Have you ever read scripture that just stops you? I mean your sitting down to devote your mind and thoughts to reading and you hit a verse, maybe one you’ve read many times before but this time, it stops you. It happened today when I was reading First Corinthians 15 - the tires screeched to a stop at verse two, “…unless you believed in vain.”

Now vain can mean different things. It could mean the salvation was unsuccessful or fail to take hold. The person didn’t receive what they intended or desired. Vain as if the salvation they received was without purpose, fruit, or effect? But I don’t think that is what Paul meant by vain in verse two.

The context reads “Now I would remind you…of the gospel I preached to you, which you received …you stand…you are saved…hold fast to the word I preached to you - unless you believed in vain…I delivered to you…that Christ died for our sins” (15.1-4).

The vain Paul is talking about is faith without real substance, value, or importance. A person perhaps absent of faith in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Maybe so vain they are narcissistic? Possibly their belief in the gospel message (Christ’s resurrection) is empty and void? Paul is assuming that their belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy that they are in this journey for good and holding tight to the gospel shared with them.

Actually this whole chapter is Paul defending the core of the gospel - resurrection. Here again in verse fifteen he uses vain, “and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” That is deep! If Christ wasn’t raised from the dead then my salvation is worthless and/or unsatisfying to Father God. If Christ hasn’t been raised from the dead, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (15.17).

This may be more of a stretch but perhaps some in the church had a different type of vain - vain for appearance sake. Vain that was excessively proud and concerned about their facade and persona? Paul addresses doubt concerning resurrection in verses 15.35-49 and speaks to what will their bodies look like (will the corpse stink?), the different forms given to creation (flesh is different for humans and animals), and the glory of the heavens (sun, moon, stars, etc). Paul tackles the big question, “what will people think of confidence is dead people raising from the dead?” This question plagues their mind of vain appearance to others who questioned the resurrection and importance of resurrection for themselves.

It also gives the sense that Paul is writing about vain dependence on God. Some could have held proud for petty things and holding a high opinion of their own accomplishments with insignificant reason. Paul says in 15.10-11, “the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain…I worked harder…though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” I don’t sense any inflated sense of himself or his faith in his statement.

I’m sharing all this because lately I have had a overconfident (vain) approach toward ministry - specifically church planting. I’ve been apart of three teams in starting churches and sometimes hold a higher opinion of myself than I should. God spoke clearly to me today that yes I have worked hard for eight years but it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me.

Paul closed his thoughts with a charge, one I hope to hold dear and I hope you will too. “My brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (15.58).”

No matter where you are in your journey with God - hold to the gospel.

If you’re in ministry - work hard knowing your labor is not in vain.

And look forward to the moment, in the twinkling of an eye that the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we who are still alive shall be changed.

Categories: Thoughts, faith
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