“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;”
My Notes
What Does 1 Corinthians 15:1 Mean?
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand." Paul opens the great resurrection chapter by returning to first principles. Before arguing for the resurrection, he re-states the gospel itself — reminding the Corinthians of what they already received and already stand in. The word "declare" (gnōrizō) means to make known again, to clarify what was already communicated.
The three verbs describe the gospel's progression: Paul preached it (external proclamation), they received it (personal acceptance), and they stand in it (ongoing position). The gospel isn't just a historical event you once heard about. It's a foundation you currently occupy. Paul goes back to this foundation because some in Corinth were denying the bodily resurrection — and that denial undermined everything.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When was the last time you went back to the basic gospel — and did it stabilize you?
- 2.What does it mean to 'stand in' the gospel rather than just having once received it?
- 3.What drift in your faith might be corrected by returning to first principles?
- 4.How do you distinguish between needing new revelation and needing to remember what you already know?
Devotional
Paul goes back to the beginning. Before arguing theology, before debating the resurrection, before correcting errors — he reminds them of the gospel they already received. This is the foundation. Everything else rises or falls on this.
Three verbs tell the story: I preached it. You received it. You stand in it. The gospel isn't past tense. It's present tense. You're not someone who once heard it — you're someone who currently stands in it. Your position right now, today, is in the gospel. If the foundation shifts, everything you've built collapses.
Paul goes back to basics because Corinth had drifted. Some were denying the resurrection. Others were confused about what they actually believed. And Paul's response isn't to introduce something new. It's to re-declare what they already knew. Sometimes the most important spiritual work isn't learning something new. It's remembering what you've already received.
If your faith feels shaky right now — if doubts are creeping in or confusion is clouding your thinking — you might not need a new revelation. You might need to go back to the gospel you first received. The thing you believed when everything was clear. The foundation you stood on before the noise got loud. It hasn't moved. You might have drifted from it, but it's right where Paul left it.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel,.... The apostle here passes on, and proceeds to a new subject, the…
Moreover - But (δὲ de). In addition to what I have said, or in that which I am now about to say, I make known the main…
The Gospel which I preached unto you - This Gospel is contained in Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and rising…
It is the apostle's business in this chapter to assert and establish the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which…
1Co 15:1-58. The Doctrine of the Resurrection
1. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture