Witness Lee on Christ’s Resurrection

Proclaimed and Received—The Gospel and Faith

Proclaimed as an Item of the Gospel

“According to the book of Acts, the preaching of the gospel was mainly the preaching of Christ’s resurrection” (Acts 2:24-32; 3:15; 4:2; 13:30-37; 17:18) (Witness Lee, Corinthians, 594). “The Lord’s resurrection was the focus of the apostles’ testimony” (Witness Lee, Recovery Version, Acts 1:22, note 1). The apostles’ testimony differed from mere teaching in that they not only ministered the teaching of Christ’s resurrection, but they also bore a living testimony as witnesses of the resurrected Christ (Witness Lee, Recovery Version, Acts 23:11, notes 3 and 4). Because the resurrected Christ lived in them, they not only possessed the objective doctrine of the resurrected Christ, but also the subjective experiences of the resurrected Christ, empowering them and supplying them from within. This influenced not only what they said and did in their work, but also who they were in their person. They thus became witnesses of the resurrected Christ whom they enjoyed and experienced in their spirit. Thus, “They witnessed to the resurrected Christ not only by their teaching but also by their living. They lived with Him by His living in resurrection [in them] (John 14:19)” (Witness Lee, Recovery Version, 1 Corinthians 15:5, note 1).

A number of verses provide evidence that the resurrected Christ was commonly proclaimed as an element of the gospel, both in word and in testimony.

Acts 2:24 Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, since it was not possible for Him to be held by it.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses.

Acts 3:15 And the Author of life you killed, whom God has raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

Acts 4:2 Being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 4:10 Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the Dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health.

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 10:40-41 (40) This One, God raised on the third day; and He has made Him manifest, (41) not to all the people, but to witnesses appointed beforehand by God, to us, ones who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

Acts 13:30-39 (30) But God raised Him from the dead. (31) And for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people. (32) And we announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers, (33) that God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.” (34) And as to His having raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He spoke in this way, “I will give you the holy things of David, the faithful things.” (35) Therefore He also says in another place, “You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (36) Now David, having served his own generation by the counsel of God, did indeed fall asleep and was buried with his fathers and saw corruption; (37) but He who God has raised did not see corruption. (38) Therefore let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is announced to you; (39) and from all the things from which you were not able to be justified by the law of Moses, in this One everyone who believes is justified.

Acts 17:3 Opening and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, This is the Christ, the Jesus whom I announce to you.

Acts 17:18c Because he was announcing Jesus and the resurrection as the gospel.

Acts 17:31 Because He has set a day in which He is to judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has designated, having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.

Acts 26:23 That the Christ would suffer and that He, being the first to rise from the dead, would announce light both to the people and to the Gentiles.

Romans 1:1-4 (1) Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (2) which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, (3) concerning His Son, who came out of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) who was designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:4 We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.

Romans 7:4 So then, my brothers, you also have been made dead to the law through the body of Christ so that you might be joined to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.

Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

1 Corinthians 15:12 But if Christ is proclaimed that He has been raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:15 And also we are found to be false witnesses of God because we have testified concerning God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are not raised.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have falled asleep.

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

Ephesians 1:20 Which He caused to operate in Christ in raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies,

Colossians 1:18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things;

Colossians 2:12 Buried together with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised Him from the dead.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath which is coming.

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, He who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, in the blood of an eternal covenant,

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:21 Who through Him believe into God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood

Gospel | Faith