Episode 1196
Is Resurrection Just a Belief or the Very Ground You're Standing On? (1 Corinthians 15:12-20)
The central theme of today's discussion revolves around the pivotal concept of resurrection as articulated in 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. We examine the profound implications of the resurrection, positing that it is not merely an embellishment of Christian doctrine, but rather its foundational essence. The discourse elucidates that without the resurrection, the entirety of Christian belief collapses into mere illusion, rendering our faith devoid of substantive meaning. We further explore how progressive theology must genuinely engage with the reality of resurrection, recognizing it as the impetus for transformative hope rather than an abstract notion. As we navigate through this episode, we invite listeners to introspectively identify areas in their lives where they seek renewal, thereby connecting their experiences to the enduring legacy of resurrection that continues to unfold in the present moment.
Takeaways:
- The resurrection serves as the foundational principle of Christian belief, influencing all doctrines and practices.
- In progressive theology, the resurrection is not merely an isolated event but a transformative legacy that continues to inspire hope.
- Hope rooted in resurrection is essential for facing life's challenges, particularly in dire circumstances like illness and loss.
- Identifying areas in one's life that require resurrection can lead to profound personal transformation and renewal of hope.
Links referenced in this episode:
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Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
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Transcript
Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.
Speaker A:In a bit I will read the New Testament lesson selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.
Speaker A:The reading is understandable.
Speaker A:I use the Message version Relatable.
Speaker A:Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.
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Speaker A:Here's today's reading reading today from 1.
Speaker B: Corinthians: Speaker A:Now.
Speaker B:Let me ask you something profound yet troubling.
Speaker B:If you become believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive risen from the dead, how can you let people say there's no such thing as a resurrection?
Speaker B:If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ.
Speaker B:And face it, if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've been told is smoke and mirrors and everything you've stacked staked your life on is smoke and mirrors.
Speaker B:Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of bare faced lies about God.
Speaker B:And all these affidavits we passed up to you verifying that God raised up Christ.
Speaker B:Sheer fabrications.
Speaker B:If there's no resurrection, if corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't because he was indeed dead.
Speaker B:And if Christ weren't raised, then all you're doing is wandering around in the dark as lost as ever.
Speaker B:It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection because they're already in the graves if all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years where we're pretty sorry lot.
Speaker B:But the truth is that Christ has been raised up the first and the long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
Speaker B:Powerful verse of scripture there that ends the reading.
Speaker B:So let's get into a couple of things that I think are generally worth pondering a bit.
Speaker B:I like to call them points to ponder.
Speaker B:Here's the first.
Speaker B:Resurrection is the foundation, not the decoration.
Speaker B:Paul lays this out with almost mathematical precision.
Speaker B:If resurrection isn't real, then the whole thing collapses.
Speaker B:Not just one doctrine.
Speaker B:Everything Paul Calls it smoke and mirrors, wandering in the dark, a sorry lot, getting nothing more than a little inspiration for a few short years.
Speaker B:Now here's a progressive theological lens gets really interesting in interpreting this text.
Speaker B:Sometimes in progressive Christian spaces, there's a temptation to quietly set resurrection aside, to frame faith as some sort of an ethical teaching.
Speaker B:Social justice, loving your neighbor, those are all important things.
Speaker B:But Paul refuses to let us do that.
Speaker B:He's saying you can't separate the ethics from the resurrection, the power to actually live differently, to love, when it's hard to have hope inside of suffering.
Speaker B:That doesn't come from inspiration alone.
Speaker B:It comes from a living, a transforming, resurrected resurrection reality.
Speaker B:So progressive theology at its best doesn't shrink from resurrection and actually takes it seriously.
Speaker B:Not as a magical escape from the world, but as the very ground of transformative hope that changes how we live right now.
Speaker B:Today, in this moment, I sit with people in my cancer impacted people in my cancer podcast who are really dealing with some very hard, almost unimaginable circumstances.
Speaker B:And I'll tell you what, what keeps people moving isn't a motivational quote, not some silver lining.
Speaker B:It's a deep grounded hope that death and suffering do not get the final word.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:I like to call that a resurrection conviction.
Speaker B:And Paul says you either have it or you don't.
Speaker B:There's no comfortable middle ground.
Speaker B:There's no way to just kind of compromise here.
Speaker B:You believe it or you don't.
Speaker B:Point upon or Number two, the first and long legacy changes everything.
Speaker B:The last line is the one that I keep thinking about here.
Speaker B:Christ has been raised up to first and long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
Speaker B:Interesting first and long legacy.
Speaker B:Paul isn't describing a one time historical event that we simply believe in and file away.
Speaker B:He's describing a movement, a trajectory, something that started with Jesus and is still rolling forward, gathering more and more people into its wake.
Speaker B:A progressive reading of this asks where is that resurrection legacy still happening?
Speaker B:Because if resurrection is a legacy and not just a moment, then we should be looking for it everywhere.
Speaker B:In the person who comes back from addiction, in the relationship that gets rebuilt after it has fallen apart, in the community that raises from the ashes or something that looks finished.
Speaker B:Or maybe it's even the Pacers making a deep playoff run, which nobody saw coming like it happened last year.
Speaker B:You get the idea.
Speaker B:My wife and I have raised three kids who are out there living remarkable lives.
Speaker B:And we've got two little wonder, two wonderful granddaughters who make us laugh hard and they bring joy to our lives.
Speaker B:That legacy didn't start with us and it doesn't end with us.
Speaker B:It keeps going.
Speaker B:Paul is saying resurrection works exactly the same way.
Speaker B:It starts with Jesus and it keeps going.
Speaker B:Through you, through me, through everyone who carries a hope forward.
Speaker B:So here's your action step for this week.
Speaker B:Identify one place in your life right now.
Speaker B:Not someday, not eventually, but right now, where you need resurrection.
Speaker B:Hope or something feels a little dead or in a rut in your life or maybe beyond recovery.
Speaker B:Name it, be specific, write it down.
Speaker B:And then hold it up against that phrase, the first of a long legacy.
Speaker B:You get that?
Speaker B:Hold it against that phrase, the first of a long legacy.
Speaker B:Because whatever you're naming, it's not outside the reach of that legacy.
Speaker B:Not even close.
Speaker B:You know, I just want you to know that hope is there for you.
Speaker B:We're going to come back and have a prayer here in just a minute, but did want you to know that we have got a great resource for you to help with your home bible study, the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible study method.
Speaker B:You pick it up at voiceofgoddaily.com absolutely free to you.
Speaker B:Let's pray.
Speaker B:God of Resurrection, remind us today that hope isn't wishful thinking.
Speaker B:It's the very ground we stand on.
Speaker B:Keep us from settling for smoke and mirrors.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker A:My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.
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Speaker A:Thanks much.
Speaker A:My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:Please subscribe and tag your friends until tomorrow.
Speaker A:Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.
