1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare anew to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also ye received, and wherein ye stand, 2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the same word which I preached to you, unless ye believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, and that he hath risen on the third day, according to the Scriptures; 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that, he appeared to James; then to all the apostles. 8 And last of all, as to one born out of due time, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, one not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Whether, then, it were I or they, thus we preach, and thus ye believed. 12 But if Christ be preached that he hath risen from the dead, how is it that some among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ hath not risen; 14 and if Christ hath not risen, then is our preaching vain, and vain also is your faith. 15 And we are also found false witnesses concerning God; because we testified concerning God that he raised up Christ, whom he did not raise up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then Christ hath not risen; 17 and if Christ hath not risen, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins; 18 then also they that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now hath Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that have fallen asleep. 21 For since through man came death, through man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive. 23 But every one in his own order; Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ's, at his coming. 24 Then will be the end, when he delivereth up the kingdom to God, the Father, when he shall have destroyed all dominion, and all authority, and power. 25 For he must reign, “till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” 26 The last enemy, death, will be destroyed; 27 for “he put all things under his feet.” But when it is said that all things have been put under him, it is manifest that he who put all things under him is excepted. 28 And when all things have been put under him, then will also the Son himself become subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 29 If it be not so, what are they doing, who are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for them? 30 Why also do we stand in peril every hour? 31 I protest, brethren, by my glorying in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily. 32 If with the views of men I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead rise not, “let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” 33 Be not deceived; “evil communications corrupt good manners.” 34 Awake, as is your duty, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God; I say it to your shame. 35 But some one will say, How are the dead to rise? and with what body do they come? 36 Fool! that which thou sowest is not brought to life unless it die; 37 and what thou sowest, not the body that shall be dost thou sow, but a bare grain, of wheat perhaps, or of some of the other grains; 38 but God giveth it a body, as he willed, and to every seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, another of fishes. 40 There are also heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is an animal body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus is it also written: “The first man Adam became a living soul;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. 46 But the spiritual is not first, but the animal; and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly; 49 and as we bore the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 And this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then will be brought to pass that which is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is thy sting? Where, O death, is thy victory?” (Hadēs g86) 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law. 57 But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
