Christ Died for Our Sins According to the Scriptures: What Does “According to the Scriptures” Mean?

When Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,” he is not offering a mere historical footnote. He is grounding the entire Gospel—the only message that saves—in the unbreakable testimony of God’s Word. This phrase is not a throwaway line. It is the anchor that secures every aspect of our salvation, inheritance, and identity in Christ.

The Gospel: Rooted in Prophecy, Fulfilled in Christ

Paul’s insistence on “according to the Scriptures” is deliberate. At the time, “the Scriptures” meant the Old Testament—the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. These writings are not peripheral; they are the very foundation upon which the Gospel stands. Peter tells us the prophets “inquired and searched diligently” into the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-11). When the risen Jesus met His disciples, He did not merely show them His wounds. He opened the Scriptures and revealed Himself in every page, demonstrating that all He accomplished was foretold and necessary.

This is not a shallow message. The phrase “according to the Scriptures” points to a deep reservoir of divine intent: the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. The Gospel is not an afterthought or a plan B. It is the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose, witnessed in advance by the prophets and now revealed in Christ.

The Mystery Now Revealed: More Than Forgiveness

Yet there is more. The Old Testament prophets saw the sufferings and the glory, but the full scope—the “mystery of Christ”—was hidden until God revealed it to Paul. This mystery is not a side issue; it is the unveiling of what Christ’s death and resurrection truly accomplished. If you reduce the Gospel to “going to heaven when you die” or mere forgiveness, you gut it of its power and rob yourself of your inheritance.

According to the Scriptures, Christ’s death and resurrection:

• Brought life and immortality to light (2 Timothy 1:10). Death is no longer the final word; Christ’s victory is ours.
• Reconciled all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). The enmity between God and man is abolished.
• Disarmed and triumphed over spiritual rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15). The powers that accused and enslaved us have been publicly shamed and defeated.
• Abolished the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (Colossians 2:14). Every legal charge, every demand of the law that condemned us, has been blotted out.
• Created one new humanity in Himself (Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:11). The dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, between any and all, is gone. Christ is all and in all.
• Baptized us into His death and resurrection, seating us in the heavenlies with Him (Ephesians 2:6). This is not a future hope; it is a present reality.
• Made us members of His Body, His fullness (Ephesians 1:23). We are not outsiders looking in—we are the very expression of Christ on earth.

The Comprehensive Work of the Cross

The Gospel, according to the Scriptures, is not a partial solution. It is a total termination of everything that stood against us. Paul is explicit: “Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed” (Romans 6:6). The Adamic race, with all its failure, is finished at the cross. The law’s demands and accusations are abolished. Satan’s authority is shattered: “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

If you miss this, you lose everything. If you reduce the Gospel to mere forgiveness or a moral example, you forfeit the deliverance, the union, the empowerment, and the inheritance that are yours in Christ. You remain under the shadow of law, striving for what has already been freely given. You are left with a gospel that cannot save, cannot transform, and cannot bring you into sonship.

Christ: Our Righteousness, Sanctification, and Reward

Because Christ’s death and resurrection fulfilled the Scriptures, He is now our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), and our reward (Philippians 3:8-11). We do not work for these things; we receive them by faith. We are not trying to become something; we are already new creations, united with Christ in His victory, His life, and His position before God.

The Gospel Unlocks Freedom and Empowerment

“According to the Scriptures” means the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). It unlocks true freedom: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). It is not a message of self-improvement or religious striving. It is the announcement that everything necessary for your deliverance, transformation, and inheritance has been accomplished by Christ, in accordance with God’s eternal Word.

Do not accept a gospel that offers less. Do not allow any teaching to rob you of the finished work, your sonship, or your inheritance. The Gospel, according to the Scriptures, is comprehensive, final, and all-sufficient. Stand in it. Boast in it. Refuse anything less.