Minister’s Corner: The heart of the gospel

By: DR. BRIAN DORE’
Member of the Ville Platte Ministerial Alliance

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17-20 KJV, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.”
Sometimes there is discussion in the church about what constitutes the Gospel. What is the message we as Christians are called to share with other people? Some people suggest it includes helping the poor, experiencing healing, etc. These may be results of the Gospel, but Paul makes it clear that this is not the content of his message. He gives us a succinct summary in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 when he writes, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” That is the Gospel, and from these events flow all sorts of great news. Jesus rising from the dead is the climax of the Gospel, and also the most difficult part for people to accept because dead people tend to stay dead. That was not the case with Jesus because He was and is God! The grave could not hold Him in the ground and an empty tomb proclaims that He is the Lord! This is the heart of the Gospel, and because He has risen and is the first fruits of them that slept, we can have the hope that one day we too will rise to be with Him in heaven for all eternity.