Logic and the Resurrection
I recently began teaching my son Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens in logic, and this has particular application to 1 Corinthians 15, the “Resurrection Chapter.” So in honor of Resurrection Sunday, I wanted to explain how Paul uses Aristotle’s logic to argue for the resurrection.
Paul begins in verse 12 by addressing some objections people in Corinth were using against the resurrection. Greek thinkers really did not like the concept of the resurrection due to Platonic and Proto-Gnostic ideas. So it is no surprise that the Corinthian believers were struggling with this concept.
First Paul states the issue. He has proclaimed Christ as raised from the dead (v 12a), and yet people were saying that resurrections don’t happen (v. 12b). These ideas are contradictions, and based on the law of noncontradiction from Aristotle, these ideas cannot both be true. Christ cannot be resurrected in a world where resurrections don’t happen. So one of these ideas is true and the other is false. They cannot both be true and they both cannot be false.
In v. 13, Paul follows their thinking. In other words, he assumes their statement that resurrections don’t happen is true to see where it leads. He states that “if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raise.” Based on their supplied premise, the argument looks like this:
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been resurrected.
Resurrections do not happen.
Therefore, Christ has not been resurrected.
This is Modus Ponens and if the premises are true, the conclusion necessarily follows. Modus Ponens is where you affirm the first part of a hypothetical “if…then” statement.
Now, in verse 14, Paul continues their line of reasoning by using the conclusion of their last argument in this new argument that goes like this:
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
Christ has not been raised (which they concluded earlier).
Therefore, our preaching and faith is in vain.
In v. 15 Paul explains the consequences of this argument: We misrepresent God because we claim that God raised Christ from the dead when (according to them) resurrections don’t happen.
Makes sense. It’s perfectly logical. So Paul restates the argument in compact form in verses 16-19 as follows:
16. If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
17. If Christ has not been raised,
[Then] your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, [then] we are of all people most to be pitied.
Now, at this point, I need to highlight Paul’s use of Modus Ponens again. Based on the Corinthians’ first statement, “resurrections don’t happen,” the argument in verse 16-19 leads to Christians being a pathetic people of no hope.
However, their statement “resurrections don’t happen,” is also “begging the question.” The question is “do resurrections happen?” If the reason you give for knowing that resurrections don’t happen is because resurrections don’t happen, you have “begged the question” by assuming as true what you are trying to prove. This is a fallacy.
BIG MOMENT: in verse 20, Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead…” Now, Paul makes this statement since he is a witness to the risen Christ and has previously stated in verses 1-5 that Peter and a whole bunch of other people saw the resurrected Jesus, so Paul isn’t just making a contrary claim, he is stating a claim he has already established.
Now, what this does logically is called Modus TOLLENS. This is different from what he was doing early. In Modus Tollens, he denies the “then” part of the “if…then” statement. Modus Ponens affirms the “if” part (by which the “then” part follows), and Modus Tollens denies the “then” part (by which the “if” part is also denied).
So here’s what just happens, I’ll repost the original argument:
16. If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
17. If Christ has not been raised,
[Then] your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, [then] we are of all people most to be pitied.
So Paul just denied the statement in v. 16b where is says, “not even Christ has been raised.” Restated, it reads, “Christ has not been raised.” So Paul denies this in v. 20a when he says “Christ has been raised.” This means the first part of v. 16 is also false which means that the dead ARE raised, and NOTHING in vv 17-19 is true. Actually, the opposite of vv. 17-19 are true in that Christ has been raised, our faith is valuable, we are not in our sins, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have not perished, our hope in Christ is more than this life, and we are not of all people most to be pitied.
CONCLUSION
Paul uses some basic Aristotelian logic to get his point across to his readers. He sets up their argument and demonstrates their false premise which topples the whole thing like a house of cards. So THIS Easter, I hope you have a greater appreciation for the “resurrection chapter” of 1 Corinthians and the use of logic and argumentation that Paul so skillfully and simply employs.
If you would like to read up on this, you may use the book I’m using with my first grade son entitled “Learning Logic” by William Lane Craig.