1 Corinthians 15:3 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 15:3 mean?

1 Corinthians 15:3 means that Paul is reminding the Corinthians of the most important message he passed on to them: that Christ died for people's sins, just as the Scriptures had foretold. Paul is saying this message was not his own invention, but something he himself received and then shared as a priority.

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, is summarizing the core of the Christian message he had taught them. He emphasizes that Christ’s death for sins was not a new idea but was already promised in the Jewish Scriptures. This verse sets up the foundation for Paul’s explanation of the resurrection, which is the main topic of this chapter.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 15:3

• παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi, "delivered"): This Greek word means to hand over or pass on. Paul is stressing that he is faithfully transmitting a message he did not create, but received from others.
• ἔλαβον (elabon, "received"): This word means to take or receive. Paul is highlighting that the teaching about Christ’s death is a tradition he accepted from earlier sources, not something he invented.
• ὑπὲρ (hyper, "for"): This word often means "on behalf of" or "for the sake of." Here, it clarifies that Christ’s death was not random, but specifically for the benefit of others—“for our sins.”
• κατὰ τὰς γραφάς (kata tas graphas, "according to the scriptures"): This phrase means that Christ’s death happened in line with what was written in the Jewish Scriptures, underlining that it was part of a bigger, foretold plan.

Why 1 Corinthians 15:3 matters

• This verse clears up that the message about Christ’s death for sins was not a new teaching invented by Paul, but something rooted in earlier tradition and in the Scriptures.
• Paul’s emphasis on “first of all” shows that this is the central, most important part of the Christian faith, not just one idea among many.
• By connecting Christ’s death to the Scriptures, Paul ties the Christian message to the larger story of God’s promises and actions in history, helping readers see continuity between the Old and New Testaments.