Adam and Christ

Good morning friends,
I'm grateful every day for the ministry of mothers, but today I'm especially mindful. I pray worship at Laurelton is joyful and meaningful today. I'm on the way to New Orleans with Maggie, Donna, Scott and Gary. Keep us in prayer as we work to help a family come home. I'm sure we'll find some time to enjoy the city as well.

Today's reading moves deeper into Paul's discussion of resurrection. He argues that if there's no resurrection, that means Christ wasn't raised. Since Christ's resurrection is the heart of our faith, without that our salvation, the world's destiny and everything else are up in the air. He also describes how Jesus is the cure for Adam's curse. Death and sin came into the world with Adam's disobedience, so it's fitting that those problems are solved with another man, Jesus', obedience. Read Paul's argument carefully and see what you think. We'll be coming back to this chapter pretty soon.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 15:12-26

¹²Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; ¹⁴and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. ¹⁵We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

²⁰But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. ²¹For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; ²²for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ²⁴Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death.