1 Corinthians 15

The resurrection

1 Brothers and sisters, I want to call your attention to the good news that I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand.2 You are being saved through it if you hold on to the message I preached to you, unless somehow you believed it for nothing.3 I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures,4 he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures.5 He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve,6 and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once—most of them are still alive to this day, though some have died.7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,8 and last of all he appeared to me, as if I was born at the wrong time.9 I’m the least important of the apostles. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle, because I harassed God’s church.10 I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing. In fact, I have worked harder than all the others—that is, it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me.

11 So then, whether you heard the message from me or them, this is what we preach and this is what you have believed.
12 So if the message that is preached says that Christ has been raised from the dead, then how can some of you say, "There’s no resurrection of the dead"?13 If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christ hasn’t been raised either.14 If Christ hasn’t been raised, then our preaching is useless and your faith is useless.15 We are found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, when he didn’t raise him if it’s the case that the dead aren’t raised.16 If the dead aren’t raised, then Christ hasn’t been raised either.17 If Christ hasn’t been raised, then your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins,18 and what’s more, those who have died in Christ are gone forever.

19 If we have a hope in Christ only in this life, then we deserve to be pitied more than anyone else.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvestt of those who have died.21 Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too.22 In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ.23 Each event will happen in the right order: Christ, the first crop of the harvest,t then those who belong to Christ at his coming,24 and then the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he brings every form of rule, every authority and power to an end.25 It is necessary for him to rule until he puts all enemies under his feet .t26 Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end,27 since he has brought everything under control under his feet. When it says that everything has been brought under his control, this clearly means everything except for the one who placed everything under his control.

28 But when all things have been brought under his control, then the Son himself will also be under the control of the one who gave him control over everything so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what are those who are getting baptized for the dead doing? If the dead aren’t raised, then why are they being baptized for them?30 And what about us? Why are we in danger all day every day?31 Brothers and sisters, I swear by the pride I have in you in Christ Jesus our Lord, I’m facing death every day.32 From a human point of view, what good does it do me if I fought wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead aren’t raised, let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’ll die .t33 Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character.

34 Sober up by acting like you should and don’t sin. Some of you are ignorant about God—I say this because you should be ashamed of yourselves!
35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come back?"36 Look, fool! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t come back to life unless it dies.37 What you put in the ground doesn’t have the shape that it will have, but it’s a bare grain of wheat or some other seed.38 God gives it the sort of shape that he chooses, and he gives each of the seeds its own shape.39 All flesh isn’t alike. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another kind of flesh, birds have another kind of flesh, and fish have another kind.40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The heavenly bodies have one kind of glory, and the earthly bodies have another kind of glory.41 The sun has one kind of glory, the moon has another kind of glory, and the stars have another kind of glory (but one star is different from another star in its glory).42 It’s the same with the resurrection of the dead: a rotting body is put into the ground, but what is raised won’t ever decay.43 It’s degraded when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in glory. It’s weak when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in power.

44 It’s a physical body when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised as a spiritual body.
If there’s a physical body, there’s also a spiritual body.45 So it is also written, The first human, Adam, became a living person, t and the last Adam became a spirit that gives life.46 But the physical body comes first, not the spiritual one—the spiritual body comes afterward.47 The first human was from the earth made from dust; the second human is from heaven.48 The nature of the person made of dust is shared by people who are made of dust, and the nature of the heavenly person is shared by heavenly people.

49 We will look liket the heavenly person in the same way as we have looked like the person made from dust.
50 This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood can’t inherit the kingdom of heaven. Something that rots can’t inherit something that doesn’t decay.51 Listen, I’m telling you a secret: all of us won’t die, but we will all be changed—52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet. The trumpet will blast, and the dead will be raised with bodies that won’t decay, and we will be changed.53 It’s necessary for this rotting body to be clothed with what can’t decay, and for the body that is dying to be clothed in what can’t die.

54 And when the rotting body has been clothed in what can’t decay, and the dying body has been clothed in what can’t die, then this statement in scripture will happen:
Death has been swallowed up by a victory .t

55  Where is your victory, Death?
Where is your sting, Death? t
(56 Death’s sting is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.)57 Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58 As a result of all this, my loved brothers and sisters, you must stand firm, unshakable, excelling in the work of the Lord as always, because you know that your labor isn’t going to be for nothing in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15

Christ’s Resurrection

1 Now I want to make clear for you,t brothers and sisters,t the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand,2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.3 For I passed on to you as of first importancet what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,4 and that he was buried, and that he was raisedt on the third day according to the scriptures,5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisterst at one time, most of whom are still alive,t though some have fallen asleep.t7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time,s he appeared to me also.9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy 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 to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

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

No Resurrection?

12 Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead,t how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?13 But 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 preaching is futile and your faith is empty.15 Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised.16 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 useless; you are still in your sins.18 Furthermore, those who have fallen asleept in Christ have also perished.

19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.21 For since death came through a man,t the resurrection of the dead also came through a man.t22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.t24 Thent comes the end,t when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death.27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet.s But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him.

28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead?s If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them?30 Why too are we in danger every hour?31 Every day I am in danger of death! This is as sure ast my boasting in you,s which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.32 If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus,s what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.s33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”s

34 Sober up as you should, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God – I say this to your shame!

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”36 Fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies.37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seedt – perhaps of wheat or something else.38 But God gives it a body just as he planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.39 All flesh is not the same: People have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another.t40 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.
42 It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.t43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;44 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 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”;t the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.46 However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.47 The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly.

49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bears the image of the man of heaven.
50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters:t Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51 Listen,t I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep,st but we will all be changed –52 in a moment, in the blinkingt of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

54 Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen,
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”s

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”s
56 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 our Lord Jesus Christ!

58 So then, dear brothers and sisters,t be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.