1 Corinthians 15
15
The Resurrection of Christ
1Now I would remind you, brothers,#15:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 6, 31, 50, 58 of the gospel #[2 Tim. 2:8]; See ch. 3:6 I preached to you, which you received, #Rom. 5:2; [2 Cor. 1:24; 1 Pet. 5:12]in which you stand, 2and by which #ch. 1:18 you are being saved, if you #ch. 11:2; [Heb. 3:6, 14] hold fast to the word I preached to you—#Gal. 3:4unless you believed in vain.
3For #ch. 11:23; Gal. 1:12 I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died #John 1:29; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 5:1, 3; 1 Pet. 2:24 for our sins #Isa. 53; Dan. 9:26; Zech. 13:7; [1 Pet. 1:11]in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised #[Hos. 6:2; Matt. 12:40; John 2:22] on the third day #Ps. 16:10; Isa. 53:10; [Acts 2:25-32; 13:33-35; 26:22, 23]in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that #Luke 24:34 he appeared to Cephas, then #Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26; Acts 10:41to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to #See Acts 12:17 James, then #Luke 24:50; Acts 1:3, 4to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, #See ch. 9:1he appeared also to me. 9For #2 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 3:7, 8; 1 Tim. 1:13-16 I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because #See Acts 8:3I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, #2 Cor. 11:23; 12:11; Col. 1:29 I worked harder than any of them, #[ch. 3:6; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 2:13]; See Matt. 10:20though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, #[Acts 23:8; 2 Tim. 2:18]how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, #1 Thess. 4:14then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that #See Acts 2:24he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and #See Rom. 4:25you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who #1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 14:13have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope#15:19 Or we have hoped in this life only, #[ch. 4:9; 2 Tim. 3:12]we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But in fact #2 Tim. 2:8; 1 Pet. 1:3 Christ has been raised from the dead, #ver. 23; See Acts 26:23the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as #See Rom. 5:12 by a man came death, #John 11:25; Rom. 6:23by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For #[Rom. 5:14-18]as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then #See 1 Thess. 2:19 at his coming #ver. 52; 1 Thess. 4:16; See Luke 14:14those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers #[Dan. 7:14, 27] the kingdom to God the Father after destroying #Eph. 1:21every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign #See Ps. 110:1until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be #2 Tim. 1:10; [Rev. 20:14; 21:4]destroyed is death. 27For #Eph. 1:22; Cited from Ps. 8:6; See Matt. 11:27; 28:18“God#15:27 Greek he has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When #Phil. 3:21 all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that #[ch. 3:23; 11:3]God may be all in all.
29Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30Why are we #2 Cor. 11:26in danger every hour? 31I protest, brothers, by #1 Thess. 2:19 my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, #Luke 9:23; See Rom. 8:36I die every day! 32What do I gain if, humanly speaking, #[2 Cor. 1:8] I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, #Cited from Isa. 22:13; [Isa. 56:12; Luke 12:19]“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33#James 1:16 Do not be deceived: #[ch. 5:6]“Bad company ruins good morals.”#15:33 Probably from Menander’s comedy Thais 34#See Rom. 13:11 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For #1 Thess. 4:5 some have no knowledge of God. #ch. 6:5; [ch. 4:14]I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
35But someone will ask, #[Ezek. 37:3]“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36You foolish person! #John 12:24What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41There 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 #
Dan. 12:3; [Matt. 13:43] So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; #Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45Thus it is written, #Cited from Gen. 2:7 “The first man Adam became a living being”;#15:45 Greek a living soul #Rom. 5:14 the last Adam became a #John 5:21; [John 6:33, 39, 40, 54, 57; Rom. 8:2, 10]life-giving spirit. 46But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47#John 3:31 The first man was from the earth, #[Gen. 2:7; 3:19] a man of dust; #John 3:13, 31the second man is from heaven. 48As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, #[Phil. 3:20]so also are those who are of heaven. 49Just #Gen. 5:3 as we have borne the image of the man of dust, #See Rom. 8:29we shall#15:49 Some manuscripts let us also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Mystery and Victory
50I tell you this, brothers: #See Matt. 16:17 flesh and blood #[John 3:3, 5]cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. #1 Thess. 4:15, 17 We shall not all sleep, #Phil. 3:21but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For #Matt. 24:31; 1 Thess. 4:16; [Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14] the trumpet will sound, and #John 5:25, 28; [Luke 20:36]the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and #[2 Cor. 5:2-4]this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
# Cited from Isa. 25:8; [Heb. 2:14, 15; Rev. 20:14; 21:4] “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 #
Hos. 13:14
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and #Rom. 4:15; 5:13; 7:5, 8, 13the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, #[Rom. 8:37; 1 John 5:4]who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 #
2 Pet. 3:14 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in #ch. 16:10; Jer. 48:10; John 6:28 the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord #[Gal. 6:9]; See ch. 3:8your labor is not in vain.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Corinthians 15
15
Christ's victory over death
Christ was raised to life
1My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. 2You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing.
3I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is:#Is 53.5-12.
Christ died for our sins,
as the Scriptures say.
4He was buried,#Ps 16.8-10; Mt 12.40; Ac 2.24-32.
and three days later
he was raised to life,
as the Scriptures say.
5Christ appeared to Peter,#15.5 Peter: See the note at 1.12.#Lk 24.34; Mt 28.16,17; Mk 16.14; Lk 24.36; Jn 20.19.
then to the twelve.
6After this, he appeared
to more than five hundred
other followers.
Most of them are still alive,
but some have died.
7He also appeared to James,
and then to all
the apostles.
8Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time.#15.8 who was born at the wrong time: The meaning of these words in Greek is not clear.#Ac 9.3-6.
9I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle.#Ac 8.3. 10But God was kind! He made me what I am, and his wonderful kindness wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's kindness at work and not me. 11But it doesn't matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same.
God's people will be raised to life
12If we preach that Christ was raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? 13If they won't be raised to life, Christ himself wasn't raised to life. 14And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. 15If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying that he raised Christ to life, when he really did not.
16So if the dead won't be raised to life, Christ wasn't raised to life. 17Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. 18And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. 19If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.
20But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. 21Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. 22Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. 23But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 24Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father.
25Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power,#Ps 110.1. 26and the last enemy he destroys will be death. 27When the Scriptures say that he will put everything under his power, they don't include God. It was God who put everything under the power of Christ.#Ps 8.6. 28After everything is under the power of God's Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son's power. Then God will mean everything to everyone.
29If the dead are not going to be raised to life, what will people do who are being baptized for them? Why are they being baptized for those dead people? 30And why do we always risk our lives 31and face death every day? The pride that I have in you because of Christ Jesus our Lord is what makes me say this. 32What do you think I gained by fighting wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead are not raised to life,#Is 22.13.
“Let's eat and drink.
Tomorrow we die.”
33Don't fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you. 34Be sensible and stop sinning. You should be embarrassed that some people still don't know about God.
What our bodies will be like
35Some of you have asked, “How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36Don't be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. 37Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up. 38This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have. 39People, animals, birds, and fish are each made of flesh, but none of them are alike. 40Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. 41The sun isn't like the moon, the moon isn't like the stars, and each star is different.
42That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live for ever. 43These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. 44As there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.
45The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit.#Gn 2.7. 46We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. 47The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. 48Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. 49Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
50My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they cannot share in God's kingdom, which lasts for ever. 51I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed.#1 Th 4.15-17. 52It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. 53Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay. 54The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true,#Is 25.8.
“Death has lost the battle!
55Where is its victory?#Ho 13.14 (LXX).
Where is its sting?”
56Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. 57But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!
58My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.
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