The Love of God

This is the last verse from the hymn The Love of God by Frederick M. Lehman. When we were singing it the other day I was just struck in the most profound way.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

The Gospel is of First Importance

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. -1 Corinthians 15:3-8

This may be repetitive, but some things need repeating and surely this is one of them. Notice the words that the apostle Paul uses. He says, "For I delivered to you as of first importance..." There were many things that Paul delivered to the Corinthians, and the letters are full of very important things which he had continued to deliver to them, but this was special. This was delivered as of first importance, as the most important. And it was the gospel. It was the fact that Christ died, and not for nothing. No, Christ died for our sins and this was in accordance with the Scriptures, it was not something done spur of the moment or on a whim, it was planned and considered by God throughout the ages. And then Christ was buried and then he was raised. And Paul says that he was raised and appeared to a great number of people and finally, to him. This event is the center of human history and the only hope mankind has to escape death. It is the most important thing which has ever or will ever happen on this planet, period. It is of first importance.