For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3
What Scriptures is Paul referring to in our text? We know the story of the Gospel, recorded by four faithful writers who were witnesses to much of the life of the Lord Jesus. These scribes present to us the glorious story of the incarnation, the arrival in Bethlehem of the holy Infant, of the baptism, the preaching, the miracles, the debates, the teaching of the disciples, the betrayal, the unjust trials, the submission in Gethsemane, the torment of Golgotha, the death, and the glorious resurrection, and the great commission. And yet, this is not what Paul is referring to when he tells us that Christ died according to the scriptures. Nor is he referring to the record of early Christianity that we find in the book of Acts. No, very little of these books were available yet when Paul write his epistle to the Corinthians. No, Paul was speaking, not of New Testament Scriptures, but of Old Testament Scriptures as telling of the death of the Saviour for our sins.
As a student of the Old Testament, Paul was in an excellent position to assess those Scriptures to determine whether they spoke of Christ. Paul would have memorized much of those Scriptures as he studied at the feet of Gamaliel. His training to become a high ranking Pharisee included a deep knowledge of much of the Old Testament. So when he was brought to salvation, he could place the details concerning Jesus Christ against those Scriptures, and see where those Scriptures did indeed speak of Christ and His death for our sins. In his early days as a Christian, Paul must have had many moments where he would shake his head in amazement at the accuracy of those Scriptures in speaking of Christ. We don’t have Paul’s background, but we should also be so amazed.
As we review the Old Testament, we find many types, shadows, illustrations, and promises concerning the death of Christ for our sins. We begin with the promise made by the Lord God to Eve that her Seed would bruise the serpent’s head. We see the coverings made by God for our first parents, the offering made by Abel, the deliverance of Noah’s family from the flood; all these and many more tell us about the Saviour Who was to come. The ordinances, the offerings, and the furniture of the Tabernacle are brimming with pictures of Christ, and the writings of the prophets are full of references to Him. No wonder Paul could declare that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
We have the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to tell us what God wants us to know. And no message from the Book is more precious than the revelation that Christ died for our sins. -Jim MacIntosh