What does 1 Corinthians 15:3 mean?
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" — Paul names the very heart of the gospel: a real death, for our sins, foretold by the Old Testament.
Paul says he "delivered" what he had "received" — gospel tradition older than Paul himself. The earliest Christian creed begins right here.
Three things matter: Christ died (a real death), for our sins (substitution), according to the Scriptures (a planned salvation, not a tragic accident).
The verse anchors the gospel in history and in Scripture. It is not a private inspiration but a public, datable event with prophetic depth.
Greek word studies — original-language background to the verse.
Original BibleDawn explanation · reviewed 2026-06-07. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.