpreter ordered a maid to sprinkle the room with water, with which the dust was quickly washed away. Interpreter explained to Pilgrim that the parlor represented the heart of an unsaved man, that the dust was original sin, the man with the broom was the law, and the maid with the water was the gospel. His point was that all the law can do with sin is to stir it up. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can wash it away. (MacArthur MNTC-Galatians) THOUGHT - The practical upshot of the previous discussion is that we need to be very cautious and hesitant in making a list of "Do's and Don't's" in an attempt to try to control our sinful flesh! We are destined for defeat because the law arouses our fallen flesh. It does not suppress it. So God provided a far superior way to battle lusts and sin -- the Spirit. We need to learn to rely not on self to control "self" but to rely on the Spirit. Romans 8:13+ is a key passage - "if by the Spirit you are putting to death (present tense = continually; active voice - a choice of our will - but even that choice is "energized" by the Spirit giving us the desire and the power - see Php 2:13NLT+) the deeds of the body, you will live." Filling/control/reliance on the Holy Spirit is the "secret" to controlling unholy passions! Zeisler: But the law offers no praise for good or even improving effort. It always demands absolute obedience and always condemns anything that falls short of that. This is why sin is so powerful (BECAUSE IT ALWAYS FALLS SHORT), and why we fear death so much. Mare: If it were not for sin, death would have no sting. It is the law of God with its stringent moral demands that strengthens the power of sin by showing us how sinful we are, and thus condemns us. Sin (266) hamartia literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow (in Homer some hundred times of a warrior hurling his spear but missing his foe). Later hamartia came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. Hamartia in the Bible signifies a departure from God's holy, perfect standard of what is right in word or deed (righteous). See discussion of "the Sin" "personified" as a principle as it is here in 1 Cor 15:56. Thomas Gray wrote "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Awaits alike th' inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave. POWER OF THE LAW TO STIR UP SIN Paul alludes to the power of the law to stimulate sin "the power of sin is the law." (1 Cor 15:55-56) Augustine - Nothing could be truer. For a prohibition always increases an illicit desire so long as the love of and joy in holiness is too weak to conquer the inclination to sin. So without the aid of divine grace it is impossible for man to love and delight in sanctity. (CITY OF GOD) I will never forget an illustration of this by Charles Swindoll who described a beautiful "putting green" like lawn in his front yard. And to keep it pristine, he placed a sign so the kids would not ride their bikes over the lawn "STAY OFF THE LAWN." You guessed it! Kids began to ride "rampant" over his "putting green" lawn. That's the effect of the Law!!! In Galveston, Texas, a hotel on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico put this notice in each room: NO FISHING FROM THE BALCONY Yet every day, hotel guests threw in their lines to the waters below. Then the management decided to TAKE DOWN THE SIGNS – Guess what happened? The fishing stopped! Martin Luther on "The power of sin is the Law.’ ” Who has ever heard that said about God’s commandment and law, which, after all, was given and instituted as holy and good by God? And still St. Paul can say that sin would be feeble and dead and could effect nothing if it were not for the Law. The Law renders sin alert and strong and prompts it to cut and to pierce. If it depended on us, sin would very likely remain dormant forever. But God is able to awaken it effectively through the Law. When the hour comes for sin to sting and to strike, it grows unendurable in a moment. For the Law dins this into your ears and holds the register of your sins before your nose: “Do you hear? You committed this and you committed that in violation of God’s commandments, and you spent your whole life in sin. Your own conscience must attest and affirm that.” In that way sin already shows its power. It frightens you so that the whole world becomes too confining for you. It agitates and strikes until you must needs despair. And there is neither escape nor defense here. For the Law is too strong, and your own heart abets it, which itself denounces you and condemns you to hell. Therefore sin requires nothing else than God’s law. Where that enters the heart, sin is already alive and able to kill man if it wants to, unless he lays hold of this victory, which is Christ, our Lord. Paul says the "power of sin" is derived from the law. Place yourself under law even in the most subtle of ways) and you have just given sin an opportunity to stimulate you to commit sins! The take message for all of us is to assiduously avoid legalism (see Ray Stedman on Legalism) in any shape, form or fashion, lest we arouse our old master Sin! Beware! Run, John, Run! The Law commands But gives me neither feet nor hands. Far grander news the Gospel brings It bids me fly and gives me wings! THOUGHT - Dear brother or sister in Christ, this little ditty begs the question -- are you "flying" or are you "dying trying," trying in vain, in your own strength, to please God, to merit His smile, to curry His favor, to earn His grace? If so, then quit "trying" (yourself) and begin daily "dying" (to self - cf Mk 8:34+) and the Spirit will give you "wings" so that you might be enabled to soar like an eagle, for Jesus promised if you abide in His Word you would be His disciple and would "know the truth, and the truth will make you free” and "if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:32, 36) Isaiah echoes the truth that "those who wait (trust in, hope) for the LORD will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31+) The Sting The sting of death is sin . . . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 15:56-57 Today's Scripture: Romans 5:12-21 Years ago, while I was walking in the field with my two young boys, a bee stung the elder of the two just above his eye. He quickly brushed it away and threw himself in the grass, kicking and screaming. No sooner had the bee been brushed away when it went straight for the younger son and began buzzing around his head. He tried to hide in the tall grass and began screaming for help. I picked him up and told him not to worry—the bee had lost its stinger. This particular bee can sting only once. It leaves its stinger in the victim and becomes harmless. So I took my younger son over to his older brother and showed him the little black stinger in his brother’s brow. I told him, “The bee can still buzz and scare you, but it is powerless to hurt you. Your brother took the sting away.” In 1 Corinthians 15:56, the apostle Paul said that the sting of death is sin. But Jesus took the sting for us by dying in our place on the cross. Death is now powerless to hurt us because Jesus took its sting. I have life in Jesus' name, For He took my guilt and shame; Gone the sting of death and sin, Only peace now reigns within. —Hess Death may alarm us, but it cannot harm us. 1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(NASB 1995 - Lockman) thanks Ac 27:35 Ro 7:25 2Co 1:11 2:14 9:15 Eph 5:20 gives 1Co 15:51 2Ki 5:1 *marg: 1Ch 22:11 Ps 98:1 Pr 21:31 Joh 16:33 Ro 8:37 1Jn 5:4,5 Rev 12:11 15:2,3 See also The Resurrection of Christ 1 Corinthians 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Romans 6:17+ But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, Romans 7:25+ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. GIVE GRATITUDE TO GOD but thanks be to God - Thanks is the word charis which is our word for grace. It is a bit of a paradox that we who are in daily desperate need of God's grace, can in some way give "grace" to God with our gratitude to Him for His gift of victory over death. Who (present tense - continually) gives us the victory (nikos) - Note the present tense participle (continually giving) so it is not "God gave us the victory" but "God Who keeps on giving us the victory!" This is good news for it emphasizes the certainty of the victory. Yes, we are still human and experience fear when dangerous situations arise (I just received a text about an active shooter in Austin who had already killed 3 people). But when we are on our deathbed, we can fall asleep in complete assurance that this "victory" by our mortal enemy is only temporary and we will emerge on the other side of the veil as victors over death because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Death is not a period—it's only a comma Through our Lord (kurios) Jesus (Iesous) Christ (Christos) - Through is the preposition dia indicating that this victory "flows" from the throne (the Father) through the Son to His own! That'll preach like they say! Notice Paul uses the full Name, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every spiritual victory we will ever experience in this life comes through our Lord Jesus Christ! And don't miss the personal possession pronoun our, for He belongs to us even as we belong to Him in intimate, eternal covenant union. I will praise my dear Redeemer, His triumphant power I'll tell, How the victory He giveth Over sin and death and hell. —Bliss