1 Korinther 15
1 Weiter, Brüder, möchte ich euch erinnern an das Evangelium, das ich euch verkündet habe, das ihr auch angenommen habt, in welchem ihr auch stehet,
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.
2 durch das ihr auch Heil empfahet: mit was für einem Wort ich dasselbe euch verkündigt habe, sofern ihr es noch behalten habt - ihr müßtet denn ohne Sinn und Verstand gläubig geworden sein.
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)!
3 Nämlich: ich habe euch überliefert in erster Linie, wie ich es selbst überkommen habe: daß Christus gestorben ist um unserer Sünden willen nach den Schriften,
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].
4 und daß er begraben wurde, und daß er auferweckt ist am dritten Tag nach den Schriften,
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].
5 und daß er erschienen ist dem Kephas, dann den Zwölf.
After that, [Christ] was seen by {appeared to} Peter. Then he appeared to [eleven of] the [original] twelve [apostles].
6 Hernach erschien er mehr als fünfhundert Brüdern auf einmal, von welchen die meisten noch leben, etliche sind entschlafen.
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].
7 Hernach erschien er dem Jakobus, dann den sämtlichen Aposteln,
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.
8 zuletzt aber von allen gleich als dem verkehrt Geborenen erschien er auch mir.
Finally, he was seen by {appeared to} me, but I became an apostle in a way that was very unusual [MET].
9 Denn ich bin der geringste der Apostel, der ich nicht wert bin Apostel zu heißen, darum weil ich die Gemeinde Gottes verfolgt habe.
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].
10 Aber durch Gottes Gnade bin ich was ich bin, und seine Gnade gegen mich ist nicht umsonst gewesen, sondern ich habe mehr gearbeitet als sie alle, doch nicht ich, sondern die Gnade Gottes mit mir.
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.
11 Aber ich oder sie - so verkünden wir, und so habt ihr es geglaubt.
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.
12 Wenn es aber von Christus gepredigt wird, daß er von den Toten auferweckt ward, wie kommen denn Leute unter euch dazu, zu sagen, es gebe keine Auferstehung der Toten?
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]
13 Gibt es keine Auferstehung der Toten, dann ist auch Christus nicht auferstanden.
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}!
14 Ist aber Christus nicht auferstanden, so ist es nichts mit unserer Predigt, nichts auch mit eurem Glauben.
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.
15 Dann stehen aber auch wir da als falsche Zeugen Gottes; haben wir doch wider Gott gezeugt, daß er Christus auferweckt habe, während er ihn nicht auferweckt hat, wenn ja doch keine Toten auferweckt werden sollen.
[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.
16 Denn werden keine Toten auferweckt, so ist auch Christus nicht auferweckt.
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!
17 Ist aber Christus nicht auferweckt, so ist euer Glaube umsonst; ihr seid noch in euren Sünden;
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.
18 dann sind auch verloren, die in Christus entschlafen sind.
And those people who died [EUP] [while they were trusting] in Christ will go to hell. (questioned)
19 Wenn wir nichts haben als die Hoffnung auf Christus in diesem Leben, so sind wir die beklagenswertesten aller Menschen.
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!
20 Nun ist aber Christus auferweckt von den Toten als Erstling der Entschlafenen.
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.
21 Denn nachdem der Tod kam durch einen Menschen, kommt auch die Auferstehung von den Toten durch einen Menschen.
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.
22 Wie in Adam alle sterben, so werden auch in Christus alle zum Leben kommen.
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}.
23 Aber jeder an seiner Stelle: Christus als der Erstling, hernach die Seinigen bei seiner Ankunft;
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.
24 dann das Ende, wenn er Gott dem Vater das Reich übergibt, wenn er vernichtet hat alle Herrschaft, Gewalt und Macht.
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.
25 Denn er muß König sein, bis er legt alle Feinde ihm unter die Füße.
You must realize that Christ must rule [here on earth] until he has completely defeated [MTY] all his enemies.
26 Als letzter Feind wird der Tod vernichtet.
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].
27 Denn er hat ihm alles unter die Füße gethan. Wenn es aber heißt, daß ihm alles unterworfen ist, so ist doch klar, daß der nicht miteinbegriffen ist, der ihm alles unterworfen hat.
[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].
28 Ist ihm erst alles unterworfen, dann wird sich auch der Sohn selbst dem unterwerfen, der ihm alles unterworfen hat, auf daß Gott sei alles in allem.
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.
29 Was sollen sonst die anfangen, die sich für die Toten taufen lassen? Wenn überhaupt keine Toten auferstehen, was soll man sich auch für sie taufen lassen?
[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]
30 Und wir, wozu leben wir in Gefahren von einer Stunde zur andern?
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].
31 Täglich ist der Tod vor mir, so wahr ich mich euer rühmen darf, Brüder, in Christus Jesus unserem Herrn.
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.
32 Habe ich in Ephesus nur von Menschen wegen mit den wilden Tieren gekämpft, was habe ich davon? Stehen die Toten nicht auf, so lasset uns essen und trinken, denn morgen sind wir tot.
[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!”
33 Lasset euch nicht berücken. Die Sitte gut verdirbt der Umgang schlecht.
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).
34 Werdet wieder nüchtern, wie es sein soll, und versündiget euch nicht. Es sind da Leute, die kennen Gott nicht; ich sage es euch zur Beschämung.
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.
35 Aber, wird man sagen, wie sollen denn die Toten auferstehen? Mit was für einem Leibe sollen sie denn kommen?
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?”
36 Du Thor: was du säst, wird nicht lebendig, wenn es nicht stirbt.
[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.
37 Und wenn du säst, so säst du nicht den Körper, der entstehen soll, sondern ein bloßes Korn, was es ist, von Weizen oder etwas anderem.
A seed, such as a wheat seed, is very different from the plant that sprouts from it.
38 Gott aber gibt ihm den Körper nach seiner Bestimmung, und zwar jedem von den Samen seinen besonderen.
God gives everything that lives the form that he desires. He gives each seed its own form.
39 Nicht alles, was Fleisch ist, ist das gleiche Fleisch, sondern ein anderes hat der Mensch, ein anderes das Vieh, ein anderes die Vögel, ein anderes die Fische.
[Similarly], people, animals, birds, and fish all have flesh, but each one has a different kind of flesh.
40 So gibt es himmlische Körper und gibt irdische Körper, aber anders ist die Herrlichkeit der himmlischen, anders die der irdischen.
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.
41 Sie ist eine andere bei der Sonne, eine andere beim Mond, eine andere bei den Sternen; ja Stern und Stern hat jeder die seine.
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.
42 So ist es nun auch mit der Auferstehung der Toten. Es wird gesät verweslich, auferweckt unverweslich.
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.
43 Es wird gesät in Unehren, auferweckt in Herrlichkeit. Es wird gesät in Schwachheit, auferweckt in Kraft.
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.
44 Es wird gesät ein seelischer Leib, auferweckt ein geistlicher Leib. So gut es einen seelischen Leib gibt, gibt es auch einen geistlichen.
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).
45 So steht auch geschrieben: es ward der erste Mensch Adam zu lebendiger Seele. Der letzte Adam zum lebendig machenden Geist.
[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.
46 Nicht das Geistliche kommt zuerst, sondern erst das Seelische, und hernach das Geistliche.
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.
47 Der erste Mensch ist von der Erde und irdisch, der zweite Mensch ist vom Himmel.
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.
48 Wie der Irdische ist, so sind auch die Irdischen; und wie der Himmlische, so sind auch die Himmlischen.
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.
49 Und wie wir getragen haben das Bild des Irdischen, so werden wir auch tragen das Bild des Himmlischen.
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.
50 Das aber sage ich, Brüder, daß Fleisch und Blut das Reich Gottes nicht ererben kann, noch erbt die Verwesung die Unverweslichkeit.
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.
51 Siehe, ich sage euch ein Geheimnis: wir werden nicht alle entschlafen, wir werden aber alle verwandelt werden
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}.
52 in einem Nu, in einem Augenblick, mit dem letzten Trompetenstoß. Denn auf einen Trompetenstoß werden die Toten auferweckt werden unverweslich, und wir werden verwandelt werden.
[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.
53 Denn dieses Verwesliche muß Unverweslichkeit anziehen, und dieses Sterbliche Unsterblichkeit.
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].
54 Wenn aber dieses Verwesliche Unverweslichkeit anzieht, und dieses Sterbliche Unsterblichkeit, dann erfüllt sich das Wort, das geschrieben steht: Der Tod ist verzehrt in Sieg.
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;
Death [APO] will not win a victory over us. Death will not be able to hurt us. (Hadēs g86)
56 Der Stachel des Todes aber ist die Sünde, die Stärke der Sünde aber das Gesetz.
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.
57 Gott aber sei Dank, der uns den Sieg gibt durch unsern Herrn Jesus Christus.
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!
58 So werdet nun fest, meine geliebten Brüder, unerschütterlich, unerschöpflich im Werk des Herrn allezeit, im Bewußtsein, daß eure Mühe im Herrn nicht umsonst ist.
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].
