On The Shoulders
READ
Faith is not invented in each generation—it is handed down, preserved, and proclaimed. We stand in a long line of witnesses who have carried the gospel forward. This doesn't mean we mindlessly repeat the past. It means we recognize we're part of something larger than ourselves—a story that began before us and will continue after us.
Let’s take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8;
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
REFLECT
There's something profoundly humbling about received faith. In our culture that prizes innovation and individual expression, it's countercultural to say, "I didn't come up with this. Someone gave it to me." Yet that's exactly what Paul insists upon. The gospel is not ours to reinvent—it's ours to receive, treasure, and pass along.
Think about a family heirloom—maybe a recipe passed down through generations, or a piece of jewelry, or a treasured story. Its value isn't diminished because it's old; it's enhanced. Each generation receives it, appreciates it, cares for it, and then entrusts it to the next. The faith works the same way.
Paul's language in 1 Corinthians 15 is deliberate. He's not sharing his opinions or creative interpretations. He's delivering testimony: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures... he was buried... he was raised on the third day... he appeared." These are facts, witnessed and verified, then carefully passed from one believer to another across centuries.
This should give us great confidence. We're not isolated spiritual seekers trying to figure everything out on our own. We're connected to a cloud of witnesses—martyrs and missionaries, theologians and everyday faithful followers—who have gone before us. Their testimonies strengthen ours. Their perseverance encourages ours. Their faith becomes part of our inheritance.
But received faith also comes with responsibility. Paul tells Timothy to "entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." The faith must keep moving forward. We're not the final destination; we're part of the relay. Someone ran their leg of the race to hand us the baton. Now it's our turn to run faithfully and pass it on.
Who passed the faith to you? Maybe it was a parent or grandparent who prayed for you before you could speak. Maybe it was a friend who invited you to church, a teacher who answered your questions, or a mentor who walked with you through doubts. These people are part of your spiritual lineage. They invested in you so that you might invest in others.
The local church is where this beautiful transfer happens most naturally. It's where generations gather, where older saints encourage younger believers, where children watch adults worship, where teenagers hear testimonies of God's faithfulness through decades. When we isolate ourselves from the body, we lose this intergenerational richness.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Who passed the faith to you? What "spiritual inheritance" have you received from those who went before?
Who are you intentionally passing the faith to? What steps can you take to be more deliberate about spiritual legacy?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Faithful God, thank You for the men and women who faithfully passed the gospel to me. Thank You that I don't have to figure out faith alone, but stand on the shoulders of those who've gone before. Help me to receive this inheritance with gratitude and guard it with care. Give me eyes to see who You're calling me to invest in, and courage to pass on what I've received. Amen.