The dichotomy Paul presents is continually evident. The death and the resurrection of the Saviour are both vital in the act of salvation God set out for the Messiah. Paul does not discuss the death of Christ without also commenting upon His resurrection, which displays his philosophy that "humiliation and the glory are integrally and inseparably connected" (Barclay,1958).
Romans 6:4 provides a potent description of Paul's ideas behind the act of salvation, “Were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too may live a new life". Paul uses the image of burial and death alongside baptism, which is rich in the symbolism of life. The baptism is the transition from death to new life, immersed into the water and then pulled again to the surface in order to take a breath of new life. Jesus, Himself, was baptised in this manner by John, as described at the commencement of all the Synoptic Gospels.
Within these Synoptic Gospels, Jesus never foretold His death without also foretelling His resurrection. Perhaps Paul claims his theology from Jesus' belief that the cross and resurrection were one (Mark 8:31). At the same time, Paul places extreme emphasis upon the resurrection. The resurrection is the final proof of God's power (Romans 1:4, 2 Corinthians 13:4) and the last, important addition to the act of salvation.
Barclay suggests that "The Resurrection was in fact the complete and final and unanswerable demonstration of the indestructible and undefeatable power of God" (Barclay,1958). The resurrection, for Paul, was the guarantee that Jesus was the Messiah. At this time, faith was still based largely upon the Jewish religion, that held the idea of Messiahship as a central concept (Barclay,1958). This could explain Paul's extensive reference to the event as well as why "...the early church was characteristically and specifically the Church of the Risen Christ" (Barclay,1958).
It has been suggested too, that Paul placed emphasis upon the resurrection because of the debate surrounding the event. In addressing the Corinthians it seems as if Paul is attempting to convince as he lists the witnesses to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Paul's letters are the earliest literary account of the resurrection and the earliest evaluation of the resurrection being a redemptive act, which overcomes sin and death together (Dewar,1986). Paul's discussion of the resurrection, therefore, is of great value "...since Paul includes his own experience" (Evans,1970), as he was an eye witness to the event. This is obviously an influential factor in the early church's acceptance of Paul's theology upon the resurrection and the reason for it being "...adopted as the unchallenged centre of their hope" (Dewar,1986). For Paul, the belief in the resurrection was the most necessary statement within Christianity. References to the resurrection are abundant within the Pauline letters due to it's overwhelming significance for Paul. The resurrection and the church's belief in it was an essential component of the first creed (Barclay,1958; Romans 10:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14). A Christian's profession of faith rests largely upon the belief that Jesus died and rose again (Stanley,1961). Paul states that, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and you believe with your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). This theory suggests that the resurrection was the "...foundation stone of the Church's faith" (Barclay,1958). Stanley explains also that Romans 10:9, "provides us with the evidence that the early Christian community's profession of faith in Christ's divinity reposes primarily on belief in his death and resurrection" (Stanley,1961). The strength of the early church's belief in the resurrection was immense because, for them, Jesus was not an historical figure (Barclay,1958). Jesus was something almost tangible and Paul animated Jesus and the resurrection because of his closeness to both the former and the latter. As Barclay explores the faith of the early Christians and it explains that it was not founded upon a book but upon a person. Barclay expresses this fact with beautiful clarity, "In the early days- as it should be now- Christianity was not an argument about a dead person, however great, it was an encounter with a living presence" (Barclay,1958). Paul continually brought the relevance of the resurrection to the church. His writings, particularly Phillipians 3:10, cultivated the idea of the power of the resurrection through baptism. Baptism, he proclaims, is the means by which the believer and Christ are unified. The baptism in water is a representation of the washing away of sin and this imagery persists in Paul's view of the resurrection as "...a surging tide of power which cleansed...the life of a Christian" (Barclay,1958). Paul places strict emphasis upon God's power in raising Christ, he prefers the idea that god raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:24; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 13:4). Paul expands to explain that God "...raised us up with Christ" (Ephesians 2:6). Paul clearly offers that God worked through Jesus in order to allow us freedom from sin (Furnish,1968). The notion that God is supreme and Jesus is an event of Grace (Furnish,1968) can be located in Romans 6:10. This same idea is approached in a symbolic manner with the discussion of the widow who can remarry because she has been released from the law, due to her husband’s death (Romans 7:4). The theme is discussed in more depth, however, throughout the majority of the Pauline letters. The resurrection contributes to many aspects of Christianity, one in particular being the union with Christ. Paul highlights that the believer becomes one with Christ through his baptism and Paul sees the baptism as a re-enactment of the resurrection. Paul signifies the importance of the resurrection within the faith of the Church, the most memorable occurrence can be found in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. In this chapter, Paul discusses the four truths:
i Truth is stronger than falsehood
ii Good is stronger than evil
iii Life is stronger than death
iv Love is stronger than hatred
The resurrection is the key to the depiction and display of these truths. For Paul, the resurrection lies at the heart of his faith, as it is the eradication of sin and the fulfillment of all that was promised. Paul explains this by naming Jesus as "the last Adam" (Corinthians 15:45). Adam represented man's bringing sin into the world and Jesus is the representation of God's destruction of sin. Paul writes, For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive". Death is greatly relevant, as it is doubled with the resurrection in order to achieve salvation. However, the resurrection is the final step to the achievement of God's earthly work. With the resurrection, in accordance with Isaiah's prophecy, "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (Isaiah 25).
