I Corinthians 15:15 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 15:15 Commentary: False Witnesses of God
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul argues that denying the resurrection makes the apostles false witnesses of God, and implicates God himself in the deceit.
Research Summary
- Meaning: If the dead are not raised, Christ is not raised, and the apostles are exposed as false witnesses about God, a conclusion Paul considers unthinkable.
- Key words: “False witnesses” (pseudomartures), a compound of “false” and “witness,” loaded with legal and moral shame; “of God” (tou theou), genitive indicating their testimony claimed divine authority.
- Main debate: Does κατά mean “concerning” or “against” God? The Vulgate and some Reformers read “against” (heightening the crime); most English versions read “concerning” (still implicating God’s honor).
- Theological theme: The resurrection is not optional, it is the foundation of the gospel; denying it collapses the whole Christian edifice and dishonors God.
- Best use: A powerful verse for apologetics on the resurrection’s centrality and for pastoral reassurance that our hope is grounded in fact, not fiction.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In that case, we are also exposed as false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yes, we are also found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up if it is true that the dead are not raised.
KJV King James Version 1769
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and we also are found false witnesses of God, because we did testify of God that He raised up the Christ, whom He did not raise if then dead persons do not rise;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And we are found also false witnesses of God; for we have witnessed concerning God that he raised the Christ, whom he has not raised if indeed [those that are] dead are not raised.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God: because we have given testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ, whom he hath not raised up, if the dead rise not again.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y aun somos hallados falsos testigos de Dios; porque hemos testificado de Dios que él haya levantado á Cristo; al cual no levantó, si en verdad los muertos no resucitan.
E assim também somos encontrados como falsas testemunhas de Deus; pois testemunhamos de Deus, que ressuscitou a Cristo, ao qual porém não ressuscitou, se na verdade os mortos não ressuscitam.
Il se trouve même que nous sommes de faux témoins à l’ égard de Dieu, puisque nous avons témoigné contre Dieu qu’ il a ressuscité Christ, tandis qu’ il ne l’ aurait pas ressuscité, si les morts ne ressuscitent point.
Wir würden aber auch erfunden als falsche Zeugen Gottes, daß wir wider Gott gezeugt hätten, er hätte Christum auferweckt, den er nicht auferweckt hätte, wenn doch die Toten nicht auferstehen.
En zo worden wij ook bevonden valse getuigen Gods; want wij hebben van God getuigd, dat Hij Christus opgewekt heeft, Dien Hij niet heeft opgewekt, zo namelijk de doden niet opgewekt worden.
E noi siamo anche trovati falsi testimoni di Dio, poiché abbiamo testimoniato di Dio, ch’Egli ha risuscitato il Cristo; il quale Egli non ha risuscitato, se è vero che i morti non risuscitano.
I bylibyśmy też znalezieni fałszywymi świadkami Bożymi, iżeśmy świadczyli o Bogu, że Chrystusa wzbudził, którego nie wzbudził, jeźliże umarli nie bywają wzbudzeni.
Притом мы оказались бы и лжесвидетелями о Боге, потому что свидетельствовали бы о Боге, что Он воскресил Христа, Которого Он не воскрешал, если, то есть, мертвые не воскресают;
並且 明顯我們是為 神 妄作見證的，因 我們見證 神 是 叫基督 復活了。若 死人 真 不 復活， 神也就沒 有叫基督 復活了。
Yes, and we are seen to be false witnesses of God; because we gave witness of God that by his power Christ came again from the dead: which is not true if there is no coming back from the dead.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 15:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul is pressing a reductio ad absurdum: if the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised, and the apostles are false witnesses. The force of the charge is sharpened by the phrase “false witnesses of God.” Barnes notes that bearing false witness about God is a far greater crime than lying about a person. Calvin takes it further: if the resurrection is denied, “God is made guilty of falsehood in the witnesses that have been brought forward and hired by him.” Gill calls the alternative “blasphemous and execrable”, that God himself would have put a lie into the apostles’ mouths and sent them to publish it. The consensus is clear: Paul’s argument is airtight, and the stakes could not be higher. If the resurrection is false, the apostolic gospel is a lie from God, not just a human mistake.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Concerning God (traditional English view): The preposition κατά with genitive frequently means 'concerning' or 'about'; this is the majority reading in translations, supported by Barnes and JFB.
- Against God (Vulgate and some Reformed interpreters): The same preposition can mean 'against' (as in ‘testify against’); Calvin and the Vulgate adopt this, emphasizing the crime and dishonor to God.
What is clear: If Christ is not raised, the apostles’ testimony that God raised him is false, which would make them false witnesses — a conclusion Paul’s argument treats as unthinkable for those who know the truth.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of “false witnesses of God” | All commentators agree that Paul is arguing that if there is no resurrection, the apostolic testimony about God raising Christ is false. | Some (e.g., Calvin, Vulgate) stress that the witnesses are not just mistaken but criminal, because they testify “against” God (κατά); others (e.g., English Version, JFB) read “concerning” God, still implicating the apostles’ truthfulness without the harsher adversarial sense. |
| Whether God would be implicated in the false testimony | All acknowledge that the phrase “of God” ties the false witness directly to God’s own name and authority. | Gill and Calvin argue that if the resurrection is false, God would be guilty of suborning perjury (putting a lie in his witnesses’ mouths). Barnes and others stop short of that strong language, focusing instead on the crime of bearing false witness about God. |
| The logical force of the conditional “if the dead are not raised” | The verse is clearly part of a reductio ad absurdum: Paul assumes a false premise to show its impossible consequences. | Some interpreters (Wesley, Matthew Henry) emphasize that Paul treats the resurrection as a fact, not a hypothesis; the “if” is a rhetorical device. Others (Poole, Cambridge) see it as a straightforward logical argument from the opponents’ own position. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Judaism, bearing false witness was a grave offense, a violation of the ninth commandment (Exodus 23:3; Job 13:7). To be a false witness of God was to slander God’s own character. Paul draws on this heavy cultural shame to make his point. The Greek preposition κατά (kata) with the genitive can mean “concerning” or “against”; the Vulgate renders it “against God,” and many early interpreters (including Wiclif) read it that way. Paul may be deliberately ambiguous, forcing the reader to feel the full scandal: the apostles testified about God, but if the resurrection never happened, they testified against him. The immediate context is a dispute with some in Corinth who denied a future resurrection, likely influenced by Greek philosophical skepticism that saw the body as a prison. Paul writes within twenty-five years of the crucifixion (the Cambridge Bible notes this), so the evidence for the resurrection was still fresh and testable. The apostles had preached Christ risen from the start (Acts 2:24, 32; 4:10, 33; 10:39). To deny the resurrection was to call them liars, and worse, to say God had backed a fraudulent message. That was unthinkable for believers who had seen the apostles’ integrity and power.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The interlinear tradition shows consistent wording across the major Greek manuscripts. The only variation in translation is the rendering of the preposition κατά (κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ), which is not a textual issue but a question of lexical range.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, this verse was read as a sharp warning against denying the resurrection. Augustine cited it to show that Christian faith stands or falls on this single event. Medieval commentators used it to underscore the gravity of apostolic witness. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther emphasized that a false gospel would dishonor God himself, not just the apostles. In modern times, the verse is central to historical-apologetic discussions of the resurrection: if the apostles were willing to die for a known falsehood, they would be the worst kind of deceivers. The Cambridge Bible quotes Dean Stanley’s reminder that this letter was written within twenty-five years of the event, and the argument rings with the confidence of an eyewitness generation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- If no resurrection, Christ is still dead. Paul ties Christ’s resurrection to the general resurrection: the two stand or fall together (vv. 13, 16).
- If Christ is dead, the apostles are false witnesses of God. They claimed God raised him. A lie about God is far worse than a lie about anyone else (v.15).
- If the apostles are false, God himself is implicated. He chose them and sent them. A false gospel would mean God deceived the world, an unbearable thought (Calvin, Gill).
Five-point outline
- The charge: some in Corinth deny the resurrection. Paul takes their position seriously and shows its consequences.
- The logical chain: no general resurrection → no Christ resurrection. Christ is the firstfruits; if the harvest is impossible, so is the first sheaf.
- The result: apostles are “false witnesses of God.” The genitive “of God” means they claimed to speak for God, and if they were wrong, they were blasphemers.
- The deeper horror: God appears to have suborned false testimony. This is not merely human error; it is a stain on God’s truthfulness.
- The hope: “But now Christ has been raised” (v.20). Paul’s argument only works because the resurrection is a known fact. The absurd conclusion never actually follows.
Illustration hooks
- A witness in a high-stakes trial swears she saw the defendant commit a crime. If it turns out the defendant was somewhere else, the witness is not just mistaken, she has lied under oath. The whole trial is poisoned.
- A company’s CEO personally endorses a product, saying “I use it every day.” If the product is later proven fake, the CEO’s reputation, and the company’s, is ruined. The endorsement was fraudulent.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Isn’t the resurrection just one doctrine among many? Why does Paul make it the hinge of everything?
- If the apostles were sincere but wrong, doesn’t that still leave room for Christian faith somehow?
- How do we know the apostles didn’t just convince themselves they saw Jesus?
Leading a Discussion
Paul is in the middle of a logical argument that begins with “if there is no resurrection of the dead” (v.12). He shows that this leads to a nightmare scenario: Christ not raised, our faith vain, and the apostles revealed as false witnesses. This might feel abstract, but the stakes are personal: can we trust the apostolic testimony? Is our hope built on a lie? In this session, trace Paul’s reasoning carefully and let the weight of his “if … then” sink in.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. What is the main point Paul is trying to prove?
- In verse 15, Paul calls the apostles “false witnesses of God.” What does the phrase “of God” add to the idea of being a false witness?
- The Greek preposition κατά can mean “concerning” or “against.” How does each reading change the force of the verse?
- Why does Paul think the idea of a false witness about God is especially serious? How does that connect to the character of God?
- If the resurrection were false, would it be enough to say the apostles were “mistaken” rather than “lying”? What does Paul’s strong language suggest?
- How does Paul’s argument in verses 12-19 shape the way we understand the importance of the resurrection today?
- What difference does it make for your daily faith that the resurrection has actually happened (as Paul will go on to affirm in v.20)?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 23:3 | You shall not favor a poor man in his cause. |
| Job 13:7 | Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him? |
| Job 13:10 | He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality. |
| Acts 2:24 | whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. |
| Acts 2:32 | This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. |
| Acts 4:10 | may it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands here before you whole in him. |
| Acts 4:33 | With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. |
| Acts 10:39 | We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that if Christ was not raised, the apostles are not merely mistaken but guilty of bearing false witness against God, a far greater crime than lying about a human. He stresses that testifying that God raised an impostor would be dishonorable to God, and the apostles' integrity and evidence make this unthinkable.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that denying Christ's resurrection does more than collapse the apostles' credibility. It makes God Himself a liar, since He appointed those witnesses and staked His truth on their testimony. The dishonor to God is even graver than the loss of hope for believers.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible emphasizes that Paul stakes his entire argument on the resurrection,
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes underscore that denying the general resurrection does not merely remove one doctrine; it makes the apostles liars about God himself. They have testified that God raised Christ, and if the dead are not raised, then God did not raise Christ, and the apostolic witness is false.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill presses the argument one step further: if Christ is not risen, the apostles are not merely false witnesses but witnesses suborned by God himself. To say God raised Christ when he did not is to accuse God of lying and of sending his apostles into the world with a false testimony.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Greek preposition in "testified of God" carries a sense of indirect dishonor rather than outright opposition. The writer may prefer the English rendering "of God." A warning follows: it is never right to tell false stories even when the storyteller intends to honor God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Paul refutes those who deny a general resurrection by first establishing Christ's resurrection as an incontestable fact. Paul then shows the absurd consequences that follow if the dead do not rise: Christ did not rise, faith is empty, and believers who have died are lost forever.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Paul’s phrase “if the dead rise not” targets deeper than a simple denial. The apostle counters those who dismiss even the possibility of resurrection as absurd and impossible, not just as an event that has not happened.