1 Corinthians 15
1 And, brothers, I make known to you the good news that I preached to you, which also ye received, and in which ye stand,
Next, friends, I would like to remind you of the good news which I told you, and which you received – the good news on which you have taken your stand,
2 by which also ye are saved if ye hold firm that word I preached to you, unless ye believed in vain.
and by means of which you are being saved. I would like to remind you of the words that I used in telling it to you, since you are still holding fast to it, and since it was not in vain that you became believers in Christ.
3 For I delivered to you at first what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
For at the very beginning of my teaching I gave you the account which I had myself received – that Christ died for our sins (as the scriptures had foretold),
4 and that he was buried, and that he arose on the third day according to the scriptures,
that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised (as the scriptures had foretold),
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some also slept.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have gone to their rest.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
After that, he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.
8 and last of all, as to the untimely birth, he also appeared to me.
Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, a miscarried baby – born untimely.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
For I am the least of the apostles, I who am unworthy of the name of ‘apostle,’ because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. And his grace for me did not become empty, but I labored more abundantly than them all, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
But it is through the love of God that I am what I am, and the love that he showed me has not been wasted. No, I have toiled harder than any of them, and yet it was not I, but the love of God working with me.
11 Therefore whether I or those men, so we proclaim, and so ye believed.
Whether, then, it was I or whether it was they, this we proclaim, and this you believed.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed that he has risen from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Now, if it is proclaimed of Christ that he has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ risen.
But, if there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised;
14 And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty.
and, if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without meaning, and our faith without meaning also!
15 And also we are found false witnesses of God, because we witnessed according to God that he raised up the Christ, whom he did not raise up, if therefore the dead are really not raised.
Yes, and we are being proved to have borne false testimony about God; for we testified of God that he raised the Christ, whom he did not raise, if, indeed, the dead do not rise!
16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised.
For, if the dead do not rise, then even Christ himself has not been raised,
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain. Ye are still in your sins.
and, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is folly – your sins are on you still!
18 Then also those who slept in Christ have perished.
Yes, and they, who have passed to their rest in union with Christ, perished!
19 If we are men who have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men more miserable.
If all that we have done has been to place our hope in Christ for this life, then we of all people are the most to be pitied.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.
But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.
21 For since death is because of a man, the resurrection of the dead is also because of a man.
For, since through a man there is death, so, too, through a man there is a resurrection of the dead.
22 For as by Adam all die, so also by Christ all will be made alive.
For, as through union with Adam all die, so through union with the Christ will all be made to live.
23 But each in his own order. Christ the first fruit, then those of Christ at his coming.
But each in their proper order – Christ the first-fruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to the Christ.
24 Afterwards the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when he will abolish all rule, and all authority and power.
Then will come the end – when he surrenders the kingdom to his God and Father, having overthrown all other rule and all other authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he will put all his enemies under his feet.
For he must reign until God ‘has put all his enemies under his feet.’
26 The last enemy abolished is death.
The last enemy to be overthrown is death;
27 For he subordinated all things under his feet. But when he says that all things have been subordinated, it is clear that he who subordinated all things under him, is excepted.
for God has placed all things under Christ’s feet. (But, when it is said that all things have been placed under Christ, it is plain that God is excepted who placed everything under him.)
28 And when all things are made subordinate to him, then the Son himself will also be made subordinate to him who subordinated all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
And, when everything has been placed under him, the Son will place himself under God who placed everything under him, so that God may be all in all!
29 Otherwise what will they do who are immersed for the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, why then are they immersed for the dead?
Again, what good will they be doing who are baptized on behalf of the dead? If it is true that the dead do not rise, why are people baptized on their behalf?
30 And we, why are we in peril every hour?
Why, too, do we risk our lives every hour?
31 By the pride that belongs to you, that I keep in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Daily I face death – I swear it, friends, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
32 If in respect to men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what is the benefit to me if the dead are not raised? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
If with only human hopes I had fought in the arena at Ephesus, what should I have gained by it? If the dead do not rise, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!
33 Be not led astray. Evil associations corrupt good habits.
Do not be deceived. ‘Good character is marred by evil company.’
34 Sober up rightly, and do not sin, for some have ignorance of God. I speak shame about you.
Wake up to a righteous life, and cease to sin. There are some who have no true knowledge of God. I speak in this way to shame you.
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised, and with what kind of body do they come?
Someone, however, may ask ‘How do the dead rise? And in what body will they come?’
36 Thou foolish man, what thou sow is not made alive unless it dies.
You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to life, unless it dies!
37 And what thou sow, thou do not sow the body that it will become, but a bare grain, if it may happen of wheat, or of some other kind.
And when you sow, you sow not the body that will be, but a mere grain – perhaps of wheat, or something else.
38 But God gives it a body as he wills, and to each of the seeds its own body.
God gives it the body that he pleases – to each seed its special body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but one of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds,
All forms of life are not the same; there is one for people, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.
40 and heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies (but the glory of the heavenly is different, and the glory of the earthly is different),
There are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the beauty of the heavenly bodies is not the beauty of the earthly.
41 another glory is of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.
There is a beauty of the sun, and a beauty of the moon, and a beauty of the stars; for even star differs from star in beauty.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in the perishable, it is raised in imperishability.
It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. Sown a mortal body, it rises immortal; sown disfigured, it rises beautiful;
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
sown weak, it rises strong; sown a human body, it rises a spiritual body.
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
As surely as there is a human body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam developed into a living soul. The last Adam a life giving spirit.
That is what is meant by the words – ‘Adam, the first man, became a human being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 Nevertheless the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
That which comes first is not the spiritual, but the human; afterward comes the spiritual;
47 The first man was of the earth, earthly. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
the first man was from the dust of the earth; the second man from heaven.
48 As is the earthly, such also are the earthly. And as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly.
Those who are of the dust are like him who came from the dust; and those who are of heaven are like him who came from heaven.
49 And just as we have worn the form of the earthly, we will also wear the form of the heavenly.
And as we have borne the likeness of him who came from the dust, so let us bear the likeness of him who came from heaven.
50 Now this I affirm, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit imperishability.
This I say, friends – Flesh and blood can have no share in the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will actually not all sleep, but we will all be transformed,
Listen, I will tell you God’s hidden purpose! We will not all have passed to our rest, but we will all be transformed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For it will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be transformed.
at the last trumpet-call; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we, also, will be transformed.
53 For this perishable must put on imperishability, and this mortal put on immortality.
For this perishable body of ours must put on an imperishable form, and this dying body a deathless form.
54 But when this perishable will have put on imperishability, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come to pass the saying that is written, Death was swallowed up in victory.
And, when this dying body has put on its deathless form, then indeed will the words of scripture come true –
‘death has been swallowed up in victory! Where, Death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?’ (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power.
57 But thanks is to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, become ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not empty in the Lord.
Therefore, my dear friends, stand firm, unshaken, always diligent in the Lord’s work, for you know that, in union with him, your toil is not in vain.
