1 Corinthians 15–16

The Resurrection of Christ

15Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel^w I preached to you,^x which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved,^y if you hold firmly^z to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³For what I received^a I passed on to you^b as of first importance^a: that Christ died for our sins^c according to the Scriptures,^{d 4}that he was buried,^e that he was raised^f on the third day^g according to the Scriptures,^{h 5}and that he appeared to Cephas,^bi and then to the Twelve.^{j 6}After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^{k 7}Then he appeared to James,^l then to all the apostles,^{m 8}and last of all he appeared to me also,ⁿ as to one abnormally born.

⁹For I am the least of the apostles^o and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^p the church of God.^{q 10}But by the grace^r of God I am what I am, and his grace to me^s was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them^t—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.^{u 11}Whether, then, it is I or they,^v this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,^w how can some of you say that there is no resurrection^x of the dead?^{y 13}If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised,^z our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.^a But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.^{b 18}Then those also who have fallen asleep^c in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^d

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^e the firstfruits^f of those who have fallen asleep.^{g 21}For since death came through a man,^h the resurrection of the deadⁱ comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^{j 23}But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^k then, when he comes,^l those who belong to him.^{m 24}Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdomⁿ to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^{o 25}For he must reign^p until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^{q 26}The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^{r 27}For he “has put everything under his feet.”^cs Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.^{t 28}When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^u so that God may be all in all.^v

²⁹Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?^{w 31}I face death every day^x—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild beasts^y in Ephesus^z with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die.”^da

³³Do not be misled:^b “Bad company corrupts good character.”^{ec 34}Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God^d—I say this to your shame.^e

The Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will ask,^f “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”^{g 36}How foolish!^h What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.^{i 37}When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.^{j 39}Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor,^k the moon another and the stars another;^l and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴²So will it be^m with the resurrection of the dead.ⁿ The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;^{o 43}it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;^p it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.^q

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”^f;^r the last Adam,^s a life-giving spirit.^{t 46}The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.^{u 47}The first man was of the dust of the earth;^v the second man is of heaven.^{w 48}As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.^{x 49}And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,^y so shall we^g bear the image of the heavenly man.^z

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood^a cannot inherit the kingdom of God,^b nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^{c 51}Listen, I tell you a mystery:^d We will not all sleep,^e but we will all be changed^f—⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^g the dead^h will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishableⁱ must clothe itself with the imperishable,^j and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^hk

⁵⁵“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”^il

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin,^m and the power of sin is the law.^{n 57}But thanks be to God!^o He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.^p

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,^q because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.^r

The Collection for the Lord’s People

16Now about the collection^s for the Lord’s people:^t Do what I told the Galatian^u churches to do. ²On the first day of every week,^v each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.^{w 3}Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve^x and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Personal Requests

⁵After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you^y—for I will be going through Macedonia.^{z 6}Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey,^a wherever I go. ⁷For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.^{b 8}But I will stay on at Ephesus^c until Pentecost,^{d 9}because a great door for effective work has opened to me,^e and there are many who oppose me.

¹⁰When Timothy^f comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord,^g just as I am. ¹¹No one, then, should treat him with contempt.^h Send him on his wayⁱ in peace^j so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

¹²Now about our brother Apollos:^k I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

¹³Be on your guard; stand firm^l in the faith; be courageous; be strong.^{m 14}Do everything in love.ⁿ

¹⁵You know that the household of Stephanas^o were the first converts^p in Achaia,^q and they have devoted themselves to the service^r of the Lord’s people.^s I urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁶to submit^t to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. ¹⁷I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.^{u 18}For they refreshed^v my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.^w

Final Greetings

¹⁹The churches in the province of Asia^x send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla^ay greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.^{z 20}All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.^a

²¹I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.^b

²²If anyone does not love the Lord,^c let that person be cursed!^d Come, Lord^b!^e

²³The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.^f

²⁴My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.^c