What does 1 Corinthians teach about the resurrection?

At 1Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul said that Jesus died and was buried, rose again according to the scriptures, then was seen by Cephas, then the twelve, then by more than 500, most of whom were still alive, then by James and all the apostles, and finally by himself.

This account differs in several important ways from the accounts that would later form part of the gospels, because Paul implied that the appearances were all of the same nature. There is no suggestion that any of the appearances to Cephas, the twelve, James or the apostles were somehow more real than the spiritual appearance he experienced. Moreover, there are contradictions between Paul's descriptions of those to whom the risen Jesus appeared, and the gospel descriptions.

Paul seems to teach that the resurrection was purely spiritual in nature and that in his resurrection he rose to heaven and was not physically seen on earth. Another view is that, to Paul, Jesus lived his life and was crucified in heaven, just as the Book of Hebrews only talks of Jesus as the high priest in heaven. Scholars are also puzzled that Paul describes 'the twelve' as if they were an entirely separate group of people from 'all the apostles'. Perhaps the explanation for these differences is to be found in Galatians 2:2, where Paul says that he went up to Jerusalem and "communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles" - a different gospel to the one that has come down to us.