1 Corinthians 15:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Not only this, but he also shows that the dogma is necessary. Therefore it was taught among the first things and at the very beginning. What, then, tell me, did you deliver? He does not explain this at once, but first says: "what I also received." What, then, did you receive? "Christ died for our sins." He does not say directly that there will be a resurrection of our bodies. Rather, he proves this from afar and through other truths. "Christ died," he says, and by this he lays a great foundation and unshakable support for the teaching on the resurrection. He does not simply say, "Christ died," though even this is sufficient proof of the Resurrection. He adds, "Christ died for our sins." First, however, we must hear what those infected with the Manichaean heresy say about this. They are enemies of truth, rising up against their own salvation. What, then, do they say? They say that by death Paul here means nothing other than dwelling in sin, and by resurrection liberation from sins. Do you see how powerless error is? Do you see how it is caught in its own nets and needs no attack from without, but strikes itself? See how these people strike themselves with their own words. If death truly consists in this, and if, as you think, Christ did not assume a body and yet died, then according to you it follows that He was in sin. I affirm that He assumed a body, and I say that His death was bodily. But you, by rejecting this, must necessarily affirm what has been said. If He was in sin, how does He say: "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (Jn 8:46). And again: "The prince of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (Jn 14:30). And again: "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Mt 3:15). And how did He die for sinners if He Himself was in sins? One who dies for sinners must himself be sinless. For if he himself is a sinner, how will he die for other sinners? If Christ died for the sins of others, then He died while Himself sinless. And if He died while sinless, then He did not die the death of sin. How could this happen to the sinless One? He died a bodily death. Therefore Paul did not simply say, "He died," but added, "for our sins." By this he compels them unwillingly to acknowledge the bodily death of Jesus Christ. He also shows that He was sinless even before death, since one who dies for the sins of others must himself be sinless. Nor does the Apostle stop here. He adds, "according to the Scriptures," thereby confirming still more the truth of his words and showing what death he means. Scripture everywhere speaks of Christ's bodily death. For example, it says: "They pierced My hands and My feet" (Ps 21:17). And again: "They shall look upon Him whom they pierced" (Jn 19:37). Let us not enumerate all the other places one by one. Some by words, and others by prefigurations contained in them, prove that Christ died in the flesh and that He died for our sins. "For the transgressions," Scripture says, "of My people He endured punishment." And again: "The Lord laid on Him the sins of us all." And again: "He was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities" (Is 53:8, 6, 5). If you do not want to believe the Old Testament, then listen to John. Crying out, he shows both clearly, the bodily death and its cause: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). Listen to Paul, who says: "Him who knew no sin He made to be sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21). And again: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Gal 3:13). And again: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them" (Col 2:15). Many other passages prove that Christ's death was bodily and, moreover, for our sins. Thus He Himself says: "And for their sake I sanctify Myself" (Jn 17:19). Likewise: "The prince of this world is judged" (Jn 16:11). By this He expresses that He died without having sin.

Thus Christ died. By what death? Without doubt, by bodily death, not by the death of sin. For He committed no sin.

If they are not ashamed to say that He too died by the death of sin, then how is it said that He died for our sins?

For if He too was a sinner, how did He die for our sins?

He strikes them very clearly also by this addition: “according to the Scriptures.” For the Scriptures everywhere ascribe this bodily death to Christ.

Thus it is said, “They pierced My hands and My feet” (Ps 21:17). Again, “They shall look upon Him whom they pierced” (Zech 12:10).

Again, “He was wounded for our sins”; and, “For the transgressions of My people He goes to death” (Isa 53:5-8).

Because nothing will take place otherwise than God knows, it is spoken of as accomplished. This happens with us, not with God, for for God there is nothing that can be called future.

And in the psalm he says, “The Lord reigns! Therefore the world is established; it shall not be moved” (Ps 95:10).

Moses also indicated His Cross in this way: “Your life shall hang before you, and you shall fear night and day, and you shall have no assurance of your life” (Deut 28:66).

Here it is indicated in the future tense, so that false interpreters could not deny that this was foretold about Christ, as if all these things were spoken only in the form of the past tense.

Since he proves the resurrection of the dead by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, he offers proofs concerning this, so that no one may doubt Christ’s Resurrection.

The first of these proofs is the assurance that Christ truly died and was buried. Therefore he says: I first revealed to you that Christ died and was buried, and then also that He rose on the third day.

He brings forward two proofs for this. One is tradition, when he says, “that which I also received.” The other is Holy Scripture, when he adds, “according to the Scriptures.”

By Scriptures here he means the holy prophets, who foretold the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The great Isaiah foretold His death, saying, “His life is taken away from the earth; for the iniquities of My people He was led to death” (Isa 53:8).

The Apostles knew that persuading people to believe in the Crucified One undermined itself. Yet they always began their words with this, without concealment, and speaking the truth as it is. There was a man on earth, and He was crucified. Believe in Him, and you will be saved. Saint Paul had already mentioned that this is how it was in Corinth. He said: I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). Meanwhile the faith kept growing, and it embraced the whole world. By what was it fastened to hearts? By the conviction that Christ died for our sins. No one could hide from himself that he was sinful, and that for the sinner there is no salvation. The report of the death endured for our sins opened the door of salvation. All flowed into it. It was only necessary to gain assurance that this death was not merely called a death for our sins, but truly was such. That it was such was witnessed by the Resurrection of Him who died. Behold the golden chain of saving truths and convictions! This is why the word about His death was bold, and faith in Him was full of confidence. According to the Scriptures. "The Cross was known to all, because Jesus Christ was crucified before the eyes of all. But the cause was not known to all. That He died, everyone knew. But that He suffered death for the sins of the whole world, many did not know. Therefore the Apostle brings testimony from the Scriptures" (Chrysostom). The Apostle points to Scripture, defining by it the meaning of Christ's death. "Let us not enumerate one by one all the places of Scripture. Some by direct words, and others by the prefigurations contained in them, prove that Christ died in the flesh and that He died for our sins. For the iniquities, Scripture says, of My people He was led to death. And: The Lord delivered Him up for our sins. And again: He was wounded for our sins" (Is 53:8, 6, 5; Chrysostom). The phrase according to the Scriptures shows that this was foretold from of old. It was foretold from of old because God inspired it to be foretold. God inspired it to be foretold because this had been appointed in the pre-eternal counsel. Thus this one phrase lifted thought to that height. Events unfold in time, and the decree concerning them was inscribed beforehand in eternity. Such a thought was all the more necessary when speaking of the saving death of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died as man. And that He was buried. "Wishing to show that the death was true, and not apparent, as certain heretics thought, the Apostle added this rule also: and that He was buried. Burial is confirmation of the reality of death" (Oecumenius). And that He rose on the third day. This too, he says, I delivered to you. Since after this he cites many testimonies about His Resurrection, he shows that his preaching chiefly consisted in this. Now he recalls it especially so that they may restore this subject above all in their consciousness. According to the Scriptures refers both to He was buried and to He rose on the third day. It is said not to prove the truth of the burial and Resurrection, but to show their meaning. All this happened not simply, but according to the pre-eternal plan. It requires not faith only, but reverence and deep contemplation of the all-embracing meaning of these events. Chrysostom says: "Where, then, is it said in Scripture that Christ would be buried and rise on the third day? In the type of Jonah, to which Christ Himself points when He says: As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (Mt 12:40). It is also in the type of the bush in the wilderness. As it burned and was not consumed, so Christ's Body was dead but was not held by death forever. It is also in the type of the serpent that was with Daniel. As it burst apart after receiving the food given it by the prophet, so Hades, receiving Christ's Body, fell apart. For the Body tore open its belly and rose. But if you wish to hear in words what you see in types, then listen to Isaiah, who says: His life is taken from the earth (Is 53:8), that is, He is buried. And again: The Lord wills to cleanse Him from His wound and to show Him light, that is, to raise Him (Is 53:10-11). Likewise David, who even before Isaiah said: Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, nor wilt Thou give Thy Holy One to see corruption (Ps 15:10). Therefore Paul refers you to the Scriptures, so that you may know that this was not accomplished simply and without cause. For could it be so, if so many prophets had written and foretold this beforehand?"

The unusual appearance of His glorified body, and the fearful significance of the very fact of resurrection from the dead, troubled and frightened them.

The Lord was present with them bodily, but in a changed form. They even thought that they saw a spirit.

“Why are you troubled?” He asked. “And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.

Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” And having said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

When joy, amazement, and disbelief struggled within them, He asked whether they had any food. To assure them still more, He ate in their presence a piece of broiled fish.

Then, saying to them once again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent Me, so I also send you,” He breathed on them and added, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Only one disciple was not present: Thomas, called the Twin. He was a man of responsive yet gloomy character, and slow to believe.

For him this news seemed too good to be believed. In vain the other disciples assured him, “We have seen the Lord.”

He insistently said that he would not believe unless he himself placed his own finger in the nail wounds and his own hand in His side.

A week passed, and the apostle’s doubts remained unrefuted. On the first day of the following week, Sunday had already become the first day of the week and sacred to the apostles’ hearts.

All eleven disciples again gathered together behind locked doors. Christ appeared to them again.

After His usual greeting and blessing, He called Thomas and commanded him to bring his finger and place it in the nail wounds, and to stretch out his hand and place it in His side.

He told him not to be unbelieving, but believing. “My Lord and my God!” the distrustful apostle then cried out with ardent conviction.

“You have believed,” Christ said to him, “because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn 20:19-29).

For example, in the fifty-third chapter of the book of the Prophet Isaiah, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ are depicted in many detailed features.

“He was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His wound we were healed” (Isa 53:5). [...]

"He teaches that nothing should be introduced into the Gospel from oneself, and shows that none of the dogmas is human" (Chrysostom). "I did not invent the preaching myself, nor did I follow human reasonings. Rather, I received this teaching from Christ the Master. What, then, did you receive? That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. This the prophets also foretold, and Isaiah cries out: He was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities (Is 53:5)" (Theodoret). The pagans always reproached Christians: you believe in the Crucified One. The Apostles knew that persuading people to believe in the Crucified One undermined itself. Yet they always began their word with this, without concealment, and speaking the truth as it is. There was a man on earth, Jesus, and He was crucified. Believe in Him, and you will be saved. Saint Paul had already mentioned that this is how it was in Corinth when he said: I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). Meanwhile the faith kept growing and growing, and it embraced the whole world. By what was it fastened to hearts? By the conviction that Christ Jesus died for our sins. No one could hide from himself that he was sinful, and that for the sinner there is no salvation. The report of the death endured for our sins opened the door of salvation. All flowed into it. It was only necessary to gain assurance that this death was not merely called a death for our sins, but truly was such. That it was such was witnessed by the Resurrection of Him who died. Behold the golden chain of saving truths and convictions! This is why the word about His death was bold, and faith in Him was full of confidence. According to the Scriptures. "The Cross was known to all, because Christ was crucified before the eyes of all. But the cause was not known to all. That He died, everyone knew. But that He suffered death for the sins of the whole world, many did not know. Therefore the Apostle brings testimony from the Scriptures" (Chrysostom). He points to Scripture, defining by it the meaning of Christ's death. "Let us not enumerate one by one all the places of Scripture. Some by direct words, and others by the prefigurations contained in them, prove that Christ died in the flesh and that He died for our sins. For the iniquities, Scripture says, of My people He was led to death. And: The Lord delivered Him up for our sins. And again: He was wounded for our sins (Is 53:5-6, 8)" (Chrysostom). The phrase according to the Scriptures shows that this was foretold from of old. It was foretold from of old because God inspired it to be foretold. God inspired it to be foretold because this had been appointed in the pre-eternal counsel. Thus this one phrase leads us to that height. Events unfold in time, but the decree concerning them was inscribed beforehand in eternity. Such a thought was all the more necessary when speaking of the saving death of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died as man.