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,
Next, friends, I would like to remind you of the good news which I told you, and which you received – the good news on which you have taken your stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
and by means of which you are being saved. I would like to remind you of the words that I used in telling it to you, since you are still holding fast to it, and since it was not in vain that you became believers in Christ.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
For at the very beginning of my teaching I gave you the account which I had myself received – that Christ died for our sins (as the scriptures had foretold),
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised (as the scriptures had foretold),
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
and that he appeared to Cephas, and 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 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have gone to their rest.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
After that, he appeared to James, and then to 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 appeared even to me, who am, as it were, a miscarried baby – born untimely.
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 am the least of the apostles, I who am unworthy of the name of “apostle,” because I persecuted the church of God.
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 it is through the love of God that I am what I am, and the love that he showed me has not been wasted. No, I have toiled harder than any of them, and yet it was not I, but the love of God working with me.
11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
Whether, then, it was I or whether it was they, this we proclaim, and this you believed.
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 it is proclaimed of Christ that he has been raised 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 has Christ been raised.
But, if there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised;
14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith also is in vain.
and, if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without meaning, and our faith without meaning also!
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.
Yes, and we are being proved to have borne false testimony about God; for we testified of God that he raised the Christ, whom he did not raise, if, indeed, the dead do not rise!
16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.
For, if the dead do not rise, then even Christ himself has not been raised,
17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
and, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is folly – your sins are on you still!
18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Yes, and they, who have passed to their rest in union with Christ, perished!
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
If all that we have done has been to place our hope in Christ for this life, then we of all people are the most to be pitied.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.
But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.
21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.
For, since through a man there is death, so, too, through a man there is a resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
For, as through union with Adam all die, so through union with the Christ will all be made to live.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming.
But each in their proper order – Christ the first-fruits; afterwards, at his coming, those who belong to the Christ.
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.
Then will come the end – when he surrenders the kingdom to his God and Father, having overthrown all other rule and all other authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
For he must reign until God “has put all his enemies under his feet.”
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
The last enemy to be overthrown 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.
for God has placed all things under Christ’s feet. (But, when it is said that all things have been placed under Christ, it is plain that God is excepted who placed everything under him.)
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.
And, when everything has been placed under him, the Son will place himself under God who placed everything under him, so that God 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?
Again, what good will they be doing who are baptized on behalf of the dead? If it is true that the dead do not rise, why are people baptized on their behalf?
30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
Why, too, do we risk our lives every hour?
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Daily I face death – I swear it, friends, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
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.”
If with only human hopes I had fought in the arena at Ephesus, what should I have gained by it? If the dead do not rise, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!
33 Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”
Do not be deceived. “Good character is marred by evil company.”
34 Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
Wake up to a righteous life, and cease to sin. There are some who have no true knowledge of God. I speak in this way to shame you.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?”
Someone, however, may ask “How do the dead rise? And in what body will they come?”
36 You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.
You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to 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.
And when you sow, you sow not the body that will be, but a mere grain – perhaps of wheat, or something else.
38 But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.
God gives it the body that he pleases – to each seed its special body.
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.
All forms of life are not the same; there is one for people, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.
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; but the beauty of the heavenly bodies is not the beauty of the earthly.
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.
There is a beauty of the sun, and a beauty of the moon, and a beauty of the stars; for even star differs from star in beauty.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable.
It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. Sown a mortal body, it rises immortal; sown disfigured, it rises beautiful;
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
sown weak, it rises strong; sown a human body, it rises a spiritual body.
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.
As surely as there is a human body, 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.
That is what is meant by the words – “Adam, the first man, became a human being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.
That which comes first is not the spiritual, but the human; afterwards comes the spiritual;
47 The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
the first man was from the dust of the earth; the second man 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.
Those who are of the dust are like him who came from the dust; and those who are of heaven are like him who came from heaven.
49 As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly.
And as we have borne the likeness of him who came from the dust, so let us bear the likeness of him who came from heaven.
50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.
This I say, friends – Flesh and blood can have no share in the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
Listen, I will tell you God’s hidden purpose! We will not all have passed to our rest, but we will all be transformed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
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.
at the last trumpet-call; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we, also, will be transformed.
53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
For this perishable body of ours must put on an imperishable form, and this dying body a deathless form.
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.”
And, when this dying body has put on its deathless form, then indeed will the words of scripture come true –
“death has been swallowed up in victory! Where, Death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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.
Therefore, my dear friends, stand firm, unshaken, always diligent in the Lord’s work, for you know that, in union with him, your toil is not in vain.
