Life is intimately connected with priorities … in spiritual life there are only two.

The first century Corinthian people saw death of the body as liberating and this was why they lived so carelessly. In this passage Paul addresses the critical gospel priorities for the church in Corinth which had succumbed to the harmful philosophies of their surroundings.

The gospel is both Christ crucified and Christ risen and because of this believers have new life beyond the grave. Death is not the end. This also has implications for how the gospel is presented to those outside of Christ. If the message ends with Christ dying on the cross as a substitute for sin it is incomplete. The message ends with Christ having risen on the third day. He appeared to the apostle Paul on the Damascus road.