Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany: Epistle, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Quick story. My first day of seminary, my first class was an 8:00 a.m. class in the Pentateuch. That is a fancy title for the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. Before class got under way, Dr. Moore held up a newspaper. It was a mock-up of the Jerusalem Post and its headline was, “Physical Remains of Jesus of Nazareth Discovered!” Big Black letters announced the news to the world. But hearing and seeing it, and on the first day of graduate school, was a blow. Of course, Dr. Moore let us know quickly that it was an “imitation.” 

It is what he asked and his subsequent comment that has stayed with me now nearly 40 years. Dr. Moore said, “If this headline were true how many of you would have remained Christian, or claimed to be?” To my surprise and horror, and I think Dr. Moore’s as well, about half the class raised their hands. His response was direct and that too has held a marker in my thinking ever since. He said, “Oh, half my class are idiots.” Well, you can imagine what that caused. He followed that by saying, “For the half of you who didn’t raise your hands, congratulations on following the Bible.” And then he quoted a portion of this week’s epistle lesson: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17).

Paul hangs everything … everything on the physical resurrection of Jesus. No resurrection? No Christianity. It is that simple and direct. As direct as Dr. Moore’s “corrective.” His class was amazing. I couldn’t have loved my first class and its professor more. Even at 8:00 a.m. And the Scripture he faithfully taught from leaves no one clueless. Jesus is risen from the grave. And that makes all the difference.