First Corinthians 15; Part 3: Believers Stand Fast in the Gospel, Unmovable in the Glorious Hope - Eager Anticipation, of Resurrection, i.e., The Rapture:

Our two previous studies covered the first 49 verses of the fifteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians. We’ll continue here at verse 50 but first we need to look at two words in the first 4 verses that were not addressed earlier. As noted previously, the first 4 verses summarize the Gospel (Good News) of salvation to eternal life preached by the Apostle Paul; that Christ died for mankind’s sins and rose from the dead on the 3rd day, according to Old Testament (OT) Scriptures. The Corinthians, and all mankind since, are assured eternal life in Heaven with The Lord Jesus Christ if Paul’s Gospel is truly believed from the heart. One Greek word we will examine here is translated “ye have received” and also “received,” the other is translated “ye stand.” The first 4 verses with these words highlighted are:

1 - “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 - By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 - And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 41 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

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“Ye have received” in verse 1 and “received” in verse 3 are translated from the Greek word “paralamban’o” (G3880), which occurs 50 times in the New Testament, translated “take” 30 times; “receive” 15 times; “take unto” twice; “take up” twice and “take with” once. It is defined as “to take near, with or to oneself; receive with or to one’s self; receive in charge what is delivered over.” Its first occurrence is in Matthew 2:1313 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

where The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him to arise “and take” the Young Child (Jesus) and His mother and flee to Egypt, then in Matthew 2:1414 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

its translated “he took” the Young Child (Jesus) and His mother by night and departed. In Galatians 1:99 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul warns believers: “… If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ‘ye have received,’ let him be accursed.” The Greek word translated “ye stand” in the phrase “the Gospel…wherein ye stand” is “histemi” (G2476), which occurs 155 times in the NT, translated “stand” 115 times; “set” 11 times; “establish” 5 times, etc. It means “to stand, opposite of falling; stand fast, stand still.”

Therefore, when someone believes the Gospel, they take or receive it near to themselves to care for and they stand still/fast in it; thus, they are saved (delivered, made righteous) from sins with the hope (earnest expectation) to exchange these present vile/corrupt/dying bodies for incorrupt eternal bodies. Now, we continue at 1 Corinthians 15:5050 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

where Paul teaches that our flesh and blood bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God even as corruption (decay, ruin, perishing) cannot inherit incorruption (purity, immortal, perpetuity, not subject to death). The resurrection of the Members of Christ’s Body is part of the mystery, which is the Gospel God kept secret until The Lord Jesus Christ revealed it to Paul, that all believers will not all die, but all (whether dead or alive at the time) will be changed (this has been called the Rapture, a word not found in the Bible), 1 Corinthians 15:5151 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

. This is a facet of the mystery Paul describes in Romans 16:2525 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

& Ephesians 3:1 - 61 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

with details outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 1813 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

where we learn that believers will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord in the Air and forever be with Him. (See Faith Studies Vol. 3, Numbers 62 through 67 at Faith-Studies.com for a complete study of The Mystery.) The Secret of the catching up (rapture) of the Church, The Body of Christ, revealed to Paul differs from what God promised the OT Saints. They looked forward to resurrection from the dead, but that was to live, tied by gravity to earth in their resurrected bodies: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:” Job 19:25 - 2625 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

. God promised Israel they will be a Holy Nation of Priests on earth, Exodus 19:66 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

and the OT prophets foretold different aspects of Israel’s future earthly Kingdom with their Messiah as King. When Christ ascended into Heaven, His followers did not look forward to being caught up to heaven like Members of Christ’s Body today, they rightly looked forward to His return to earth to establish Israel’s promised Kingdom, Acts 1:6 - 116 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

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The catching up (rapture) of The Body of Christ could have occurred at any moment since Paul wrote these words. It will occur in a twinkling of an eye when those believers who have died will be raised incorruptible (immortal) and those believers still living in their vile corruptible bodies will be changed, 1 Corinthians 15:5252 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

. All will have bodies like our Lord Jesus Christ not tied by gravity to this earth, but capable of life with Him in Heaven; this corruptible body must put on incorruption, i.e., this mortal (dying body) must put on immortality (a body that never dies), 1 Corinthians 15:5353 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

. And when this happens, then will come to pass the saying “Death is swallowed up in Victory,” 1 Corinthians 15:5454 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

. This saying is from Isaiah 25:88 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

& Hosea 13:1414 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

, and applies to the hope off all believers since Adam, including those before and after Paul’s Gospel was revealed to him.

“O death, where is thy sting (of venom, poison)? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength (inherent power/ability) of sin is the law (of Moses).” 1 Corinthians 15:55 - 5655 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

. There is no transgression/sin without the law, Romans 4:1515 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

b. For by the Law is the knowledge of sin, Romans 3:2020 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

b. The law itself is not sin and we would not know sin but by the law, Romans 7:77 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

a. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:5757 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” Romans 10:44 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

. Jesus died for all mankind, that through death He could destroy the devil who has had the power of death, Hebrews 2:99 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

& Hebrews 2:1414 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

. At this time Satan’s fate is sealed but not consummated, but it will be when “… God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:44 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:88 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

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As the first 4 verses of this great chapter teach, believers have “taken near, with or to one’s self; received with or to one’s self; received in charge (The Gospel Paul) delivered” and in which they stand fast, we now come to the last verse of the chapter that exhorts: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast (sitting fast, fixed, settled), unmovable (unmoved, firm), always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor (work, trouble, toil) is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:5858 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

. Therefore, even though the believer’s position in Christ holds sure and firm, yet they exist in frail, corruptible bodies prone to sin and wander, so the exhortation to watch and live fixed, settled, unmovable in Christ, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” Colossians 1:21 - 2321 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

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