1 Corinthians 15
1 Now, my fellow believers, I want to remind you about the message about Christ that I preached to you. It is the message that you received and that you have continued to trust firmly.
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 If you keep on firmly [believing] this message that I preached to you, you will be saved {[God] will save you}. If you do not continue to believe it, your believing [in Christ] was (all for nothing/useless)!
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 The most important part of the message that I received [from the Lord Jesus], and that I told you, was this: Christ died to [take away the guilt] of our sins, as the Scriptures [said that he would do].
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 His [dead body] was buried {They buried his [body]}. On the third day [after that], [God] caused him to become alive again, as the Scriptures [said would happen].
And that he was buried, and that he hath been raised, on the third day, according to the Scriptures, —
5 After that, [Christ] was seen by {appeared to} Peter. Then he appeared to [eleven of] the [original] twelve [apostles].
And that he appeared unto Cephas, then, to the twelve,
6 Later he was seen by {appeared to} more than 500 of our fellow believers. Most of those are still living, but some of them have died [EUP].
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 Then he was seen by {appeared [to]} [his younger brother] James, [who became the leader of the congregation in Jerusalem]. Then he appeared to all of the apostles.
After that, he appeared unto James, then, unto all the apostles,
8 Finally, he was seen by {appeared to} me, but I became an apostle in a way that was very unusual [MET].
And, last of all, just as if unto the unseasonable birth, he appeared, even unto me;
9 The fact is, I [consider that I] am the least important of the apostles. I do not deserve to be an apostle, because I (persecuted God’s groups of believers/caused God’s groups of believers to suffer) [everywhere I went].
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 it is because God acted kindly toward me in ways that I did not deserve that I became what I am now. And his acting kindly toward me produced a great result [LIT], which is that I worked harder [for Christ] than all the other apostles. But it was not that I [was working with my own ability]. Instead, God was helping me in a way I did not deserve.
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 it does not matter whether it was I [who was preaching or whether it was the other apostles who were preaching]. We all preached [the same message], and that message is what you believed.
Whether therefore, I, or, they, thus do we proclaim, and, thus did ye believe.
12 So now [let me ask you this]: Since [we] have all preached to you that Christ was raised again {that [God] caused Christ to become alive} after he died, (no one among you should be saying that [God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again after they die!/why do some of you say that [God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again after they die?) [RHQ]
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 [it is true that God] will not cause anyone to become alive again, that situation would mean that Christ was not raised from the dead {[he] did not cause Christ to become alive again}!
But, if, resurrection of the dead, there is none, not even Christ, hath been raised;
14 And if Christ was not raised from the dead {if [God] did not cause Christ to become alive again}, then what we preached to you was useless, and your believing [in Christ] is useless.
And, if Christ, hath not been raised, void, after all, is our proclamation, void also, our faith, —
15 [If it is true that] no one will be raised from the dead {[that God] will not cause anyone to become alive again after he dies}, we [(exc)] have been guilty of lying to you about God, because we told you that God caused Christ to become alive again.
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 But if it were really true that no one who has died will be raised {that [God will] not cause anyone who has died to become alive} again, then Christ was not raised {[he] did not cause Christ to become alive} again either!
For, if the dead are not raised, not even Christ, hath been raised;
17 If it were true that Christ was not raised {that [God] did not cause Christ to become alive} again after he died, you have believed in Christ for nothing, [because] God will still [punish] you for [MTY] your sins.
And, if Christ hath not been raised, to no purpose, is your faith, yet, are ye in your sins!
18 And those people who died [EUP] [while they were trusting] in Christ will go to hell. (questioned)
Hence also, they who are fallen asleep in Christ, are lost:
19 In this life [many of us have suffered much for Christ] because we confidently expect [that he will reward us in heaven]. If we have confidently expected this in vain, people should pity us more than they pity anyone else!
If, in this life, in Christ, we have hoped—and that is all, we are, of all men, most to be pitied.
20 But [the truth is that] Christ has been raised from the dead {that [God] has caused Christ to live again after he had died}, and (that guarantees/because of that, it is certain) [MET] that he will also cause those [believers] who have died [EUP] to become alive again.
But, now, hath Christ been raised from among the dead, —a firstfruit of them who have fallen asleep;
21 What one man, [Adam, did affects us all]. We all die. Similarly, what one man—[Christ]—did [affects us(inc) all]: God will cause [all believers] to become alive again.
For, since indeed, through a man, came death, through a man, also cometh the raising of the dead;
22 Because of what Adam did, all [of us who are descended] from him die. Similarly, because of what [Christ did], all of us who have a close relationship with him will be brought back to life {[God] will make alive all of us who have a close relationship with Christ}.
For, just as, in the Adam, all die, so, also, in the Christ, shall all be made alive.
23 But we must all take our turn. [God raised] Christ first [MET]. And when Christ returns, [God will cause] those who belong to Christ to become alive again.
But, each, in his own rank: —A firstfruit, Christ, after that, they who are the Christ’s, in his presence,
24 Then, after Christ has destroyed all [DOU] the evil powers that oppose God, [the world] will end. Then Christ will give to God, his Father, his kingdom to completely rule over it.
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 You must realize that Christ must rule [here on earth] until he has completely defeated [MTY] all his enemies.
For he must needs reign, until he shall put all his enemies under his feet:
26 The last thing that [he] will get rid of is death. [But he certainly will get rid of death, which is like] an enemy [to us].
As a last enemy, death, is to be destroyed;
27 [In the Scriptures the Psalmist wrote that] God will cause everything to be under Christ’s [authority] [MTY]. But it is clear that the word ‘everything’ here does not include God, because God is the one who will cause everything to be under Christ’s [authority] [MTY].
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 After everything is put under [the authority of] God’s Son, then Christ will put himself completely under [the authority of] God, the one who gave him that authority. Then God will be completely in control of everything [IDM], everywhere.
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 [Now think about this: Some among you] are being baptized (OR, are baptizing people) on behalf of those who died [before someone baptized them] (OR, who died [before they became believers]). If, [as some people say, believers] will not be raised [from the dead] {[God] will not cause [believers] to become alive again}, (what is the value in those people doing that?/there is no value in those people doing that!) [RHQ] If [God] will not cause any [believers] to become alive again, it is senseless to be baptized {baptize anyone} on behalf of someone who has died. [RHQ]
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 Furthermore, [if God will not cause us believers to become alive again], it is [RHQ] very foolish for me and the other apostles to be constantly [putting ourselves] in danger [because we tell people the gospel].
Why also are, we, running into peril every hour?
31 My fellow believers, every day I [am in danger of] being killed {people killing me}! That is as true as it is that I am pleased with you because of your close relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Day by day, am I dying!—Yea! by your own boasting, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
32 [If God will not cause us believers to become alive again after we die], (I will receive no benefit at all [from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly] in Ephesus [city]./what will I gain [from having opposed those who attacked me so strongly] in Ephesus [city]?) [RHQ] They were [fighting me like] wild beasts! If we [believers] will not be raised [from the dead] {If [God] will not cause us [believers] to live again}, we might as well say [as people often say]: “Tomorrow we are going to die, so we might as well enjoy now everything that we can. We might as well feast and get drunk!”
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 Do not let [yourselves be deceived by those who say that God will not cause believers to live again] {Do not let [people who say that God will not cause believers to live again] deceive you}. If you associate with evil people [who say such things], they will (influence you to do evil things/destroy your good moral way of living).
Be not deceiving yourselves, —evil communications corrupt gentle manners: —
34 Start thinking correctly again [about these matters], as you should, and [stop your sinful behavior which has resulted from] your wrong thinking. [I say that] because [it seems that] some among you do not know God, and as a result they [are thinking wrongly]. I say that to make you ashamed.
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 But some of you are asking, “How will dead people be raised {How will [God] cause dead people to become alive} again? What kind of bodies will they have?”
But some one will say—How, are the dead raised? and, with what kind of body, do they come?
36 [Anyone who asks such questions is] foolish. You [know that] a seed that is planted in the ground must completely change its form [MET] before it sprouts.
Simple one! What, thou, sowest, is not quickened, except it die;
37 A seed, such as a wheat seed, is very different from the plant that sprouts from it.
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 gives everything that lives the form that he desires. He gives each seed its own form.
Howbeit, God, giveth it a body, as he pleased, and, unto each of the seeds, a body of its own.
39 [Similarly], people, animals, birds, and fish all have flesh, but each one has a different kind of flesh.
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 Also, there are angelic beings in heaven (OR, stars and planets in the sky), and there are people with bodies on the earth. The angelic beings (OR, stars and planets) are beautiful in one way, and people on earth are beautiful in a different way.
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 is bright in one way, and the moon is bright in a different way, and the stars are bright in a different way. And even the various stars are different from each other in how bright they are.
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 And it is the same way [with our bodies. The bodies that we will have when God causes us] to live again after we die [will not be the same as the bodies that we have now] [MET]. [The bodies that we have now] will die and decay. [The new bodies that we will have] will never die.
Thus, also the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption,
43 We despise [the bodies that we have now], before we die. But our [new bodies] will be glorious. The [bodies that we have before we die] are weak. But our new bodies will be strong.
It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power,
44 The bodies that we have before we die are natural bodies. But [our new bodies] will be ones that [God’s] Spirit ([controls/gives us]). Just like there are natural bodies, there are bodies that [God’s] Spirit [completely] controls (OR, makes alive).
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 [In the Scriptures] it is written {we read} that [when] the first man, Adam, [was created], he became a living human being. [Christ later also became a human being]. But [he is different from Adam, because he] became a person who gives us [spiritual] life.
Thus, also, it is written—The first man, Adam, became, a living soul, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46 But our bodies that God’s Spirit (will completely control/will give us) are not the first bodies that we have. We have our natural bodies first.
Howbeit, not first, is the [body] of the spirit, but that, of the soul, —afterwards, that of the spirit.
47 The first man, [Adam], was created {[God] created the first man, Adam} from the dust of the earth. But [Christ], the one who came later, came from heaven.
The first man, is of the ground, earthy, the second man, is, of heaven:
48 Everyone on earth [has a body] like the first man on the earth had. And in heaven, [everyone will have a body like Christ], the man who came from heaven, has.
As, the man of earth, such, also, the men of earth, and, as, the man of heaven, such, also, the men of heaven;
49 And just like [God] gave us bodies like the first man on earth had, so we [believers will have bodies] like [Christ] has, who is now in 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 My fellow believers, I want you to know that we [(inc)] [SYN] cannot go [to heaven, where] God rules [over everything], with our physical bodies, because our bodies [cannot last forever]. They will die and decay.
And, this, I say, brethren, —that, flesh and blood, cannot inherit, God’s kingdom. Neither doth, corruption, inherit, incorruption.
51 But I will tell you something that [God] has not revealed [before]: [Some of] us [believers] will not die [EUP]. However, all of us will be changed {[God] will change all of us}.
Lo! a sacred secret, unto you, do I declare: —we shall not, all, sleep, but we shall, all, be changed, —
52 [It will happen] suddenly, as [fast as someone can] blink his eye [MET], when [we hear the sound of God’s] trumpet for the last time. When we hear that trumpet, all [the believers] who have died will come back to life and will have bodies that are changed {that [God] has changed}, bodies that will never decay.
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 And the [bodies of us who are alive at that time] will [also] be changed {And [God] will [also] change the [bodies of us who are alive at that time]}. These bodies of ours that die and decay must be transformed into [new bodies that] will never die; [it will be like someone] [MET] getting rid of [his old clothes] and putting on [new ones].
For this corruptible must needs clothe itself with incorruptibility, and this mortal, clothe itself, with immortality.
54 When that happens, what is written {what ([a prophet/Isaiah]) wrote} [in the Scriptures] will come true/happen: [God] will completely get rid of [MET] death. Our dying will no longer have any power to defeat us;
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 It is because we sin [MET] [that we die, and it is because we] have God’s laws that we [know that we] have sinned.
Now, the sting of death, is, sin, and, the power of sin, is, the law; —
57 But because of what our Lord Jesus Christ [has done], he enables us to be free [from having to obey God’s laws to be saved and to be free of being afraid to die]. We should thank God for that!
But, unto God, be thanks, who is giving unto us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my fellow believers whom I love, continue to hold strongly to [the things that you believe]. Do not let anything cause you to doubt them. Always be doing enthusiastically the work that the Lord [gives you]. And remember that the work that you do for the Lord is never (in vain/useless), [as it would be if God will not cause us to live again after we die].
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.
