15Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed to you, which you have also received, in which you also stand, ²by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the message I proclaimed to you, unless you believed to no purpose. ³For I passed on to you as of first importance^a what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, ⁶then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, the majority of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸and last of all, as it were to one born at the wrong time, he appeared also to me. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain, but I labored even more than all of them, and not I, but the grace of God with me. ¹¹Therefore whether I or those, in this way we preached, and in this way you believed.

Concerning the Resurrection of the Dead

¹²Now if Christ is preached as raised up from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴But if Christ has not been raised, then^b our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain. ¹⁵And also we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if after all, then, the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is empty; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸And as a further result, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If we have put our hope^c in Christ in this life only, we are of all people most pitiable.

²⁰But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since through a man came death, also through a man came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming, ²⁴then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be abolished is death. ²⁷For “he subjected all things under his feet.”^d But when it says “all things” are subjected, it is clear that the one who subjected all things to him is not included. ²⁸But whenever all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected^e to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.

²⁹Otherwise, why do they do it, those who are being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why indeed are they being baptized on behalf of them? ³⁰And why are we in danger every hour? ³¹I die every day—yes indeed, by my boasting in you,^f which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord! ³²If according to a human perspective I fought wild beasts at Ephesus, what benefit is it to me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.^g ³³Do not be deceived! “Bad company corrupts good morals.”^h ³⁴Sober up correctly and stop sinningⁱ, for some have no knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.

Questions Concerning the Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what sort of body do they come?” ³⁶Foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷And what you sow is not the body which it will become, but you sow the bare seed, whether perhaps of wheat or of some of the rest. ³⁸But God gives to it a body just as he wishes, and to each one of the seeds its own body. ³⁹Not all flesh is the same, but there is one flesh of human beings, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish, ⁴⁰and heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly bodies is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly bodies is of another kind. ⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.

⁴²Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility. ⁴³It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵Thus also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”;^j the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶But the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is from the earth, made of earth; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸As the one who is made of earth, so also are those who are made of earth, and as the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹And just as we have borne the image of the one who is made of earth, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

⁵⁰But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruptibility. ⁵¹Behold, I tell 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. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For it is necessary for this perishable body to put on incorruptibility, and this mortal body to put on immortality. ⁵⁴But whenever this perishable body puts on incorruptibility and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

⁵⁵Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?

⁵⁶Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! ⁵⁸So then, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you^* know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Concerning the Collection for the Saints

16Now concerning the collection for the saints: just as I gave directions about it to the churches of Galatia, so you do also. ²On the first day of the week, each one of you put aside^a something, saving up to whatever extent he has prospered^b, in order that whenever I come, at that time collections do not take place. ³And whenever I arrive, whomever you approve by letters, I will send these to take your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴And if it is worthwhile for me to go also, they will travel with me.

Travel Plans for Paul and Associates

⁵But I will come to you whenever I go through Macedonia (for I am going through Macedonia), ⁶and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. ⁷For I do not want to see you now in passing, for I hope to remain some time with you, if the Lord allows it. ⁸But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹for a great and effective door has opened for me, and there are many opponents.

¹⁰But if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to fear, for he is carrying out the Lord’s work, as I also am. ¹¹Therefore do not let anyone disdain him, but send him on his way in peace in order that he may come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

¹²Now concerning Apollos our brother, I urged him many times that he should come to you with the brothers, and he was not at all willing that he should come now, but he will come whenever he has an opportunity.

Concluding Exhortations

¹³Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act courageously, be strong. ¹⁴All your actions must be done in love.

¹⁵Now I urge you, brothers—you know about the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry for the saints—¹⁶that you also be subject to such people, and to all those who work together and labor. ¹⁷Now I rejoice over the arrival of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because these make up for your absence, ¹⁸for they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.

Final Greetings and Benediction

¹⁹The churches of the province of Asia^c greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you in the Lord many times, together with the church in their house. ²⁰All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹The greeting is by my hand—Paul’s. ²²If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!^d

²³The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “among the first things”
bSome manuscripts have “then both”
cLiterally “we are having put our hope”
dA quotation from Ps 8:6
eSome manuscripts have “also will be subjected”
fSome manuscripts have “in you, brothers,”
gAn allusion to Isa 22:13; 56:12
hA quotation from the Greek poet Menander’s comedy Thais, 218
iLiterally “do not sin”
jA quotation from Gen 2:7
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
aLiterally “put from himself”
bLiterally “whatever if anything he has been prospered”
cThat is, the Roman province of Asia, known today as Asia Minor
dThe Aramaic expression marana tha (“O Lord, come!”) can also be rendered maran atha (“our Lord has come”); it is used here by Paul without explanation