1 Corinthians 15
1 Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,
But let me recall to you, brethren, the Good News which I brought you, which you accepted, and on which you are standing,
2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.
through which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
For I repeated to you the all-important fact which also I had been taught, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
4 and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;
that He was buried; that He rose to life again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve;
and was seen by Peter, and then by the Twelve.
6 then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;
Afterwards He was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once, most of whom are still alive, although some of them have now fallen asleep.
7 then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;
Afterwards He was seen by James, and then by all the Apostles.
8 and last of all, as to the [child] untimely born, he appeared to me also.
And last of all, as to one of untimely birth, He appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not fit to be called an Apostle--because I persecuted the Church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
But what I am I am by the grace of God, and His grace bestowed upon me did not prove ineffectual. But I labored more strenuously than all the rest--yet it was not I, but God's grace working with me.
11 Whether then [it be] I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
But whether it is I or they, this is the way we preach and the way that you came to believe.
12 Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if Christ is preached as having risen from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:
If there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself has not risen to life.
14 and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.
And if Christ has not risen, it follows that what we preach is a delusion, and that your faith also is a delusion.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised.
Nay more, we are actually being discovered to be bearing false witness about God, because we have testified that God raised Christ to life, whom He did not raise, if in reality none of the dead are raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:
For if none of the dead are raised to life, then Christ has not risen;
17 and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
and if Christ has not risen, your faith is a vain thing--you are still in your sins.
18 Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
It follows also that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
If in this present life we have a hope resting on Christ, and nothing more, we are more to be pitied than all the rest of the world.
20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.
But, in reality, Christ has risen from among the dead, being the first to do so of those who are asleep.
21 For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead.
For seeing that death came through man, through man comes also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
For just as through Adam all die, so also through Christ all will be made alive again.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming.
But this will happen to each in the right order--Christ having been the first to rise, and afterwards Christ's people rising at His return.
24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Later on, comes the End, when He is to surrender the Kingship to God, the Father, when He shall have overthrown all other government and all other authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.
For He must continue King until He shall have put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.
The last enemy that is to be overthrown is Death;
27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.
for He will have put all things in subjection under His feet. And when He shall have declared that "All things are in subjection," it will be with the manifest exception of Him who has reduced them all to subjection to Him.
28 And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.
But when the whole universe has been made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also become subject to Him who has made the universe subject to Him, in order that GOD may be all in all.
29 Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
Otherwise what will become of those who got themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, why are these baptized for them?
30 why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
Why also do we Apostles expose ourselves to danger every hour?
31 I protest by that glorying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
I protest, brethren, as surely as I glory over you--which I may justly do in Christ Jesus our Lord--that I die day by day.
32 If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.
If from merely human motives I have fought with wild beasts in Ephesus, what profit is it to me? If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.
33 Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.
Do not deceive yourselves: "Evil companionships corrupt good morals."
34 Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak [this] to move you to shame.
Wake from this drunken fit; live righteous lives, and cease to sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak thus in order to move you to shame.
35 But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?
But some one will say, "How can the dead rise? And with what kind of body do they come back?"
36 Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:
Foolish man! the seed you yourself sow has no life given to it unless it first dies;
37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind;
and as for what you sow, it is not the plant which is to be that you are sowing, but a bare grain, of wheat (it may be) or of something else, and God gives it a body as He has seen fit,
38 but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.
and to each kind of seed a body of its own.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one [flesh] of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.
All flesh is not the same: there is human flesh, and flesh of cattle, of birds, and of fishes.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial is another.
There are bodies which are celestial and there are bodies which are earthly, but the glory of the celestial ones is one thing, and that of the earthly ones is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.
There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in a state of decay, it is raised free from decay;
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 dishonor, 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [body].
an animal body is sown, a spiritual body is raised. As surely as there is an animal body, so there is also a spiritual body.
45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit.
In the same way also it is written, "The first man Adam became a living animal"; the last Adam is a life-giving Spirit.
46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.
Nevertheless, it is not what is spiritual that came first, but what is animal; what is spiritual came afterwards.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.
The first man is a man of earth, earthy; the second man is from Heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
What the earthy one is, that also are those who are earthy; and what the heavenly One is, that also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
And as we have borne a resemblance to the earthy one, let us see to it that we also bear a resemblance to the heavenly One.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
But this I tell you, brethren: our mortal bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor will what is perishable inherit what is imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
I tell you a truth hitherto kept secret: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sounding of the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incapable of decay, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
For so it must be: this perishable nature must clothe itself with what is imperishable, and this mortality must clothe itself with immortality.
54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
But when this perishable nature has put on what is imperishable, and this mortality has put on immortality, then will the words of Scripture be fulfilled, "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is thy victory? Where, O death, is thy sting?" (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:
Now sin is the sting of death, and sin derives its power from the Law;
57 but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
but God be thanked who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.
Therefore, my dear brethren, be firm, unmovable, busily occupied at all times in the Lord's work, knowing that your toil is not fruitless in the Lord.
