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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Living God is Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 15:12-13 12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

In today's blog we will be centering our thoughts around what Paul argues for here in 1 Corinthians 15:12-13.  From these two verses the Holy Spirit is aiming to show the link between the Old Testament predictions of the General Resurrection at the end of history to that of Christ's resurrection over 2,000 years ago.  To deny one is to deny the other. 

How the Resurrection ties together the Old and New Testaments through the identity of the Living God
When we speak of the resurrection from the dead, were not just speaking about New Testament truth.  Resurrection thinking had its origins in the revealed expectations of Old Testament saints.  These expectations were based upon the very nature of God Himself as the Living God.  Once we understand how central God's identity as the Living God is in both Old and New Testament revelation, we will better appreciate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

Deuteronomy 5:26 is the first reference we see to God as the "Living God":  26‘For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?   Other passages such as Job 19:25, Jeremiah 10:10 and Daniel 6:26 specify the significance of God as the Living God fulfilling history, prophecy and promises for His people and History.  In the great scene of David and Goliath, David told Saul that by God's strength He was going to kill Goliath "who has defied the armies of the Living God".   In all, over 15 Old Testament texts describe the God of the Bible as the Living God - who raises the dead, who is the source of creation and the source of the believer's faith-life.

The Living God of the Old Testament is the God who raises the dead
Asw we already noted, the idea of God as the "Living God" refers to God's inherent power to raise people from the dead.  This fundamental Old Testament assertion of God's unique, Divine quality is stated by Jesus Himself, about Himself.  In John 11:25 Jesus states - "I am the Resurrection and the Life, He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live". 

By biblical Logic Jesus Christ is the Living God of Resurrection
From the above passages and observations, we can take the New Testament's teaching here in 1 Corinthians 15:12-13 and state the following logic:

1. Major Premise - The Living God of the Old Testament Raises the Dead
2. Minor Premise - Jesus Christ Raised from the Dead
3. Therefore: Jesus Christ is the Living God