1 Corinthians 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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