The Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 that he was referring to is the “Death. Burial and Resurrection of Christ.” and he wrote that it was according to the Scriptures which is the Old Testament Scriptures.

When I used this argument in one of my exchanges, one brother told me that I am limiting the gospel to DBR. The brother did not understand that Like Paul, I was not limiting the gospel to just DBR because I do believe that DBR is not just a resurrection of someone who died but the fulfillment of all things that were written in the Scriptures. Jesus said in Luke 24:25-27, “And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning him.” He continued his statements in verses 44-46 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day.

Jesus said that the DBR of Christ is the fulfillment of all the things that were written in the Law of Moses, Psalms and the Prophets.

Why it is important that Christ should die and live again? During the time of Jesus all were expecting the coming of the Christ but the problem was that many were claiming to be the Christ. Jesus said, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” So during the time of Jesus he was not the only one claiming to be the Christ. The People were confused; they can not recognize who the Christ was. John the Baptist was thought to be the Christ (Luke 3:15), but he said, “No I am not he.” And because of this the Jews were reluctant to accept Jesus as the Christ (Lu 22:67, Lu 23:2, Lu 23:39, Jn 10:24).

Who is the real Christ?

Someone who is claiming to be the Christ may use all the passages of the scriptures concerning Christ to be him as the fulfillment but he can not undergo DBR to prove that he is the Christ. The Old Testaments clearly stated that the real Christ is someone who should suffer, and rise again from the dead on the third day. And it only happened to Jesus. Among all of those who claimed that they were the Christ only Jesus fitted the descriptions of the promised Christ. He DIED; he was BURIED, and was RESURECTED! And this is really the GOOD NEWS!

Since Jesus undergone DBR and no other, therefore he is the Christ, and since he is the Christ, he fulfilled the promise of God to Abraham which is the blessings of all nations (Gen 12:1-3, Gal 3:8, 16). When Paul interpreted Genesis 12, he expounded it as God had actually preached the gospel to Abraham. Please read Gal 3:8,16, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Analyzing this passage, the Christ is the seed of Abraham who is blessing all the nations and from our studies someone who undergo DBR is the legitimate Christ, and from our studies Jesus was the only one who had the DBR, therefore he is the Christ and since he is the Christ, he is the fulfillment of the Gospel that God preached to Abraham.

Paul was right when he said that the gospel is the DBR because DBR is the evidence that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God and he really blessed all nations as it was proclaimed in Acts 2.

Peter said what was happening on the day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy about the out pouring of the Spirit upon all flesh (all nations) in the last days.

Isaiah explained that the pouring of spirit is the pouring of blessings. In Isaiah 44:3, the prophet used synonymous Hebrew parallelism to define it. Please read:

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Since pouring of water upon thirsty is synonymous to pouring of flood to dryland, therefore the pouring of spirit to your seed is similar to pouring of blessings to your offsprings.

And since on the day of Pentecost there was an out pouring of spirit to all flesh therefore what was really happened was the out pouring of blessings to all nations.

And on this day, Peter delivered his first sermon giving emphasis on the Death, burial and the rising again from the dead of a man called Jesus of Nazareth. Please read Acts 2: 22-36:

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

You are the Christ!

When Jesus asked his disciples on what they thought about him, Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matt 16:16) Jesus answered and said, “Upon this rock (since I am the Christ—Bot Hayuhay), I will build my Church!”

Please take note that on that very day Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ and on that day Jesus promised to build his Church he also said, “I will die and be raised again the third day. Please read matt 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Peter said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God! (Matt 16:16).

Nathaniel said, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel. (John 1:49).

Therefore the Christ is the King that God promised to Israel.

And when Peter said that Jesus is the Christ he was actually saying Jesus is the King. And since he is the king, he has to build a house (church) for the Lord to fulfill God’s promised to King David in 2 Samuel 7:11-13. Please read:

And as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house. When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Analyzing Matthew 16:16-18, 21, it seems to me that to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God is for him to be killed, and be raised again the third day so that he would be able to build the Church (house) to fulfill 2 Samuel 7:11-13.

Please read:

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Going back to 1 Corinthians 15, the context of this passage is to use the DBR of Jesus to prove the truth about resurrection.

Paul wrote in 1Co 15:12-21, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”

Paul had been preaching the life after death ever since. Paul said to King Agrippa in Act 26:6-8, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” He also told Agrippa in verses 22-23, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.”

Time of the fathers The hope of resurrection that was made promised

Time of the Twelve Tribes The hope of the resurrection that was hoped to come

Time of the Christ Hope of the resurrection that Paul preached

From this passage and combining it to 1 Corinthians 15, Paul was teaching the reality of the life after death and using the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to prove it.

Concluding this article we have found out that the DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURECTION of Jesus Christ has everything to do with the blessings of all nations, the building of the Church and the reality of the resurrection from the death of all who will abide with Jesus.

By Nehemias Bot Hayuhay

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