What If You Don’t Hold Fast? 1 Co 15:1,2

Question: 1 Co 15:1,2, has been presented to me as a problem against eternal security of the believer. Do we have to hold fast to the word to be saved? Is this the right translation? “you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you”?

Answer:

When we read the whole opening statement, it just seems worse. 1 Co 15:1,2 “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.” What exactly did God say here through Paul? We have to look at this closely, phrase by phrase. First the NKJ, the Majority Text, then my translation.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, Gnwrivzw dev uJmi'n, ajdelfoiv, tov eujaggevlion o} eujhggelisavmhn uJmi'n, o} kaiv parelavbete, ejn w|/ kaiv eJsthvkate, I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also 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. di· ou| kaiv swvzesqe:tivni lovgw/ eujhggelisavmhn uJmi'n, eij katevcete, ejktoV" eij mhv eijkh'/ ejpisteuvsate. through which (gospel) also you are saved, by what word (referring to the gospel) I preached to you (or, evangelized you) if you hold fast (the gospel I preached to you) unless you believed without a cause.

This whole statement is a first class condition. “If you hold fast what I preached to you, which you received, in which also you stand, through which also you are saved by what word I preached to you, unless you believed without sufficient reason.”

Unless they believed in vain because the did not have a reason. The meaning of this word, as shown in the following verses, is, without a reason. Mat 5:22 “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause” Rom 13:4 “But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain.” Gal 3:4 “Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?” Gal 4:11 “I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.” Col 2:18 “vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

How could they believe in vain? Paul now speaks to that issue. First he restates the gospel in verses 3-8 “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.”

By this restatement of the gospel he says he preached to them in verses 1 and 2, they can recheck what they believe so they can see if they are holding fast, or believing what Paul first preached to them. If they are believing something other than what Paul preached, then, their salvation may be defective. So, let us check their beliefs and ours against the gospel Paul preached.

Did they believe Christ died for their sins? Apparently they did. Did they believe He was buried? Apparently they did. Did they believe that He rose again the third day? Some seemed to have problems with this for he wrote in the 12^th verse, “how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

Do you believe He rose from the dead because of your justification (Rom 4:25)? Actually, we need to go no further, because Paul wrote the rest of this chapter about this departure from the gospel which caused them to have a vain belief. Some had a vain faith because they did not believe in the resurrection. Here is his reasoned argument on the resurrection. 1 Co 15:12-19 “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain (empty) and your faith is also vain (empty). 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”