In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul repeated the gospel he had preached to these brethren which they received, stood in, and were saved by — but only if they held fast. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Those facts are still gospel nearly 2,000 years later because they are still true. Christ is still alive for He “ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25). There is also a fourth statement made by the apostle that confirms to all mankind that the gospel is still the gospel. That statement is “and that he appeared…”
These words hold so much significance and are full of comfort because these words assure us of the truth of the gospel. Witnesses of the risen and living Christ are our confirmation of the truth of His resurrection.
In the four gospels, the writers recorded more than a dozen (of both single individuals or groups) to whom Christ revealed Himself after His resurrection. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he cites half a dozen of one or more to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection. At least three of them are events recorded in the gospel: Jesus’ appearance to Peter, to the twelve, and then to all the apostles. However, there are three appearances that only Paul recorded. Jesus appeared to 500 brethren at once, to James, and then the apostle wrote, “And then, last of all, as to a child untimely born, he appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:8). This citation of witnesses is God’s assurance that Paul’s words “and that he was raised the third day” is true.
He appeared to James. There were at least two James among Jesus’s apostles, James the brother of John and son of Zebedee, and James the son of Alpheus but it does not appear that Jesus appeared solely to either of these men. Paul mentioned another James whom he identified as “James, the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19) about whom there is some controversy. Joseph had a son named James (Matthew 13:55) and is called Jesus’ brother, but whether the reference in 1 Corinthians 15 is to this man is uncertain. At any rate, in John 7 it is recorded that “even his brethren did not believe in him” (John 7:5). If Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians 15 is to this James, then that brother turned from unbelief to faith. In fact, he had a faith so deep that he became a pillar in the church and wrote to Gentile believers that they were to “keep themselves from pollution of idols, fornication, things strangled and the eating of blood” (Acts 15:20).
Then, Paul wrote that Jesus appeared to above 500 brethren at one time. Most of that number was still alive when Paul wrote these words, but some had already died. But the fact that Jesus spoke and presented Himself to over 500 brethren at once, and that they could testify to seeing Jesus after His resurrection gives strong argument that they were not mistaken about seeing the risen Lord. The last one whom Paul identified as a witness of the risen Christ was himself. He wrote, “And last of all, as to a child untimely born, He appeared to me also.”
This last person is a credible witness. When Paul is first mentioned, he hated Christians and did all he could to destroy them and the cause they defended. His animosity against Christians was intense: He laid waste to the church and traveled to distant cities to search out and harm Christians. He was on his way to Damascus to search for Christians when a bring light appeared and a voice said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?” Jesus identified Himself as the One Paul was persecuting and told him to go into Damascus where Ananias would heal his blindness and tell him “words whereby” he would be saved. Paul did an “about face” and began to preach Jesus. He rejected all the trappings of his former life. He sacrificed and supported himself to preach the gospel he had once opposed. Why? Because he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. Jesus was not dead, but living. Paul died defending the gospel he wanted to destroy. The conviction of this man was that Jesus did live; He was God’s Son and would someday raise us all. To Christians, Paul’s change, his unshakable faith, and his death to defend the gospel he had once opposed is wonderful assurance to us that Christ is indeed risen from the dead and our faith is not misplaced to believe that! How assuring are Paul’s words, “And that he appeared…”!
Jim McDonald