1 Corinthians 15:5 Commentary and Bible Study

Actually before he was seen of Cephas – Paul doesn't say he was the first – he was seen by Mary, and other women. But Paul doesn't mention them here, because he is clearly only thinking of the public men who were witnesses, like the apostles and preachers. The women are not mentioned, because they would not have been engaged in open, constant, public testimony; it would not have been seemly. The women witnessed of Christ to the men; but the men not only saw Christ, but they witnessed of Christ to the public at large, to the world. So they were the preachers, and they are the ones who the apostle has in mind.‘Then of the twelve.’ The twelve there is used as a term to describe the apostles, because actually, after Peter, Christ wasn't seen by twelve; he was seen by ten, because Judas was no more, and Thomas, in his time of doubting, wasn't there. It was eight days later that the eleven were there. When the apostle Paul refers to ‘the twelve’ we are not expecting mathematical accuracy. But they are still described as the twelve, because that is how they were known, but they are not literally twelve at this point in verse five.