W. Schmithals has argued that this chapter should be understood as the climax of Paul’s polemic against the Gnostics (Gnosticism in Corinth, pp. 156–285). But, quite apart from the fact that Gnosticism cannot be shown to be as early as New Testament days, Elaine H. Pagels has shown that the Gnostics did not in fact see 1 Cor. 15 as opposing their position, but as supporting it, though with an exegesis the orthodox did not accept (JBL, 93, 1974, pp. 276–288).
Ernest Evans says there are more than 200 interpretations; see his edition of Tertullian’s Treatise on the Resurrection (SPCK, 1960), p. 312. K. C. Thompson agrees with this estimate (Studia Evangelica, ii [Akademie-Verlag, 1964], p. 647, n. 2).
