1 Corinthians 15:7

7 that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him;

1 Corinthians 15:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 15:7

After that he was seen of James
Not James the son of Zebedee, and brother of John, though he was seen by him with other disciples, ( John 20:19 ) ( John 21:1 John 21:2 ) who was now dead when the apostle wrote this, having been killed by Herod many years ago, ( Acts 12:2 ) and so not quite so proper a witness to be mentioned; but James the son of Alphaeus, and brother of our Lord, a man of great fame and credit with the Jews, and still living, and therefore a proper and pertinent evidence. This appearance was made unto him when alone; and though the Scripture elsewhere makes no mention of it, there is no room to doubt it, since the apostle here affirms it. As for the account of the appearance of Christ to this James, immediately, after his resurrection, recorded by Jerom as he found it in the Gospel according to the Hebrews, it seems to be fabulous. His account is this F8;

``the Gospel written according to the Hebrews, which was lately translated by me into the Greek and Latin tongues, and which Origen often uses, relates, after the resurrection of the Saviour, that when the Lord had given the linen cloth to the priest's servant, he went to James, and appeared to him: for James had swore that he would not taste any bread from the time he had drank the cup of the Lord, until he saw him rising from the dead. Again, a little after, bring me, says the Lord, the table and the bread; and it is immediately added, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to James the just, and said unto him, my brother, eat thy bread, for the son of man is risen from the dead.''

Then of all the apostles;
at the Mount of Olives, when he led them out of Jerusalem, as far as Bethany, blessed them, and was parted from them, and ascended to heaven out of their sight, ( Luke 24:50 Luke 24:51 ) so that this was the last appearance of him on earth after his resurrection.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Catalog. Script. Eccles. sect. 3. fol. 90. 1.

1 Corinthians 15:7 In-Context

5 that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers,
6 and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died);
7 that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him;
8 and that he finally presented himself alive to me.
9 It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.