1 Corinthians 15
1 Now I want to remind you about the good news I announced to you. You accepted it, and you have stood firm for it.
And so I make known to you, brothers, the Gospel that I preached to you, which you also received, and on which you stand.
2 It is through this good news that you are saved if you hold on to the message that I gave you. Otherwise you trusted for nothing!
By the Gospel, too, you are being saved, if you hold to the understanding that I preached to you, lest you believe in vain.
3 I passed on to you what I myself had also received, a message of vital importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to Scripture;
For I handed on to you, first of all, what I also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;
4 he was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, again in accordance with Scripture.
and that he was buried; and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
5 He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve.
and that he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven.
6 After that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive today, though some have died.
Next he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, many of whom remain, even to the present time, although some have fallen asleep.
7 He appeared to James, then all the apostles.
Next, he was seen by James, then by all the Apostles.
8 Last of all, he also appeared to me, someone born as it were at the wrong time.
And last of all, he was seen also by me, as if I were someone born at the wrong time.
9 For I'm the least important apostle of all, not even fit to be called an apostle since I persecuted God's church.
For I am the least of the Apostles. I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.
10 But by God's grace I am what I am, and his grace given to me wasn't wasted. On the contrary I've worked harder than all of them—though not me, but God's grace working through me.
But, by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me has not been empty, since I have labored more abundantly than all of them. Yet it is not I, but the grace of God within me.
11 So whether it's I or them, this is the message we shared with you that brought you to trust in God.
For whether it is I or they: so we preach, and so you have believed.
12 Now if the message declares that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say there's no resurrection of the dead?
Now if Christ is preached, that he rose again from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ hasn't been raised either.
For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen.
14 And if Christ isn't raised, then our message we shared with you is pointless, and your trust in God is pointless too.
And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is useless, and your faith is also useless.
15 In addition, we would be shown to be false witnesses of God when we testified that God raised Christ from the dead. But God didn't raise Christ from the dead if it's true that there's no resurrection.
Then, too, we would be found to be false witnesses of God, because we would have given testimony against God, saying that he had raised up Christ, when he had not raised him up, if, indeed, the dead do not rise again.
16 If the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either,
For if the dead do not rise again, then neither has Christ risen again.
17 and if Christ hasn't been raised, then your trust in God is useless, and you are still in your sins.
But if Christ has not risen, then your faith is vain; for you would still be in your sins.
18 This also means that those who died in Christ are lost.
Then, too, those who have fallen asleep in Christ would have perished.
19 If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we're the most pitiful people of all!
If we have hope in Christ for this life only, then we are more miserable than all men.
20 But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of the harvest from those who have died.
But now Christ has risen again from the dead, as the first-fruits of those who sleep.
21 Just as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man.
For certainly, death came through a man. And so, the resurrection of the dead came through a man
22 Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
And just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be brought to life,
23 But each in their own turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who belong to Christ when he comes.
but each one in his proper order: Christ, as the first-fruits, and next, those who are of Christ, who have believed in his advent.
24 After this comes the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having destroyed all rulers, authorities, and powers.
Afterwards is the end, when he will have handed over the kingdom to God the Father, when he will have emptied all principality, and authority, and power.
25 Christ has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
For it is necessary for him to reign, until he has set all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Lastly, the enemy called death shall be destroyed. For he has subjected all things under his feet. And although he says,
27 As Scripture says, “He put everything under his feet.” (Of course when it says “everything” is put under him it's obvious this doesn't refer to God who placed everything under Christ's authority.)
“All things have been subjected to him,” without doubt he does not include the One who has subjected all things to him.
28 When everything has been placed under Christ's authority, then the Son will also place himself under God's authority, so that God who gave the Son authority over everything may be all in all.
And when all things will have been subjected to him, then even the Son himself will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise what will those people do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then would people be baptized for them?
Otherwise, what will those who are being baptized for the dead do, if the dead do not rise again at all? Why then are they being baptized for them?
30 As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger hour after hour?
Why also do we endure trials every hour?
31 I die every day—let me say it bluntly, my brothers and sisters. This is just as sure as the pride I have for what Christ Jesus has done in you.
Daily I die, by means of your boasting, brothers: you whom I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
32 Humanly speaking, what would I gain by fighting with those people in Ephesus who were like wild animals, if the dead are not raised? If the dead are not raised, “let's eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”!
If, according to man, I fought with the beasts at Ephesus, how would that benefit me, if the dead do not rise again? “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.”
33 Don't be fooled: “bad company ruins good character.”
Do not be led astray. Evil communication corrupts good morals.
34 Come to your senses as you should, and stop sinning! Some of you don't know God. I tell you this to shame you.
Be vigilant, you just ones, and do not be willing to sin. For certain persons have an ignorance of God. I say this to you with respect.
35 Of course somebody will ask, “How exactly are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”
But someone may say, “How do the dead rise again?” or, “What type of body do they return with?”
36 What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies.
How foolish! What you sow cannot be brought back to life, unless it first dies.
37 When you sow, you don't sow the plant it will grow into, just the bare seed, whether wheat or whatever you're planting.
And what you sow is not the body that will be in the future, but a bare grain, such as of wheat, or of some other grain.
38 God makes the plant grow into the form he has chosen, and different seeds produce different plants with different forms.
For God gives it a body according to his will, and according to each seed’s proper body.
39 What living things are made from is not the same. Human beings have one kind of body tissue, while animals have another, birds another, and fish another.
Not all flesh is the same flesh. But one is indeed of men, another truly is of beasts, another is of birds, and another is of fish.
40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of beauty, earthly bodies another.
Also, there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But while the one, certainly, has the glory of heaven, the other has the glory of earth.
41 The sun shines in one way, and the moon another, while the stars are different again, with each one shining in a different way.
One has the brightness of the sun, another the brightness of the moon, and another the brightness of the stars. For even star differs from star in brightness.
42 It's the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decay; it is raised to last forever.
So it is also with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown in corruption shall rise to incorruption.
43 It is sown in shame; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
What is sown in dishonor shall rise to glory. What is sown in weakness shall rise to power.
44 It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there are natural bodies there are spiritual bodies.
What is sown with an animal body shall rise with a spiritual body. If there is an animal body, there is also a spiritual one.
45 As Scripture says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being;” but the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
Just as it was written that the first man, Adam, was made with a living soul, so shall the last Adam be made with a spirit brought back to life.
46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural—the spiritual came after that.
So what is, at first, not spiritual, but animal, next becomes spiritual.
47 The first man is from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven.
The first man, being earthly, was of the earth; the second man, being heavenly, will be of heaven.
48 Earthly people are like the man made from the earth; heavenly people are like the man from heaven.
Such things as are like the earth are earthly; and such things as are like the heavens are heavenly.
49 Just as we bore the likeness of the earthly man so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
And so, just as we have carried the image of what is earthly, let us also carry the image of what is heavenly.
50 However, I tell you this, my brothers and sisters: our present bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. These decaying bodies cannot inherit what lasts forever.
Now I say this, brothers, because flesh and blood is not able to possess the kingdom of God; neither will what is corrupt possess what is incorrupt.
51 Listen, I'm going to reveal a mystery! Not all of us will die—but we will all be changed,
Behold, I tell you a mystery. Certainly, we shall all rise again, but we shall not all be transformed:
52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised never to die again, and we will be changed.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise up, incorruptible. And we shall be transformed.
53 For this perishable body must be clothed with a body that never perishes. This mortal life must be clothed with immortality.
Thus, it is necessary for this corruptibility to be clothed with incorruptibility, and for this mortality to be clothed with immortality.
54 When this perishable body has been clothed with a body that never perishes, and this mortal life has been clothed with immortality, then the Scripture will come true that says, “Death has been totally conquered and destroyed.
And when this mortality has been clothed with immortality, then the word that was written shall occur: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting that causes death is sin; and the power of sin is the law;
Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 but praise God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So my dear brothers and sisters: be strong, stand firm, doing everything you can for the Lord's work, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord is wasted.
And so, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and unmovable, abounding always in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not useless in the Lord.
