What is the context?
Paul now names the problem: some Corinthians say there is no resurrection of the dead. He follows that claim through to its consequences. If the dead cannot be raised, Christ has not been raised either.
That would make the apostles’ proclamation worthless and their testimony about God false. The Corinthians cannot preserve the message that God raised Christ while rejecting the possibility on which that message depends.
The consequences reach beyond the preachers. Without Christ’s resurrection, the Corinthians remain in their sins, and those who have died in Christ have perished. Faith would not achieve what it promises simply because the people holding it are sincere.
Paul is stating the consequences of a denial he will reject, not announcing that the gospel has failed. The next section begins by affirming that Christ really has been raised. Here he makes clear why Christian hope reaches beyond benefits in this present life.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Christians commonly understand Paul to make the real resurrection of Christ essential to the gospel’s saving hope. Wesley’s notes on verses 13–19 and the USCCB notes on verses 12–19 both explain that rejecting it undermines the proclamation, forgiveness and the future of those who have died in Christ.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
In Luke 20:37–38, Jesus appeals to God’s identification with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when affirming the resurrection. God is the God of the living; death does not simply erase the relationship and hope His promises establish.
Paul’s reasoning likewise places resurrection within God’s saving purpose, rather than treating it as an optional addition to an otherwise complete message. The gospel offers a hope that reaches beyond the grave. The rest of this chapter will explain how Christ’s resurrection grounds that hope for His people.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.