1 Corinthians 15
15
Paul’s Gospel and the Resurrection of Christ
1 Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed to you, which you have also received, in which you also stand, 2by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the message I proclaimed to you, unless you believed to no purpose. 3For I passed on to you as of first importance#Literally “among the first things” what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, 6then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, the majority of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all, as it were to one born at the wrong time, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, 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 to me has not been in vain, but I labored even more than all of them, and not I, but the grace of God with me. 11Therefore whether I or those, in this way we preached, and in this way you believed.
Concerning the Resurrection of the Dead
12Now if Christ is preached as raised up from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raised either. 14But if Christ has not been raised, then#Some manuscripts have “then both” our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain. 15And also we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if after all, then, the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. 17But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is empty; you are still in your sins. 18And as a further result, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have put our hope#Literally “we are having put our hope” in Christ in this life only, we are of all people most pitiable.
20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since through a man came death, also through a man came the resurrection of the dead. 22For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming, 24then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27For “he subjected all things under his feet.”#A quotation from Ps 8:6 But when it says “all things” are subjected, it is clear that the one who subjected all things to him is not included. 28But whenever all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected#Some manuscripts have “also will be subjected” to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.
29Otherwise, why do they do it, those who are being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why indeed are they being baptized on behalf of them? 30And why are we in danger every hour? 31I die every day—yes indeed, by my boasting in you,#Some manuscripts have “in you, brothers,” which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord! 32If according to a human perspective I fought wild beasts at Ephesus, what benefit is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.#An allusion to Isa 22:13; 56:12 33Do not be deceived! “Bad company corrupts good morals.”#A quotation from the Greek poet Menander’s comedy Thais, 218 34Sober up correctly and stop sinning#Literally “do not sin”, for some have no knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.
Questions Concerning the Resurrection Body
35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what sort of body do they come?” 36Foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body which it will become, but you sow the bare seed, whether perhaps of wheat or of some of the rest. 38But God gives to it a body just as he wishes, and to each one of the seeds its own body. 39Not all flesh is the same, but there is one flesh of human beings, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish, 40and heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly bodies is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly bodies is of another kind. 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.
42Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility. 43It is sown in dishonor, it 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 also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”;#A quotation from Gen 2:7 the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46But the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47The first man is from the earth, made of earth; the second man is from heaven. 48As the one who is made of earth, so also are those who are made of earth, and as the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49And just as we have borne the image of the one who is made of earth, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
50But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruptibility. 51Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For it is necessary for this perishable body to put on incorruptibility, and this mortal body to put on immortality. 54But whenever this perishable body puts on incorruptibility and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
56Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58So then, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
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1 Corinthians 15
15
Christ Rose From the Dead
1Brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the good news I preached to you. You received it and have put your faith in it. 2Because you believed the good news, you are saved. But you must hold firmly to the message I preached to you. If you don’t, you have believed it for nothing.
3What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. 4He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be. 5He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the 12 apostles. 6After that, he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at the same time. Most of them are still living. But some have died. 7He appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. 8Last of all, he also appeared to me. I was like someone who wasn’t born at the right time.
9I am the least important of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle. I tried to destroy God’s church. 10But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And his grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me. 11So this is what we preach, whether I or the other apostles who preached to you. And that is what you believed.
Believers Will Rise From the Dead
12We have preached that Christ has been raised from the dead. So how can some of you say that no one rises from the dead? 13If no one rises from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, what we preach doesn’t mean anything. Your faith doesn’t mean anything either. 15More than that, we would be lying about God. We are witnesses that God raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if the dead are not raised. 16If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith doesn’t mean anything. Your sins have not been forgiven. 18Those who have died believing in Christ are also lost. 19Do we have hope in Christ only for this life? Then people should pity us more than anyone else.
20But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise from the dead. 21Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did. 22Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive. 23But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised. 24Then the end will come after Christ destroys all rule, authority and power. Then he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. 25Christ must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control. 26The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27Scripture says that God “has put everything under his control.” (Psalm 8:6) It says that “everything” has been put under him. But it is clear that this does not include God himself. That’s because God put everything under Christ. 28When he has done that, the Son also will be under God’s rule. God put everything under the Son. In that way, God will be all in all.
29Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them? 30And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour? 31I face death every day. That’s the truth. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work. 32Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
because tomorrow we will die.” (Isaiah 22:13)
33Don’t let anyone fool you. “Bad companions make a good person bad.” 34You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed.
The Body That Rises From the Dead
35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?” 36How foolish! What you plant doesn’t come to life unless it dies. 37When you plant something, it isn’t a completely grown plant that you put in the ground. You only plant a seed. Maybe it’s wheat or something else. 38But God gives the seed a body just as he has planned. And to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39Not all earthly creatures are the same. People have one kind of body. Animals have another. Birds have another kind. Fish have still another. 40There are also heavenly bodies as well as earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of glory. Earthly bodies have another. 41The sun has one kind of glory. The moon has another kind. The stars have still another. And one star’s glory is different from that of another star.
42It will be like that with bodies that are raised from the dead. The body that is planted does not last forever. The body that is raised from the dead lasts forever. 43It is planted without honor. But it is raised in glory. It is planted in weakness. But it is raised in power. 44It is planted as an earthly body. But it is raised as a spiritual body.
Just as there is an earthly body, there is also a spiritual body. 45It is written, “The first man Adam became a living person.” (Genesis 2:7) The last Adam became a spirit that gives life. 46What is spiritual did not come first. What is earthly came first. What is spiritual came after that. 47The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. 48Those who belong to the earth are like the one who came from the earth. And those who are spiritual are like the heavenly man. 49We are like the earthly man. And we will be like the heavenly man.
50Brothers and sisters, here is what I’m telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can’t share in the kingdom of God. And what dies can’t share in what never dies. 51Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But we will all be changed. 52That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen at the blast of the last trumpet. Then the dead will be raised to live forever. And we will be changed. 53Our natural bodies don’t last forever. They must be dressed with what does last forever. What dies must be dressed with what does not die. 54In fact, that is going to happen. What does not last will be dressed with what lasts forever. What dies will be dressed with what does not die. Then what is written will come true. It says, “Death has been swallowed up. It has lost the battle.” (Isaiah 25:8)
55“Death, where is the victory you thought you had?
Death, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14)
56The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the law. 57But let us give thanks to God! He gives us the victory because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.
58My dear brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.
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