我們所傳的福音
哥林多前書十五章1至11節
1弟兄們，我如今把先前所傳給你們的福音告訴你們知道；這福音你們也領受了，又靠著站立得住，
2並且你們若不是徒然相信，能以持守我所傳給你們的，就必因這福音得救。
3我當日所領受又傳給你們的：第一，就是基督照聖經所說，為我們的罪死了，
4而且埋葬了；又照聖經所說，第三天復活了，
5並且顯給磯法看，然後顯給十二使徒看；
6後來一時顯給五百多弟兄看，其中一大半到如今還在，卻也有已經睡了的。
7以後顯給雅各看，再顯給眾使徒看，
8末了也顯給我看；我如同未到產期而生的人一般。
9我原是使徒中最小的，不配稱為使徒，因為我從前逼迫神的教會。
10然而，我今日成了何等人，是蒙神的恩才成的，並且他所賜我的恩不是徒然的。我比眾使徒格外勞苦；這原不是我，乃是神的恩與我同在。
11不拘是我，是眾使徒，我們如此傳，你們也如此信了。
信息分享
換句話說，福音就是基督為我們的罪死了，再從死裡復活。當我相信這個事實，我便可以得著從福音而來的一切福氣，並可憑著信心來支取這福氣。讓我們從這個角度來思想福音：基督若不是為我的罪受死，那麼，祂是為何而死？祂若無罪，卻要被釘十架而死，就只有一個解釋。保羅指出，祂是「照聖經所說的」受死；舊約聖經多處提到祂的死。以賽亞書五十三章4至6節解釋得很清楚：「祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷……因祂受的刑罰，我們得平安……耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸到祂身上。」
「基督為我們的罪死了」，就是這個意思。當保羅向哥林多信徒重提這真理的時候，他言下之意是要提出一個挑戰，他沒有直接問：「你們是否持守這真理？」我們今天也可能被問及同樣的問題。我們若堅信耶穌基督是我們的救主，我們便可以滿有信心地回答說：「是的，感謝神，我的生命完全被這真理改變了。」
保羅繼續說明基督復活的真理。他的信息同樣陳述清晰：因為基督已經復活，我們在祂裡面便得享新的生命；而且，我們在祂再來的時候，會與祂一同復活。
但願從死裡復活的基督，首先在我們心裡顯明福音的大能，然後再藉著我們，向世人傳揚這救恩。這就是福音所包含的好信息了。
THE GOSPEL WE PREACH
1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Message
The Gospel then is the death of Christ for our sins plus His resurrection. When I believe this, all its benefits are mine to be received and appropriated by faith. Think of it this way: if Christ didn’t die for my sins then why did He die? If He was sinless, and yet He died, there is only one explanation. Paul says He died “according to the scriptures” and the Old Testament scriptures have much to say about His death. Isaiah 53:3-4 explains this so well, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
That is what is meant by those simple words “Christ died for our sin”. When Paul restated that truth for the Corinthians, there was a hidden challenge in his words. He indirectly asked, “Has this truth laid hold of you?” The same question could be asked today. If we know Jesus Christ as our own Saviour we can confidently answer, “Yes, thank God, this truth has changed my life.”
Paul goes on to spell out once more the truth regarding Christ’s resurrection. Again the message is clearly stated. Because Christ is alive, we have new life in Him. And because He arose, we too will share in resurrection ourselves at His coming again.
May He who died and rose again be able first of all to show in us the mighty dynamics of the Gospel, and then through us, show to the world He is waiting to do the same for them? That is all included in the good news of the Gospel.