Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
First Reading:
From: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Christ's Resurrection and His Appearances
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[1] Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, [2] by which you are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
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Commentary:
1-58. Some of the Corinthian Christians were objecting to the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, because this was a belief with which Greeks were unfamiliar, even those Greeks who held that the soul was immortal. Given the great importance of this doctrine, St Paul replies at length, pointing first to the historical fact of Christ's resurrection (vv. 1-11 ) and how it necessarily connects up with the resurrection of the dead in general (vv. 12-34). He then goes on to discuss what form this resurrection will take (vv. 35-58). This epistle, which began with an exposition on Jesus Christ crucified, the power and wisdom of God (cf. 1:18-2:5), ends with a development of doctrine on the resurrection of Christ and the consequent resurrection of the members of his mystical body.
To understand what St Paul is saying it is useful to bear in mind that here he is referring only to the glorious resurrection of the just. Elsewhere in Sacred Scripture it is clearly stated that all men will rise from the dead (cf., e.g., Jn 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).
1-11. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the essential doctrines of the Catholic faith, explicitly stated in the first creeds or symbols of the faith. It is in fact the supreme argument in favor of the divinity of Jesus and his divine mission: our Lord proclaimed it many times (cf., e.g., Mt 16:21-28; 17:22-27; 20:17-19), and by rising from the dead he provided the sign which he had promised those who did not believe him (cf. Mt 12:38-40).
This point is so important that the primary role of the Apostles is to bear witness to Christ's resurrection (cf. Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; etc.); the proclamation of the resurrection of the Lord is the very core of apostolic catechesis (cf., e.g., the discourses of St Peter and St Paul reported in the Acts of the Apostles).
3-8. On the verbs "deliver" and "receive" see the note on 1 Cor 11:23-26. St Paul reminds the Corinthians of certain basic points in his preaching--that Jesus Christ died for our sins; "that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures" (a statement which has passed directly into the Creed) and was seen by many people.
It should be pointed out that the Greek verb translated as "appeared" refers to being seen by the eye. This is relevant to studying the nature of the appearances of the risen Jesus: St Paul is speaking of true, ocular, sight; there seems to be no way this can be identified with imagination or intellectual vision.
The appearances of the risen Christ are a direct proof of the historical fact of his resurrection. This argument gains special force when one remembers that at the time this letter was written many people who had seen the risen Lord were still alive (v. 6). Some of the appearances referred to by St Paul are also mentioned in the Gospels and in Acts--that to Peter (cf. Lk 24:34), those to the Apostles (cf., e.g., Lk 24:36-49; Jn 20:19-29), that to St Paul himself (cf. Acts 9:1-6); others--that to James and to the five hundred brethren—are mentioned only here.
The importance of this passage is enhanced by the fact that it is the earliest documentary record earlier than the Gospels--of our Lord's resurrection, which had taken place scarcely twenty years earlier.
4. "Was buried": in recounting the death of Christ, all four evangelists expressly mention that his body was buried (cf. Mt 27:57-61 and par.). St Paul also confirms the fact in this letter, written very soon after the time, thereby confirming a tradition which had come down from the beginning (v. 3). The fact that Christ's body was buried eliminates any doubt about his death, and underlines the miracle of the Resurrection: Jesus Christ rose by his own power, rejoining his soul with his body, and leaving the tomb with the same human body (not merely the appearance of a body) as died and was buried, although now that body was glorified and had certain special properties (cf. note on 15:42-44). The Resurrection, therefore, is an objective, physical event, witnessed to by the empty tomb (cf. Mt 28:1ff and par) and by Christ's appearances.
"He was raised on the third day": Jesus died and was buried on the evening of Good Friday; his body lay in the tomb the entire sabbath, and rose on the Sunday. It is correct to say that he rose on the third day after his death, even though it was not a full seventy-two hours later.
"According to the scriptures": St Paul may be referring to certain passages of the Old Testament which--"after" the event--were seen to foreshadow the Resurrection--for example, the episode of Jonah (chaps.1-2), which Jesus in fact applied to himself (cf. Mt 12:39-40; cf. also Hos 6:1-2 and Ps 16:9-10).