Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15
{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,
{15:2} by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which
I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. {15:3} For I delivered
to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, {15:4} that he was buried, that
he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, {15:5} and
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. {15:6} Then he
appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain
until now, but some have also fallen asleep. {15:7} Then he appeared
to James, then to all the apostles, {15:8} and last of all, as to the
child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. {15:9} For I am
the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the assembly of God. {15:10} But by the grace of
God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile,
but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God
which was with me. {15:11} Whether then it is I or they, so we preach,
and so you believed.
{15:12} 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? {15:13} But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has
Christ been raised. {15:14} If Christ has not been raised, then our
preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. {15:15} Yes, we
are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that
he raised up Christ, whom he didn't raise up, if it is so that the
dead are not raised. {15:16} For if the dead aren't raised, neither
has Christ been raised. {15:17} If Christ has not been raised, your
faith is vain; you are still in your sins. {15:18} Then they also who
are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. {15:19} If we have only
hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
{15:20} But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the
first fruits of those who are asleep. {15:21} For since death came by
man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. {15:22} For as in
Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. {15:23} But
each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are
Christ's, at his coming. {15:24} Then the end comes, when he will
deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have
abolished all rule and all authority and power. {15:25} For he must
reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. {15:26} The
last enemy that will be abolished is death. {15:27} For, "He put all
things in subjection under his feet."[1] But when he says, "All things
are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who
subjected all things to him. {15:28} 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. {15:29}
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? {15:30}
Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour? {15:31} I affirm, by the
boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
{15:32} If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what
does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then "let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die."[2] {15:33} Don't be deceived! "Evil
companionships corrupt good morals." {15:34} Wake up righteously, and
don't sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your
shame. {15:35} But someone will say, "How are the dead raised?" and,
"With what kind of body do they come?" {15:36} You foolish one, that
which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies. {15:37} 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. {15:38} But God gives it a body
even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own. {15:39}
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.
{15:40} There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but
the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.
{15:41} 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. {15:42} So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption. {15:43} It is sown in
dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised
in power. {15:44} It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual
body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.
{15:45} So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living
soul."[3] The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. {15:46} However
that which is spiritual isn't first, but that which is natural, then
that which is spiritual. {15:47} The first man is of the earth, made
of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. {15:48} 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. {15:49} As we have
borne the image of those made of dust, [4>]let's[<4] also bear the
image of the heavenly. {15:50} Now I say this, [5>]brothers,[<5] that
flesh and blood can't inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does
corruption inherit incorruption.
{15:51} Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we
will all be changed, {15:52} 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. {15:53} For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. {15:54} But when this corruptible will have put on
incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what
is written will happen: "Death is swallowed up in victory."[6]
{15:55} "Death, where is your sting?
[7>]Hades[<7], where is your victory?"[8]
{15:56} The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
{15:57} But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. {15:58} 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.
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Footnotes:
[1] {15:27} Psalm 8:6
[2] {15:32} Isaiah 22:13
[3] {15:45} Genesis 2:7
[4] {15:49} NU, TR read "we will" instead of "let's"
[5] {15:50} The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may
also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."
[6] {15:54} Isaiah 25:8
[7] {15:55} or, Hell
[8] {15:55} Hosea 13:14
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