Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, April 15, 2103 Read – 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 This chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians has sometimes been identified as the “resurrection chapter.” As we read it we reflect upon Paul’s dealing with the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. As we begin it is very important for us to notice that Paul tells us that he is “passing on to us what he received from others” (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). Paul lists the resurrection appearances – first to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve (apparently Paul either was unaware of the demise of Judas or he is including Matthias (Acts 1:26) or he is using “the twelve” as symbolic language of the “Apostles” – or maybe Paul was just careless and should have written eleven), then to more than five hundred (something not spoken of anywhere else in the New Testament), then to James (an appearance that is also spoken of nowhere else in the New Testament – James being the brother of Jesus). Finally, Paul claims that the appearance of Jesus to him on the Damascus Road be included which does expand the view of what constitutes a “resurrection appearance.” Could it be significant that Paul does not include the women in his list? The point of all of this is really that witness to the resurrection is important to Paul and he confesses that he received it from those before him. The resurrection is a historical fact! This is evidence that the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus was being told from the very beginning and that it is THE story that constitutes the church. It is may be of some interest to remember that Paul wrote all of his letters before any of our gospel writers wrote their gospels. Readers of Paul have noticed that he seems not to be very interested in the “life of Jesus” – only his death and resurrection matter! We owe a debt of gratitude to Mark – and Luke and Matthew who follow Mark and to John, who ventured on his own, for attempting to give us a narrative of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!