Back to the Basics – 1 Corinthians 15
‘Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;’ — 1 Corinthians 15:1
The basics are called that for a reason. They are the essential facts or fundamental aspects of something. Non-basic things may be removed and integrity is not impacted, but when the basics are removed everything falls apart.
As Paul closes the book of 1 Corinthians, he takes them back to the basics of the gospel and the resurrection. He once again declares to them the same gospel he preached when he first came to them.
He lets them know that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ according to the Scripture and witnessed by hundreds (v.3-11). He reminds them that the gospel is the foundation for their spiritual standing (v.1). He also tells them that the gospel is the truth that saves (v.2), not only from the penalty of sin but also from the power of sin. It is how they are sanctified each day in their walk with Christ.
Then Paul goes on to elaborate on how crucial the gospel message is. If one aspect of it, the resurrection, is removed, then everything about the Christian faith falls apart (v.12-18).
This teaches us that we never get past our need for the basics. The basics are the foundation that undergirds everything. Once basic truths about Christ, about the cross, about the resurrection, and about the gospel are undermined everything quickly falls apart.
So, what do you believe about Christ and His resurrection? What is your faith built upon? Do you trace it all the way back to Scriptural foundations? And do you continue to root your life in the gospel and the Word of God? Without these foundations, the follower of Jesus Christ is wasting his time.