1 Corinthians 15:20–49

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION GUARANTEES OURS

²⁰But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits^aa of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death^ab came through a man,^ac the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.^{ad 22}For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.^ae

²³But each in his own order:^af Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. ²⁴Then comes the end,^ag when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father,^ah when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power.^{ai 25}For he must reign^aj until he puts all his enemies under his feet.^{ak 26}The last enemy to be abolished is death.^{al 27}For God has put everything under his feet.^Aam Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. ²⁸When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son^an himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.^ao

RESURRECTION SUPPORTED BY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE

²⁹Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead?^B If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?^{C 30}Why are we in danger every hour? ³¹I face death every day,^ap as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus^aq as a mere man, what good did that do me?^ar If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.^{Das 33}Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ³⁴Come to your senses^Eat and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.^au

THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY

³⁵But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” ³⁶You fool! What you sow does not come to life^a unless it dies. ³⁷And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he wants,^b and to each of the seeds its own body. ³⁹Not all flesh^c is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. ⁴⁰There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor^d of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. ⁴¹There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. ⁴²So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption;^{e 43}sown in dishonor,^f raised in glory;^g sown in weakness, raised in power;^{h 44}sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being;^Fi the last Adam^j became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.

⁴⁷The first man was from the earth, a man of dust;^k the second man is^G from heaven. ⁴⁸Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.^{l 49}And just as we have borne the image^m of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.ⁿ