Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 15:16

"For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:" — 1 Corinthians 15:16 (ASV)

Paul now presents his major proposition. Some at Corinth had argued that there was no resurrection of the dead. He replies that this is absolutely contrary to the proclamation that Christ has been raised. The particular verb form he uses (in vv.4, 12–14, 16–17, 20) emphasizes the present reality of that historic fact (cf. Galatians 2:20). The conditional sentences throughout this section use a construction that assumes a fact: “If it is preached [as it is] that Christ has been raised...” (v.12; also in vv.13–14, 16–17, 19). Having questioned the contention of some that the dead do not rise (v.12), the apostle states a series of conclusions flowing from the contention that the dead do not rise: (1) There is no resurrection of Christ (v.13); (2) preaching that he has been raised is then empty and meaningless (v.14a); (3) their resultant faith in Christ is also meaningless (v.14b); and (4) his own testimony about Christ’s resurrection is false, because it claims God did something he really did not do (v.15). Verse 16 closes this set of conclusions by reiterating the statement of v.13.