1 Corinthians 15
15
1Now I want to remind you about the good news I announced to you. You accepted it, and you have stood firm for it. 2It is through this good news that you are saved if you hold on to the message that I gave you. Otherwise you trusted for nothing! 3I passed on to you what I myself had also received, a message of vital importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to Scripture; 4he was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, again in accordance with Scripture. 5He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve. 6After that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive today, though some have died. 7He appeared to James, then all the apostles. 8Last of all, he also appeared to me, someone born as it were at the wrong time. 9For I'm the least important apostle of all, not even fit to be called an apostle since I persecuted God's church. 10But by God's grace I am what I am, and his grace given to me wasn't wasted. On the contrary I've worked harder than all of them—though not me, but God's grace working through me. 11So whether it's I or they, this is the message we shared with you that brought you to trust in God.
12Now if the message declares that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say there's no resurrection of the dead? 13If there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ hasn't been raised either. 14And if Christ isn't raised, then our message we shared with you is pointless, and your trust in God is pointless too. 15In addition, we would be shown to be false witnesses of God when we testified that God raised Christ from the dead. But God didn't raise Christ from the dead if it's true that there's no resurrection. 16If the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either, 17and if Christ hasn't been raised, then your trust in God is useless, and you are still in your sins. 18This also means that those who died in Christ are lost. 19If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we're the most pitiful people of all!
20But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits#15:20. The word “firstfruits” refers to the first sample of a harvest that was given as an offering to God, also seen as a guarantee of a successful harvest. Christ as the firstfruits therefore means he is both the initial harvest from the dead and the guarantee of their resurrection. of the harvest from those who have died. 21Just as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man. 22Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in their own turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who belong to Christ when he comes. 24After this comes the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having destroyed#15:24. Destroyed in the sense of ending their power. all rulers, authorities, and powers. 25Christ has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.#15:25. Meaning they have been conquered and humbled. 26The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27As Scripture says, “He put everything under his feet.”#15:27. Quoting Psalms 8:6. (Of course when it says “everything” is put under him it's obvious this doesn't refer to God who placed everything under Christ's authority.) 28When everything has been placed under Christ's authority, then the Son will also place himself under God's authority, so that God who gave the Son authority over everything may be all in all.#15:28. “All in all.” Various explanations have been given for this phrase. It is obviously referring to the completeness of God's rulership in the Universe, and is perhaps best translated literally from the original as “all in all.”
29Otherwise what will those people do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then would people be baptized for them?#15:29. The theological meaning of this verse is much debated. However, the actual words are translated simply enough. 30As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger hour after hour? 31I die every day—let me say it bluntly, my brothers and sisters. This is just as sure as the pride I have for what Christ Jesus has done in you. 32Humanly speaking, what would I gain by fighting with those people in Ephesus who were like wild animals, if the dead are not raised? If the dead are not raised, “let's eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”!#15:32. Quoting Isaiah 22:13.
33Don't be fooled: “Bad company ruins good character.” 34Come to your senses as you should, and stop sinning! Some of you don't know God. I tell you this to shame you.
35Of course somebody will ask, “How exactly are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?” 36What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you don't sow the plant it will grow into, just the bare seed, whether wheat or whatever you're planting. 38God makes the plant grow into the form he has chosen, and different seeds produce different plants with different forms. 39What living things are made from is not the same. Human beings have one kind of body tissue, while animals have another, birds another, and fish another. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of beauty, earthly bodies another. 41The sun shines in one way, and the moon another, while the stars are different again, with each one shining in a different way.
42It's the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decay; it is raised to last forever. 43It is sown in shame; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there are natural bodies there are spiritual bodies. 45As Scripture says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”;#15:45. Quoting Genesis 2:7. but the last Adam a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural—the spiritual came after that. 47The first man is from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven. 48Earthly people are like the man made from the earth; heavenly people are like the man from heaven. 49Just as we bore the likeness of the earthly man so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 50However, I tell you this, my brothers and sisters: our present bodies#15:50. Literally, “flesh and blood.” cannot inherit the kingdom of God. These decaying bodies cannot inherit what lasts forever.
51Listen, I'm going to reveal a mystery! Not all of us will die—but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised never to die again, and we will be changed. 53For this perishable body must be clothed with a body that never perishes. This mortal life must be clothed with immortality. 54When this perishable body has been clothed with a body that never perishes, and this mortal life has been clothed with immortality, then the Scripture will come true that says, “Death has been totally conquered and destroyed. 55Death—where's your victory? Death—where's your sting?”#15:55. Referencing Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14. 56The sting that causes death is sin; and the power of sin is the law; 57but praise God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58So my dear brothers and sisters: be strong, stand firm, doing everything you can for the Lord's work, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord is wasted.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Corinthians 15
15
The Good News About Jesus Christ
1Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the Good News I told you. You received that Good News message, and you continue to base your life on it. 2That Good News, the message you heard from me, is God’s way to save you. But you must continue believing it. If you don’t, you believed for nothing.
3I gave you the message that I received. I told you the most important truths: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; 4that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day, as the Scriptures say; 5and that he appeared to Peter and then to the twelve apostles. 6After that Christ appeared to more than 500 other believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died. 7Then he appeared to James and later to all the apostles. 8Last of all, he appeared to me. I was different, like a baby born before the normal time.
9All the other apostles are greater than I am. I say this because I persecuted the church of God. That is why I am not even good enough to be called an apostle. 10But, because of God’s grace, that is what I am. And his grace that he gave me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God’s grace that was with me.) 11So then it is not important if I told you God’s message or if it was the other apostles who told you—we all tell people the same message, and this is what you believed.
We Will Be Raised From Death
12We tell everyone that Christ was raised from death. So why do some of you say that people will not be raised from death? 13If no one will ever be raised from death, then Christ has never been raised. 14And if Christ has never been raised, then the message we tell is worth nothing. And your faith is worth nothing. 15And we will also be guilty of lying about God, because we have told people about him, saying that he raised Christ from death. And if no one is raised from death, then God never raised Christ from death. 16If those who have died are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised from death, then your faith is for nothing; you are still guilty of your sins. 18And those in Christ who have already died are lost. 19If our hope in Christ is only for this life here on earth, then people should feel more sorry for us than for anyone else.
20But Christ really has been raised from death—the first one of all those who will be raised. 21Death comes to people because of what one man did. But now there is resurrection from death because of another man. 22I mean that in Adam all of us die. And in the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again. 23But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. Then, when Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life. 24Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers. Then he will give the kingdom to God the Father.
25Christ must rule until God puts all enemies under his control.#15:25 control Literally, “feet.” 26The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. 27As the Scriptures say, “God put everything under his control.”#Quote from Ps. 8:6. When it says that “everything” is put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself. God is the one putting everything under Christ’s control. 28After everything has been put under Christ, then the Son himself will be put under God. God is the one who put everything under Christ. And Christ will be put under God so that God will be the complete ruler over everything.
29If no one will ever be raised from death, then what will the people do who are baptized for those who have died? If the dead are never raised, then why are people baptized for them?
30And what about us? Why do we put ourselves in danger every hour? 31I face death every day. That is true, brothers and sisters, just as it is true that I am proud of what you are because of Christ Jesus our Lord. 32I fought wild animals in Ephesus. If I did that only for human reasons, then I have gained nothing. If we are not raised from death, “Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we die.”#Quote from Isa. 22:13; 56:12.
33Don’t be fooled: “Bad friends will ruin good habits.” 34Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know God. I say this to shame you.
What Kind of Body Will We Have?
35But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?” 36These are stupid questions. When you plant something, it must die in the ground before it can live and grow. 37And when you plant something, what you plant does not have the same “body” that it will have later. What you plant is only a seed, maybe wheat or something else. 38But God gives it the body that he has planned for it, and he gives each kind of seed its own body. 39All things made of flesh are not the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have yet another kind. 40Also there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the beauty of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the beauty of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of beauty, the moon has another kind, and the stars have another. And each star is different in its beauty.
42It will be the same when those who have died are raised to life. The body that is “planted” in the grave will ruin and decay, but it will be raised to a life that cannot be destroyed. 43When the body is “planted,” it is without honor. But when it is raised, it will be great and glorious. When the body is “planted,” it is weak. But when it is raised, it will be full of power. 44The body that is “planted” is a physical body. When it is raised, it will be a spiritual body.
There is a physical body. So there is also a spiritual body. 45As the Scriptures say, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.#15:45 person Literally, “soul.””#Quote from Gen. 2:7. But the last Adam#15:45 Adam The name Adam means “man.” Here, “the last Adam” refers to Christ, the “man of heaven.” is a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual man did not come first. It was the physical man that came first; then came the spiritual. 47The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. 48All people belong to the earth. They are like that first man of earth. But those who belong to heaven are like that man of heaven. 49We were made like that man of earth, so we will also be made like that man of heaven.
50I tell you this, brothers and sisters: Our bodies of flesh and blood cannot have a part in God’s kingdom. Something that will ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins. 51But listen, I tell you this secret: We will not all die, but we will all be changed. 52It will only take the time of a second. We will be changed as quickly as an eye blinks. This will happen when the last trumpet blows. The trumpet will blow and those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we will all be changed. 53This body that ruins must clothe itself with something that will never ruin. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that will never die. 54So this body that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, the Scriptures will be made true:
“Death is swallowed in victory.” Isaiah 25:8
55“O death, where is your victory?
Where is your power to hurt?” Hosea 13:14
56Death’s power to hurt is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
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