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.
Moreover, brethren, I make known unto you The joyful message, which I myself announced to you, which also ye received, in which also ye 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!
Through which also ye are being saved, —if ye hold fast, with what discourse, I announced the joyful message unto you; unless indeed, in vain, ye believed.
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 delivered unto you, among the first things, what also I received: —how 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 hath been raised, on the third day, according to the Scriptures, —
5 He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve.
And that he appeared unto Cephas, 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 above five hundred brethren at once, —of whom, the greater number, remain until even now, but, some, have fallen asleep, —
7 He appeared to James, then all the apostles.
After that, he appeared unto James, then, unto 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, just as if unto the unseasonable birth, he appeared, even unto me;
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, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly 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 favour of God, I am what I am, and, his favour, which was unto me, hath not been made void, —but, much more abundantly than they all, have I toiled, albeit not, I, but the favour of God 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 therefore, I, or, they, thus do we proclaim, and, thus did ye believe.
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 proclaimed, that, from among the dead, he hath been raised, how say some, among you—resurrection of the dead, there is none?
13 If there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ hasn't been raised either.
But, if, resurrection of the dead, there is none, not even Christ, hath 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, hath not been raised, void, after all, is our proclamation, void also, our faith, —
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.
And we are found, even false-witnesses of God, because we have witnessed respecting God, that he raised the Christ, —whom he did not raise, if, indeed, after all, the dead are not raised!
16 If the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either,
For, if the dead are not raised, not even Christ, hath 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 hath not been raised, to no purpose, is your faith, yet, are ye in your sins!
18 This also means that those who died in Christ are lost.
Hence also, they who are fallen asleep in Christ, are lost:
19 If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we're the most pitiful people of all!
If, in this life, in Christ, we have hoped—and that is all, we are, of all men, most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of the harvest from those who have died.
But, now, hath Christ been raised from among the dead, —a firstfruit of them who have fallen asleep;
21 Just as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man.
For, since indeed, through a man, came death, through a man, also cometh the raising of the dead;
22 Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
For, just as, in the Adam, all die, so, also, in the Christ, shall all be made alive.
23 But each in their own turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who belong to Christ when he comes.
But, each, in his own rank: —A firstfruit, Christ, after that, they who are the Christ’s, in his presence,
24 After this comes the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having destroyed all rulers, authorities, and powers.
Afterwards, the end—whensoever he delivereth up the kingdom unto his God and Father, whensoever he shall bring to nought all rule and all authority and power;
25 Christ has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
For he must needs reign, until he shall put all his enemies under his feet:
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
As a last enemy, death, is to be destroyed;
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—He put, all things, in subjection under his feet. But, whensoever it shall be said—all things are in subjection!—it is evident that it means, —Except him who did put into subjection, unto him, the all things—
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.
But whensoever have been put into subjection, unto him, the all things, then, the Son himself, [also] shall be put in subjection unto him who put in subjection, unto him, the all things, —that, God, may be, all things 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?
Else, what will they do, who are being immersed in behalf of the dead? If, not at all, are the dead to be raised, why are they even being immersed in their behalf?
30 As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger hour after hour?
Why also are, we, running into peril 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.
Day by day, am I dying!—Yea! by your own boasting, brethren, which 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, after the manner of men, I have fought with wild-beasts at Ephesus, what, to me, the profit? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for, tomorrow, we die.
33 Don't be fooled: “bad company ruins good character.”
Be not deceiving yourselves, —evil communications corrupt gentle manners: —
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 sobriety, in righteousness, and be not committing sin; for some have, an ignorance of God: for shame, unto you, am I speaking!
35 Of course somebody will ask, “How exactly are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”
But some one will say—How, are the dead raised? and, with what kind of body, do they come?
36 What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies.
Simple one! What, thou, sowest, is not quickened, except it die;
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 thou sowest, not the body that shall come into existence, dost thou sow, but a naked kernel—if it so happen, of wheat, or of any of the rest, —
38 God makes the plant grow into the form he has chosen, and different seeds produce different plants with different forms.
Howbeit, God, giveth it a body, as he pleased, and, unto each of the seeds, a body of its own.
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, indeed, is, [the flesh] of men, and, another, the flesh of beasts, and, another, the flesh of birds, and, another, of fishes;
40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of beauty, earthly bodies another.
And there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies, —but, of one kind, indeed, is the glory of the heavenly, and, of another kind, is the glory 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.
One, is the glory of a sun, and, another, the glory of a moon, and, another, the glory of stars, —nay! star from star, differeth in glory.
42 It's the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decay; it is raised to last forever.
Thus, also the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption,
43 It is sown in shame; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in 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.
It is sown a body of the soul, it is raised a body of the spirit; if there is a body of the soul, there is also of the spirit: —
45 As Scripture says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being;” but the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
Thus, also, it is written—The first man, Adam, became, a living soul, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural—the spiritual came after that.
Howbeit, not first, is the [body] of the spirit, but that, of the soul, —afterwards, that of the spirit.
47 The first man is from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven.
The first man, is of the ground, earthy, the second man, is, of heaven:
48 Earthly people are like the man made from the earth; heavenly people are like the man from heaven.
As, the man of earth, such, also, the men of earth, and, as, the man of heaven, such, also, the men of heaven;
49 Just as we bore the likeness of the earthly man so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
And, even as we have borne the image of the man of earth, let us also bear the image of the man of 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.
And, this, I say, brethren, —that, flesh and blood, cannot inherit, God’s kingdom. Neither doth, corruption, inherit, incorruption.
51 Listen, I'm going to reveal a mystery! Not all of us will die—but we will all be changed,
Lo! a sacred secret, unto you, do I declare: —we shall not, all, sleep, but we shall, all, be changed, —
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, during the last trumpet; for it shall sound, and, the dead, shall be raised, incorruptible, and, we, shall be changed.
53 For this perishable body must be clothed with a body that never perishes. This mortal life must be clothed with immortality.
For this corruptible must needs clothe itself with incorruptibility, and this mortal, clothe itself, 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.
But, whensoever, this mortal, shall clothe itself with immortality, then, shall be brought to pass the saying that is written—Death hath been swallowed up, victoriously;
Where, O death, is thy victory? Where, O death, is thy 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, unto God, be thanks, who is giving unto us the 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.
So, then, my beloved brethren, —become ye, steadfast, immovable, superabounding in the work of the Lord, at all times; knowing that, your toil, is not in vain in the Lord.
