In the sermon titled 'The Resurrection of Christ: The Testimony of Paul,' David Green explores 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul provides various testimonies to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The church, the Scriptures, and numerous eyewitnesses serve as the primary evidences of Christ's resurrection. Paul emphasizes the unique nature of his testimony, as he encountered the risen Christ post-ascension on the road to Damascus, transforming from a persecutor of Christians to a devoted apostle. Despite not being one of the original disciples or witnesses, Paul's encounter is marked by divine grace, which he acknowledges as the foundation of his apostleship. He underscores his humility, describing himself as the least of the apostles, yet chosen by God to bear witness to the resurrection. The sermon concludes by affirming the resurrection as a historical fact and encourages believers to trust in Christ.

If you've got your copy of God's Word, let's go to 1st Corinthians chapter 15. 1st Corinthians Chapter 15. As we've been going through this chapter, we've been going through Looking at the witnesses that Paul has brought forth regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ And In the first two verses of 1st Corinthians chapter 15 we looked at the testimony of the church as he wrote there in verses 1 & 2 he said now I make known to you brothers the gospel which I proclaimed as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaimed to you as good news, lest you believed for nothing." And so that was witness number one was the church. The church of Corinth stood as a testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And fast forward to even now, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church and other churches of believers stand as a testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Those who were lost and are saved and assembled together, we are testimony that Jesus is alive. That was witness number one. But then in the second message we saw the testimony of the Scriptures, verses three and four. He says, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. And so the Scriptures, the Bible, God's Word, is a witness that Jesus rose from the grave, that Jesus is alive.

We didn't stop there. Because in verses 5 through 7, we have the testimony of eyewitnesses. And this was in the third message from this text. We looked at verses 5 through 7. As he wrote, and he says, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, after that he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.

After that, he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also. Sorry, I read verse eight already, but so what we see in verses five through seven is the testimony of eyewitnesses, but today, today on top of those eyewitnesses, including Cephas or Peter as he sometimes is known, to the 12, to the 500, more than 500 at once. All those eyewitness accounts that we looked at last week. Today we're gonna take our text from verses eight through 10.

I'll go ahead and read it. Verses 8-10 of 1 Corinthians 15. Last of all, As to one untimely born, he appeared to me also, for I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me did not prove vain, but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me." So this morning, I want us to consider the testimony of Paul. Paul brings himself up as one of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As I think about and consider the testimony of Paul, he could have and we could have lumped himself in very briefly with the others, the 12, the 500, and so on and so forth, but he doesn't and the reason for that is he is a special and unique witness. He does not set himself up as being better than anybody. In fact, he quite the opposite. As we read here, he says, he says, last of all as to one untimely born he appeared to me also, for I am the least of the apostles." Yes, he was an apostle. But he's not one of the original.

He's not one of the twelve. He had not been a disciple of Jesus during His earthly ministry. He was a witness, but he wasn't one of the 500 or so who was there that day when Jesus appeared? No, in fact, for much of Paul's younger years, you know what he was doing? Isaiah, where was Paul in his younger years?

He was killing people. He was an unbeliever. Not just an unbeliever, he was a terrible, He was at war literally against Christ and His church. He was doing terrible things. That's absolutely right, Isaiah.

He had declared war against Jesus Christ Himself. Paul was the last in this list to see the resurrected Jesus. In fact, his appearance to Paul was not only post-resurrection, he appeared to Paul post-ascension. He appeared to Paul post ascension. Just so we can get the timeline correctly, Jesus died and was buried.

Three days and three nights he was in the grave. He rose again. And for forty days, he was on the earth. And then he ascended back up into heaven. Now, these eyewitness accounts that Paul gives us here, when he appeared to Cephas, then to the 12 and more than 500 brothers at one time, He appeared to James and all the Apostles.

All those events took place in those 40 days. But now what Paul is talking about happened Paul is talking about happened after his ascension. Jesus met Paul after he'd already gone up into heaven. This is what Paul is This is what Paul is talking about when he says that he who had been untimely born. If you look there at the text, last of all, as to one untimely born.

The Greek word there, as John MacArthur put it, refers to an abortion, miscarriage, or premature birth, a life unable to sustain itself, in Paul's figure, and this is quoting John MacArthur here, in Paul's figure the term could indicate hopelessness for life without divine intervention and convey the idea that he was born without hope of meeting Christ. But the use of the term in the sense of an ill-timed birth too early or too late seems to fit Paul's thought best. He came too late to have been one of the twelve before his conversion which coincided with his vision of the resurrected Lord. Paul was spiritually unformed, dead, and useless. A person to be scorned by God.

Even when he was born, it was the wrong timing. Christ was gone. How could, how could he be an apostle? Yet by special divine provision, Paul testifies he appeared to me also." End quote. And so, the resurrected Christ did appear to Paul, making him one of the eyewitnesses that Jesus is alive.

When and where did Paul see Jesus? When did this happen and where did it happen? Well, first of all, on the road to Damascus, the day that Paul was saved. Let's go over to Acts chapter 9. The Apostle told this story on more than one occasion and we ought to enjoy looking at it as well.

So in Acts chapter 9 verses 1 through 8 the Bible tells us here, Now Saul, Paul as we know him, most of the rest of scripture, Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogue at Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way both men and women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling it happened that when he was approaching Damascus suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him and falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? He said, Who are you, Lord? He said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise up and enter the city, and we will be told to you what you must do.

The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. They saw God up from the ground and though his eyes were open he could see nothing. Leaning him by the hand they brought him into Damascus. And so Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Now the men who were around him, they saw nothing.

They heard a voice, but they didn't see anyone, but he appeared to Saul. To Saul and Saul was saved that day. He right away, When he asked, who are you Lord? Jesus said, I am Jesus who you are persecuting. And he was told to rise up and enter the city and be told you what you must do and he was obedient to that and right away we see a changed life and that though we don't have some we don't have some experience like the road to Damascus experience that Saul had.

We meet Jesus in our salvation and there is a changed life. But we see that Saul met Jesus first there the day that he was saved. But that's not all. That's not all. Over in Acts chapter 18, Acts chapter number 18 and verses 5 through 11, But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word solemnly bearing witness to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, your blood be on your own heads, I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. Then he left there, went to the house of a man named Titus, Titus Justice at Godfear, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, were believing and being baptized.

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by vision, "'Do not be afraid, but go on speaking. "'Do not be silent, for I'm with you. "'No man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you for I have many people in this city We stayed there a year and six months teaching the Word of God among them and so Here we see that at Corinth this is how the church of Corinth got its start, but we see that he was doing the work there and there were some things happening. The Lord appeared to Paul in the night by vision and told him not to be afraid. What a great encouragement that this was as Jesus, as Jesus met up with him there and told him that he was with him, no man will lay hand on you, and you will be okay, that everything's gonna be alright, that there are many people in this city that are the Lord's.

And so we see that there. And then there's the place in the scriptures that we read a while ago as our scripture Sanhedrin. Over in Acts chapter 23. I'm going to read verse 6. But knowing that one group were Sadducees and other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Sanhedrin brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of the Pharisees.

I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead. As he said this, there was dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The assembly was divided for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledged them all. And there occurred a great outcry, and some of the scribes of the Pharisee party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, We find nothing wrong with this man, suppose the spirit. When angel has spoken to him, and as a great dissension was developing because the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them he ordered troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

But on that very night, the Lord stood by his side and said, Take courage, for as you have solemnly borne witness to my cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also. And so, as Paul found himself before the Sanhedrin on trial for the faith, the Lord stood by his side to encourage him. And so we find these three instances where Jesus, the resurrected Christ, stood before Paul. Appeared before him. And so he was an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus.

And furthermore, besides these examples, we have what he wrote in St. Corinthians chapter 2 Corinthians 12, beginning of verse 1. Notice what he writes here. 2 Corinthians 12, beginning of verse 1. As we think of Paul, the witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, look what he says here.

He says, It is necessary to boast, Though it is not profitable, but I will go on to visions, revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know or out of the body I do not know, God knows. Such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man, whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know God knows, was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words which a man is not permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man I will boast.

On my own behalf I will not boast except in weakness. For if I do wish to boast I will not not be foolish for I will be speaking the truth but I refrain from this so that no one will consider me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me." You see he he's talking about himself here he says I was caught up to the third heavens, caught up into paradise. I heard inexpressible words which a man is not permitted to speak." He saw things and heard things that he wasn't permitted to even write about or speak about. Yes, Paul was an Yes, Paul was an eyewitness, but he's very humble about it. In fact, he goes on here in this text, and he says in verse 7, because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations for this reason to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, A messenger of Satan to torment me to keep me from exalting myself.

Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me, and he has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weakness so that the power of Christ may dwell in me therefore I'm well content with weaknesses with assaults, with distresses, with persecutions and hardships for the sake of Christ. For when I'm weak, then I am strong." Paul was an anomaly of his generation. Someone who was special, different. One untimely born, Different.

One untimely born, but he was a witness to Jesus Christ. Rather than making this to be a badge of honor or a badge of bragging rights, He says, I am the least of the apostles and not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God, but by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace toward me. I did not prove vain, but I labored even more than all of them yet. Not I, but the grace of God with me. Yes, Paul was a witness, a later witness, but he was a witness.

It's not too much to say that Christ's resurrection, as Paul was writing this text, it's not about Paul, it's about Jesus. The hero of the story was God. It's not too much to say that Christ's resurrection is the most certain fact in all of history. As I quoted Spurgeon before, I'll quote him again, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact better attested than any event recorded in any history, whether ancient or modern. Do you believe Him?

Have you trusted in Christ? Praise God. The atheists, The agnostics, the skeptics, they've got nothing. We've got everything in Christ. Let's be dismissed in prayer.