Key Verse: The Apostle Paul declared, "Last of all, as to one untimely born, he also appeared to me" (1 Corinthians 15:8).
In today's Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, the apostle Paul reminds believers about the Good News of the Kerygma, which he initially shared with them. He declared his personal experiences of living the Paschal Mystery, and the Christ-centered, Holy Spirit basis and nature of God's gift of salvation. To Paul salvation is a spiritual experience. It involves personally discerning, encountering and embracing the resurrected and glorified Christ as Lord, in one's own soul, heart, mind and life. It is the spirit-based deliverance from the slavery, deception, incivility, condemnation and spiritual death of the mind of the flesh, in and through Christ. Paul declares that in salvation, believers are united with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection, through Christ, the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthian 15:42-49).
In the Gospel of Christ, salvation involves encounter, faith, repentance, forgiveness and believing the Good News, as revealed in Jesus Christ (John 3:1-11, John 14:6). Salvation means following Jesus Christ as Messiah, in living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit (John 3:13-17). For the Apostle Paul and spiritual awake believers in all the world traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups believers are born from above. Their proclamations, celebrations and affirmations about the Gospel of Christ are always universal and made in the mind of the spirit. 'Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Christ is risen in me!' (Mark 8:31-34, John 3:14-17, Colossians 1:24-29).
Celebrating the born again experiences and passover encounters of believers with the risen Christ, in the mind of the spirit, are described in the proclamations by the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 5:7-8, Colossians 1:26-27). Peter's proclamation in Acts 10:34-43, declares his personal witness of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, from physical death, in the mind of the flesh. This is the basis of the Christian religion. Paul's proclamation of the Gospel of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, also shares Peter's proclamation of the Christian religion. In addition, Paul reveals the born again believers' spiritual discernment and encounter with the risen and glorified Christ, as God's salvation, individually and collectively, within witnessing paschal faith communities. Paul proclamation honors the uniqueness of all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, because it is centered in the Christ-centered, Holy Spirit based, universal spirituality of the mind of the spirit. Paul's declaration reveals spiritual receptivity, believing and following Jesus Christ in proclaiming, celebrating and living the Paschal Mystery, within all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, in the mind of the spirit (Mark 8: 31-34, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).
According to scripture, Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the Anointed One, died, was buried and descended to hell to deliver all mankind from the slavery, sins and spiritual death of the mind of flesh. In the mind of the flesh, Jesus Christ is seen by many Christian believers as a scapegoat and his death a substitution for mankind's sin, thus satisfying Divine Judgment. In the mind of the spirit, however many Christian believers discern Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection on the third day as the full revelation of God's Divine Love for all mankind, and as the model of God's universal way of salvation and redemption for all mankind, as revealed in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-17, 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4).
On Easter morning, Mary did not discern Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, when he appeared to her, after his resurrection and glorification and before his ascension. Her encounter remained in the mind of the flesh, even after Jesus Christ revealed himself to her. The Apostles, other disciples and Jesus' brother James also encountered and discerned the risen and glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, in the mind of the flesh. The five hundred brethren also discerned and encountered the risen and glorified Lord, Jesus Christ in the mind of the flesh (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). These encounters, in the mind of flesh are the basis of the Christian religion. They do not address the universal Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based spirituality of the Gospel of Christ, as revealed in Jesus Christ as Messiah.
The Apostle Paul's discernment and encounter with the risen Christ in today's Epistle are different. They are Christ-centered and spirit-based. Paul never met Jesus Christ physically. His discernment and encounter with the risen and glorified Christ occurred in the mind of the spirit. Paul's repentance, forgiveness, conversion, born again and born from above experiences occurred in the mind of the spirit. Paul's commission and apostleship occurred in the mind of the spirit. Jesus Christ and Paul discerned and experienced the risen Christ (Logos, ADONAI, JEHOVAH) in their lives. They dwelt in the spiritual kingdom of God (Heaven), within us and in our midst (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-24, John 3:11-15, Acts 9:1-19).
Like the Apostle Paul, when believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups encounter the risen and glorified Christ in the mind of the spirit, those personal experiences occur in the spiritual kingdom of heaven, and within Christ-centered, Holy Spirit based witnessing paschal faith communities (Luke 17:20-21). The awe of that personal spiritual encounter and experience is accompanied with a sense of wonder, self-abasement, humility and unworthiness. The believer has an awesome spiritual awakening, when that individual discerns that the Godhead as Christ (Logos, JEHOVAH, ADONAI) has always existed in their spiritual body. Spiritual awakening brings an incredible realization of God's Grace, compassion, forgiveness, love and truth in the believer's soul, heart, mind, relationships and life (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
Life in the mind of the spirit is accompanied with a deep caring, solicitude and zealousness to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ, with the humility, love, grace, compassion and truth of the mind of the spirit. When believers truly discerns and embraces their divine call and accompanying spiritual gifts, like Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, they become iconoclasts and intrapreneurs in Christ-centered spiritual labors, within their own witnessing paschal faith communities (1 Corinthians 15:11). They proclaim the Good News of God's Divine Love in the mind of the spirit (Romans 8:12-17). They abhor and reject proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Christ, in the arrogance, divisiveness, incivility, hatred, bigotry, judgment and condemnation of religion and the mind of the flesh (Romans 8:1-11).
Like Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, are you willing to glorify the Godhead as Being-Father, Begotten-Son and Begetting-Holy Spirit in your spiritual body and the spiritual body of all persons, in the mind of the spirit? Are you like the Apostle Paul willing to encounter, embrace, celebrate and serve the risen and glorified Christ, in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, all persons, and in your life, in the mind of the spirit? Are you willing to follow Jesus Christ as Messiah in proclaiming, celebrating, encountering and living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit, within your witnessing paschal faith community (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-24, 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, Colossians 1:24-29)?
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