1 Corinthians 15
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
Now I want to remind you about the good news I announced to you. You accepted it, and you have stood firm for it.
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
It 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!
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
I passed on to you what I myself had also received, a message of vital importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to Scripture;
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
he was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, again in accordance with Scripture.
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve.
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
After 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.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
He appeared to James, then all the apostles.
8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
Last of all, he also appeared to me, someone born as it were at the wrong time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
For I'm the least important apostle of all, not even fit to be called an apostle since I persecuted God's church.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
But 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.
11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
So whether it's I or them, this is the message we shared with you that brought you to trust in God.
12 Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Now 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?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.
If there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ hasn't been raised either.
14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith also is in vain.
And if Christ isn't raised, then our message we shared with you is pointless, and your trust in God is pointless too.
15 Yes, we are also found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up if it is true that the dead are not raised.
In 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.
16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.
If the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either,
17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
and if Christ hasn't been raised, then your trust in God is useless, and you are still in your sins.
18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
This also means that those who died in Christ are lost.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we're the most pitiful people of all!
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.
But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of the harvest from those who have died.
21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.
Just as death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming.
But each in their own turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who belong to Christ when he comes.
24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
After this comes the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having destroyed all rulers, authorities, and powers.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
Christ has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
27 For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.
As Scripture says, “He put everything under his feet.” (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.)
28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
When 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.
29 Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?
Otherwise 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?
30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger hour after hour?
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
I 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.
32 If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
Humanly 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”!
33 Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”
Don't be fooled: “bad company ruins good character.”
34 Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Come to your senses as you should, and stop sinning! Some of you don't know God. I tell you this to shame you.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?”
Of course somebody will ask, “How exactly are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”
36 You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.
What a foolish question! What you sow doesn't sprout into life unless it dies.
37 That which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.
When you sow, you don't sow the plant it will grow into, just the bare seed, whether wheat or whatever you're planting.
38 But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.
God makes the plant grow into the form he has chosen, and different seeds produce different plants with different forms.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
What 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.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.
There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies have one kind of beauty, earthly bodies another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
The sun shines in one way, and the moon another, while the stars are different again, with each one shining in a different way.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable.
It's the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decay; it is raised to last forever.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
It is sown in shame; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.
It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body. Just as there are natural bodies there are spiritual bodies.
45 So also it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
As Scripture says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being;” but the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
46 However, that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural—the spiritual came after that.
47 The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
The first man is from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven.
48 As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Earthly people are like the man made from the earth; heavenly people are like the man from heaven.
49 As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly.
Just as we bore the likeness of the earthly man so we shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.
However, I tell you this, my brothers and sisters: our present bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. These decaying bodies cannot inherit what lasts forever.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
Listen, I'm going to reveal a mystery! Not all of us will die—but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
in 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.
53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
For this perishable body must be clothed with a body that never perishes. This mortal life must be clothed with immortality.
54 But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
When 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.
Death—where's your victory? Death—where's your sting?” (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
The sting that causes death is sin; and the power of sin is the law;
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
but praise God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
So 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.
