1 Corinthians 15

Resurrection Essential to the Gospel

15Now brothers, I want to clarify ^rfor you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand ^son it. ²You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose. ^tu3For I passed on to you ^vas most important what I also received:

that Christ died ^wfor our sins

according to the Scriptures, ^x

⁴that He was buried, ^y

that He was raised on the third day ^z

according to the Scriptures, ^a

⁵and that He appeared to Cephas, ^b

then to the Twelve. ^c

⁶Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; ^d

most of them are still alive,

but some have fallen asleep.

⁷Then He appeared to James, ^e

then to all the apostles. ^f

⁸Last of all, as to one abnormally born, ^gh

He also appeared to me. ⁱ

⁹For I am the least of the apostles, ^junworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted ^kthe church of God. ¹⁰But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me. ^l11Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

Resurrection Essential to the Faith

¹²Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, ^mhow can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? ⁿ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; ¹⁴and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. ^o15In addition, we are found to be false witnesses ^pabout God, because we have testified ^qabout God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ ^rhave also perished. ¹⁹If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Christ’s Resurrection Guarantees Ours

²⁰But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits ^sof those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death ^tcame through a man, ^uthe resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. ^v22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ^w23But each in his own order: ^xChrist, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ. ²⁴Then comes the end, ^ywhen He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, ^zwhen He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. ^a25For He must reign ^buntil He puts all His enemies under His feet. ^c26The last enemy to be abolished is death. ^d27For God has put everything under His feet. ^efBut when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception. ²⁸And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son ^gHimself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all. ^h

Resurrection Supported by Christian Experience

²⁹Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? ⁱ³⁰Why are we in danger every hour? ³¹I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day! ^j32If I fought wild animals in Ephesus ^kwith only human hope, ^lwhat good did that do me? ^mnIf the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^op33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^q34Come to your senses ^rsand stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame. ^t

The Nature of the Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” ³⁶Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life ^uunless it dies. ³⁷And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, ^vperhaps of wheat or another grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as He wants, ^wand to each of the seeds its own body. ³⁹Not all flesh ^xis 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 ^yof 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; for one star differs from another star in splendor. ⁴²So it is with the resurrection of the dead:

Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; ^z

⁴³sown in dishonor, ^araised in glory; ^b

sown in weakness, raised in power; ^c

⁴⁴sown 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; ^dethe last Adam ^fbecame a life-giving Spirit. ⁴⁶However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.

⁴⁷The first man was from the earth

and made of dust; ^g

the second man is ^hfrom heaven.

⁴⁸Like the man made of dust,

so are those who are made of dust;

like the heavenly man,

so are those who are heavenly. ⁱ

⁴⁹And just as we have borne

the image ^jof the man made of dust,

we will also bear

the image of the heavenly man. ^k

Victorious Resurrection

⁵⁰Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh ^land blood ^mcannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Listen! I am telling you a mystery:

We will not all fall asleep,

but we will all be changed,

⁵²in a moment, in the blink of an eye,

at the last trumpet. ⁿ

For the trumpet will sound,

and the dead will be raised incorruptible,

and we will be changed.

⁵³For this corruptible must be clothed ^o

with incorruptibility, ^p

and this mortal must be clothed

with immortality.

⁵⁴When this corruptible is clothed

with incorruptibility,

and this mortal is clothed

with immortality,

then the saying that is written will take place:

Death has been swallowed up ^qin victory. ^rs

⁵⁵Death, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting? ^tu

⁵⁶Now the sting of death is sin,

and the power of sin ^vis the law. ^w

⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory ^x

through our Lord Jesus Christ!

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, ^yknowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.