1 Corinthians 15

1 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,

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.

2 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.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 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),

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised (as the scriptures had foretold),

that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and 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 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have gone to their rest.

After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

7 After that, he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.

Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8 Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, a miscarried baby – born untimely.

And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, I who am unworthy of the name of ‘apostle,’ because I persecuted the church of God.

For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10 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.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

11 Whether, then, it was I or whether it was they, this we proclaim, and this you believed.

Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

12 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?

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But, if there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised;

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

14 and, if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without meaning, and our faith without meaning also!

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.

15 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!

In that case, we are also exposed as false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.

16 For, if the dead do not rise, then even Christ himself has not been raised,

For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised.

17 and, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is folly – your sins are on you still!

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

18 Yes, and they, who have passed to their rest in union with Christ, perished!

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 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.

If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.

20 But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For, since through a man there is death, so, too, through a man there is a resurrection of the dead.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

22 For, as through union with Adam all die, so through union with the Christ will all be made to live.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

23 But each in their proper order – Christ the first-fruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to the Christ.

But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.

24 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.

Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.

25 For he must reign until God ‘has put all his enemies under his feet.’

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy to be overthrown is death;

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 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.)

For “God has put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him.

28 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!

And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

29 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?

If these things are not so, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?

30 Why, too, do we risk our lives every hour?

And why do we endanger ourselves every hour?

31 Daily I face death – I swear it, friends, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.

I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32 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!

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

33 Do not be deceived. ‘Good character is marred by evil company.’

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

34 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.

Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.

35 Someone, however, may ask ‘How do the dead rise? And in what body will they come?’

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”

36 You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to life, unless it dies!

You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

37 And when you sow, you sow not the body that will be, but a mere grain – perhaps of wheat, or something else.

And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else.

38 God gives it the body that he pleases – to each seed its special body.

But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.

39 All forms of life are not the same; there is one for people, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.

Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another.

40 There are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the beauty of the heavenly bodies is not the beauty of the earthly.

There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another.

41 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.

The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

42 It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. Sown a mortal body, it rises immortal; sown disfigured, it rises beautiful;

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable.

43 sown weak, it rises strong; sown a human body, it rises a spiritual body.

It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

44 As surely as there is a human body, there is also a spiritual body.

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

45 That is what is meant by the words – ‘Adam, the first man, became a human being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.

46 That which comes first is not the spiritual, but the human; afterward comes the spiritual;

The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.

47 the first man was from the dust of the earth; the second man from heaven.

The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.

48 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.

As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.

49 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.

And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

50 This I say, friends – Flesh and blood can have no share in the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.

Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

51 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,

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

52 at the last trumpet-call; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we, also, will be transformed.

in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53 For this perishable body of ours must put on an imperishable form, and this dying body a deathless form.

For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

54 And, when this dying body has put on its deathless form, then indeed will the words of scripture come true –

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55 ‘death has been swallowed up in victory! Where, Death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?’ (Hadēs g86)

“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” (Hadēs g86)

56 It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58 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.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.