Paul wrote 1 Corinthians within 25 years of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 15 he outlines the gospel, those things that are of first importance: ‘...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared…’ Paul then lists those who met the risen Lord, who were eyewitnesses to these things. Included in the list is a gathering of over 500 brothers.
This means that all those events were verifiable. At the time of writing there were hundreds and hundreds of people who were still alive and who were testifying and saying, ‘I was there, I saw him, these things really did happen.’ If asked, others would be able to say, ‘I met him, I was one of those who handled him,’ while yet others would say, ‘I dined with him and spoke with him, I asked him questions and got answers; it was his voice, his accent that I heard and recognised.’
When preaching in the open air, one of the talks I give follows Paul’s outline. The main heading that I put up on the board is The Lord Jesus Christ: Risen from the Dead! Then underneath, my five sub-headings are: it really was him on the Cross – it really was him in the grave – it really was him who appeared to hundreds – it is really him who changes lives – in his own words (here I use the text, ‘I am the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore’).
