Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 15:13
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
13. But if there be no resurrection of the dead ] The question has here been raised, against whom was St Paul contending? against those who maintained the immortality of the soul, but denied the resurrection of the body, or those who maintained that man altogether ceased to exist after death? 1Co 15:19; 1Co 15:32 would appear to point to the latter class, but this (see note on 1Co 15:17) cannot be affirmed with certainty. There were some, moreover (see 2Ti 2:17-18), who perverted St Paul’s teaching (Rom 6:4; Eph 2:6; Col 2:2; Col 2:13; Col 3:1) into the doctrine that the resurrection taught by the Apostles of Jesus was the spiritual awakening from sin to righteousness, the quickening of moral and spiritual energies into activity and predominance. The fact would seem to be that St Paul so contrived his argument as to deal with all antagonists at once. The whole question whether there were a future life or not, according to him, depended on the fact of Christ’s Resurrection. If He were risen, then a resurrection of all mankind was not probable, but certain. If He were not risen, then there was not only no resurrection, but no immortality, no future life at all (cf. 2Ti 1:10; Heb 2:14, as well as 1Co 15:45-49 of this chapter).
then is Christ not risen ] If a resurrection from the dead be impossible, the principle embraces the Resurrection of Christ Himself, which, if this postulate be granted, becomes at once either a mistake or an imposture. And since, on the Apostle’s principles, there is no hope of a future life but through Him, we are driven to the conclusion a reductio ad absurdum that “the answer to His prayer ‘Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit,’ was Annihilation! that He Who had made His life one perpetual act of consecration to His Father’s service received for His reward the same fate as attended the blaspheming malefactor.” Robertson. And we must infer also, he continues, that as the true disciples of Christ in all ages have led purer, humbler, more self-sacrificing lives than other men, they have attained to this higher excellence by “believing what was false,” and that therefore men become more “pure and noble” by believing what is false than by believing what is true.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But if there be no resurrection of the dead – If the whole subject is held to be impossible and absurd, then it must follow that Christ is not risen, since there were the same difficulties in the way of raising him up which will exist in any case. He was dead and was buried. He had lain in the grave three days. His human soul had left the body. His frame had become cold and stiff. The blood had ceased to circulate, and the lungs to heave. In his case there was the same difficulty in raising him up to life that there is in any other; and if it is held to be impossible and absurd that the dead should rise, then it must follow that Christ has not been raised. This is the first consequence which Paul states as resulting from the denial of this doctrine, and this is inevitable. Paul thus shows them that the denial of the doctrine, or the maintaining the general proposition that the dead would not rise, led also to the denial of the fact that the Lord Jesus had risen, and consequently to the denial of Christianity altogether, and the annihilation of all their hopes. There was, moreover, such a close connection between Christ and his people, that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus made their resurrection certain. See 1Th 4:14; see the note on Joh 14:19.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. If there be no resurrection of the dead] As Christ was partaker of the same flesh and blood with us, and he promised to raise mankind from the dead through his resurrection, if the dead rise not then Christ has had no resurrection. There seem to have been some at Corinth who, though they denied the resurrection of the dead, admitted that Christ had risen again: the apostle’s argument goes therefore to state that, if Christ was raised from the dead, mankind may be raised; if mankind cannot be raised from the dead, then the body of Christ was never raised.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If (saith the apostle) there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. But some will possibly say: How doth this follow? Suppose it true, that Christ be risen, how doth it follow, that the dead shall rise? The force of it lieth in several things:
1. Christ, as he saith, 1Co 15:20, is the first-fruits of them that slept, the exemplary cause of our resurrection.
2. If we consider Christ as the Head, it is unreasonable, that the Head should be risen from the dead, and the members yet held of death, when it is the office of the Head to communicate sense, life, and motion to the members.
Again, the argument is strong from the consideration of the end of Christs resurrection, which was to show his victory over death, that the dead might hear his voice and live, and that he might be the Judge of the quick and the dead (which he could not have been, if the dead did not rise). Now though it be true, that Christs headship to his church, and the apostles argument from thence, will not prove the resurrection of the wicked, yet, (besides that the resurrection of believers is the main thing the apostle here proveth, having elsewhere abundantly proved the general resurrection), the consideration here of Christs being raised, that he might be the Judge both of the quick and of the dead, will prove the resurrection of the wicked, as well as of believers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. If there be no generalresurrection, which is the consequent, then there can have been noresurrection of Christ, which is the antecedent. The head and themembers of the body stand on the same footing: what does not holdgood of them, does not hold good of Him either: His resurrection andtheirs are inseparably joined (compare 1Co 15:20-22;Joh 14:19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But if there be no resurrection of the dead,…. If there is no such thing as a resurrection of any, if the thing is not possible, if it never has been, is, or will be true in fact:
then is Christ not risen. The apostle argues from a general, to a particular; from the general resurrection of the dead, to the particular resurrection of Christ; and from a negation of the one, to a negation of the other; for what does not agree with the whole, does not agree with the part; and what is true of the whole, is true of the part; but if the resurrection of Christ is not true, many are the absurdities that must follow upon it, and which the apostle next enumerates.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Neither hath Christ been raised ( ). He turns the argument round with tremendous force. But it is fair.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But if there be no resurrection of the dead,” (ei de anastasis nekron ouk estin) “Now if there is not a resurrection of dead persons (bodies).” As Greek gnosticism and Hebrew Sadduceeism contended – the antithesis of the syllogistic reason – the result would be.
2) “Then is Christ not risen:” (oude christos egergertai) “Neither has Christ been raised,” or the abstract negative would be “there is no risen Christ (in existence).” Without His resurrection the spell of death is not broken and this would render the prophecies of His return and the resurrection of the righteous farcical, 1Th 4:14-18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
13. If no resurrection If resurrection of deads there is not. If (such is the supposition) no resurrection of any dead persons takes place: if a resurrection is excluded from nature and thought. So thought the Epicureans and Stoics at Athens, (Act 17:32,) flouting or politely dismissing the idea of a resurrection from consideration.
Christ not risen Literally, Christ has not been raised. He is still dead. The reasoning is decisive as a syllogism, from the universal to the particular. So the Athenians reasoned, from universal to individual.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Co 15:13. Then is Christ not risen. The argument on which the Apostle dwells in so copious a manner, would appear to be of great moment, whatever the principles were by which the doctrine of the resurrection was assaulted. It could not be said, that that was in its own nature impossible which was accomplished in Christ; and it would prove that the hope of a resurrection was not, as the Gentiles represented it, a mean and sordid hope, since it was accomplished in the Son of God. See on 1Co 15:1.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Co 15:13 . ] carrying onward, in order by a chain of inferences to reduce the with their assertion ad absurdum .
] even not . The inference rests upon the principle: “ sublato genere tollitur et species ” (Grotius). For Christ had also become a , and was, as respects His human nature, not different from other men (1Co 15:21 ). Comp. Theodoret: . This in opposition to the fault which Rckert finds with the conclusion, that, if Christ be a being of higher nature, the Logos of God, etc., the laws of created men do not hold for Him. It is plain that the resurrection, as well as the death, related only to the human form of existence. The of Christ (1Co 11:24 ; Rom 7:4 ), the (Col 1:22 ; comp. Eph 2:15 ), was put to death and rose again, which would have been impossible, if (bodily revivification of those bodily dead) in general were a chimera. Comp. Knapp, Scr. var. arg. p. 316; Usteri, p. 364 f.; van Hengel, p. 68 f. Calvin, following Chrysostom and Theodoret, grounds the apostle’s conclusion thus: “quia enim non nisi nostra causa resurgere debuit: nulla ejus resurrectio foret, si nobis nihil prodesset.” Comp. Erasmus, Paraphr. But according to this it would not follow from the . that Christ had not risen, but only that His resurrection had not fulfilled its aim. The idea, that Christ is of the resurrection, is not yet taken for granted here (as an axiom), but comes in for the first time at 1Co 15:20 (in opposition to Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others, including de Wette and Osiander), after the argument has already reached the result, that Christ cannot have remained in the grave, as would yet follow with logical certainty from the proposition: . . It is only when it comes to bring forward the , that the series of inferences celebrates its victory .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
Ver. 13. Then is not Christ risen ] But of Christ’s resurrection there were many both living and dead witnesses, as the earthquake, empty grave, stone rolled away, clothes wrapt up, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13 .] is the but argumentandi, frequent in mathematical demonstrations.
. . ] the words ( ) of the deniers.
. ] This inference depends, as Grot. observes, on the maxim, “Sublato genere tollitur et species;” the Resurrection of Christ being an instance of the rule , that dead men rise; inasmuch as He is man . This is enlarged on, 1Co 15:20-22 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Co 15:13 opposes ( ) the thesis of the by a syllogism in the modus tollens “sublato genere, tollitur et species” (Gr [2299] ): if bodily resurrection is per se impossible, then there is no risen Christ (so Bg [2300] , Mr [2301] , Al [2302] , Bt [2303] , Ed [2304] , El [2305] , etc.); the abstract universal negative of the deniers 1Co 15:16 will restate in the concrete. Hn [2306] and Gd [2307] (somewhat similarly Cm [2308] , Cv [2309] ) hold, on the other hand, that P. is making out the essential connexion between Christ’s rising and that of the Christian dead in which case he should have written ; he speaks of “the dead in Christ ” first in 1Co 15:18 . Hn [2310] and Gd [2311] justly observe that the might have allowed Christ’s resurrection as an exception; but the point of Paul’s argument is that this is logically impossible , that the absolute philosophical denial of bodily resurrection precludes the raising up of Jesus Christ; on the other hand, if He is risen , the axiom is disproved, the spell of death is broken, and Christ’s rising carries with it that of those who are “in Christ” (1Co 15:18 ; 1Co 15:20-23 , 1Th 4:14 ; cf. Joh 11:25 , Heb 2:15 ).
[2299] Greek, or Grotius’ Annotationes in N.T.
[2300] [2301]
[2302] Alford’s Greek Testament .
[2303] J. A. Beet’s St. Paul’s Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).
[2304] T. C. Edwards’ Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians . 2
[2305] C. J. Ellicott’s St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians .
[2306] C. F. G. Heinrici’s Erklrung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer’s krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).
[2307] F. Godet’s Commentaire sur la prem. p. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).
[2308] John Chrysostom’s Homili ( 407).
[2309] Calvin’s In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii .
[2310] C. F. G. Heinrici’s Erklrung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer’s krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).
[2311] F. Godet’s Commentaire sur la prem. p. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
then, &c. = not even (Greek. oude) has Christ been raised.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13.] is the but argumentandi, frequent in mathematical demonstrations.
. . ] the words () of the deniers.
. ] This inference depends, as Grot. observes, on the maxim, Sublato genere tollitur et species; the Resurrection of Christ being an instance of the rule, that dead men rise; inasmuch as He is man. This is enlarged on, 1Co 15:20-22.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 15:13. , but if) He now begins a retrospect, and enumerates all that he alleged at 3-11.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 15:13
1Co 15:13
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:-The two stand or fall together. The resurrection of Christ is only the beginning of the general resurrection. Jesus said to the Jews: Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. (Joh 5:28-29). When Jesus died on the cross: The earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. (Mat 27:51-53). That was the beginning of the resurrection, to be completed only when 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; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1Th 4:16-17).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
1Co 15:20, Joh 11:25, Joh 11:26, Act 23:8, Rom 4:24, Rom 4:25, Rom 8:11, Rom 8:23, 2Co 4:10-14, Col 3:1-4, 1Th 4:14, 2Ti 4:8, Heb 2:14, Heb 13:20, 1Pe 1:3, Rev 1:18
Reciprocal: Mar 12:18 – say 1Co 15:12 – how 1Co 15:15 – whom Heb 6:2 – resurrection
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Co 15:13. This short verse states the major premise for the great argument that Paul intends to present. But the mere assertion of a basis for argument is not sufficient for the support of it, because that would be assuming the very point under discussion. The statement must be either self-evident, or be supported by vital facts or truths. In 1Th 4:14 Paul makes virtually the same statement as the one in this verse. The death and rising again of Jesus is there coupled with the assurance of the bringing of the dead in Christ “with him” from their state of death. Since the body of Jesus (as to its material) was like that of all other men, it follows that it would be as impossible or unreasonable to believe in the resurrection of His body as to expect the same thing of the bodies of other men. Such a proposition is self-evident and needs no further evidence. Reasoning the other direction, therefore, if philosophy denies the bodily resurrection of men in general, then it must deny that of Christ, and hence the professed basis of the faith of the Corinthians, namely, the bodily resurrection of Christ, is disproved, and the major premise of Paul’s great argument is established.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 15:13. But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raisedfor, as logicians say, the genus being destroyed, the species of necessity goes with it; the root and the branches, the head and the members, stand and fall together.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Vv. 13-15. If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. 14. But if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
After descending from the cause (the resurrection of Christ) to the effect (ours), the apostle ascends, in 1Co 15:13, from the denial of the effect to the denial of the cause, to show afterwards that this last denial is a belying of the unanimous apostolic testimony which he has just cited.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
13. But if there is no resurrection from the dead, then is Christ not risen;
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
15:13 {4} But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
(4) The second by an absurdity: if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Belief in bodily resurrection is foundational to the Christian faith. If the resurrection of the body is impossible, then the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fiction. If He did not rise, the apostles’ preaching rested on a lie, and consequently the Corinthians’ faith would have been valueless and misplaced.
This is the first in a series of conditional statements that run through 1Co 15:19. They are first class conditions in the Greek text, which express the assumption of reality for the sake of the argument. In 1Co 15:13 Paul did not express disbelief in the resurrection from the dead. He assumed there is none to make a point. This was also his tactic in 1Co 15:14; 1Co 15:16-17; 1Co 15:19.