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.
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 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!
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 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 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 he was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, again in accordance with Scripture.
that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised (as the scriptures had foretold),
5 He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve.
and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
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.
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 He appeared to James, then all the apostles.
After that, he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, he also appeared to me, someone born as it were at the wrong time.
Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, a miscarried baby – born untimely.
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 who am unworthy of the name of ‘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 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 So whether it's I or them, this is the message we shared with you that brought you to trust in God.
Whether, then, it was I or whether it was they, this we proclaim, and this you 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 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 If there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ hasn't been raised either.
But, if there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised;
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 been raised, then our proclamation is without meaning, and our faith without meaning also!
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.
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 If the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either,
For, if the dead do not rise, then even Christ himself has not been raised,
17 and if Christ hasn't been raised, then your trust in God is useless, and you are still in your sins.
and, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is folly – your sins are on you still!
18 This also means that those who died in Christ are lost.
Yes, and they, who have passed to their rest in union with Christ, perished!
19 If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we're the most pitiful people of all!
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 Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of the harvest from those who have died.
But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.
21 Just as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man.
For, since through a man there is death, so, too, through a man there is a resurrection of the dead.
22 Just as in Adam all die, so in 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 their own turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who belong to Christ when he comes.
But each in their proper order – Christ the first-fruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to the Christ.
24 After this comes the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having destroyed all rulers, authorities, and powers.
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 Christ has to rule until he has 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 that will be destroyed is death.
The last enemy to be overthrown is death;
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.)
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 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 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 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?
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 As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger hour after hour?
Why, too, do we risk our lives 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 face death – I swear it, friends, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with 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 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 Don't be fooled: “bad company ruins good character.”
Do not be deceived. ‘Good character is marred by evil company.’
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.
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 Of course somebody will ask, “How exactly are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”
Someone, however, may ask ‘How do the dead rise? And in what body will they come?’
36 What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies.
You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to life, unless it 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 when you sow, you sow not the body that will be, but a mere grain – perhaps of wheat, or something else.
38 God makes the plant grow into the form he has chosen, and different seeds produce different plants with different forms.
God gives it the body that he pleases – to each seed its special 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.
All forms of life are not the same; there is one for people, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.
40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of beauty, earthly bodies another.
There are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the beauty of the heavenly bodies is not the beauty of the earthly.
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.
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 It's the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decay; it is raised to last forever.
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 shame; 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 as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there are natural bodies there are spiritual bodies.
As surely as there is a human body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 As Scripture says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being;” but 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 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural—the spiritual came after that.
That which comes first is not the spiritual, but the human; afterward comes the spiritual;
47 The first man is from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven.
the first man was from the dust of the earth; the second man from heaven.
48 Earthly people are like the man made from the earth; heavenly people are like the man from heaven.
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 Just as we bore the likeness of the earthly man so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
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 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.
This I say, friends – Flesh and blood can have no share in the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.
51 Listen, I'm going to reveal a mystery! Not all of us will die—but we will all be changed,
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 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.
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 body must be clothed with a body that never perishes. This mortal life must be clothed with immortality.
For this perishable body of ours must put on an imperishable form, and this dying body a deathless form.
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 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 that causes 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 praise 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 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.
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.
