1 Corinthians 15
15
1NOW I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand;
2By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures:
4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures:
5And that he was seen by Cephas; and after that by the eleven.
6Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep.
7After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due time.
9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10But by the grace of God, I am what I am; and his grace in me hath not been void, but I have laboured more abundantly than all they: yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11For whether I, or they, so we preach, and so you have believed.
12Now if Christ be preached, that he arose again from the dead, how do some among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again.
14And if Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God: because we have given testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ; whom he hath not raised up, if the dead rise not again.
16For if the dead rise not again, neither is Christ risen again.
17And if Christ be not risen again, your faith is vain, for you are yet in your sins.
18Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished.
19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20But now Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep:
21For by a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead.
22And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
23But every one in his own order: the firstfruits Christ, then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming.
24Afterwards the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he shall have brought to nought all principality, and power, and virtue.
25For he must reign, until he hath put all his enemies under his feet.
26And the enemy death shall be destroyed last: For he hath put all things under his feet. And whereas he saith,
27All things are put under him; undoubtedly, he is excepted, who put all things under him.
28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then the Son also himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
29Otherwise what shall they do that are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not again at all? why are they then baptized for them?
30Why also are we in danger every hour?
31I die daily, I protest by your glory, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
32If (according to man) I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me, if the dead rise not again? Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die.
33Be not seduced: Evil communications corrupt good manners.
34Awake, ye just, and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God, I speak it to your shame.
35But some man will say: How do the dead rise again? or with what manner of body shall they come?
36Senseless man, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die first.
37And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be; but bare grain, as of wheat, or of some of the rest.
38But God giveth it a body as he will: and to every seed its proper body.
39All flesh is not the same flesh: but one is the flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, another of fishes.
40And there are bodies celestial, and bodies terrestrial: but, one is the glory of the celestial, and another of the terrestrial.
41One is the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars. For star differeth from star in glory.
42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it shall rise in incorruption.
43It is sown in dishonour, it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power.
44It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body. If there be a natural body, there is also a spiritual body, as it is written:
45The first man Adam was made into a living soul; the last Adam into a quickening spirit.
46Yet that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; afterwards that which is spiritual.
47The first man was of the earth, earthly: the second man, from heaven, heavenly.
48Such as is the earthly, such also are the earthly: and such as is the heavenly, such also are they that are heavenly.
49Therefore as we have borne the image of the earthly, let us bear also the image of the heavenly.
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption.
51Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed.
52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again incorruptible: and we shall be changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality.
54And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory.
55O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
56Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable; always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
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1 Corinthians 15: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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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