1 Corinthians 15–16

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality

15Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel ^awhich I preached to you, which also you received and ^bin which you stand, ^2cby which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless ^dyou believed in vain.

³For ^eI delivered to you first of all that ^fwhich I also received: that Christ died for our sins ^gaccording to the Scriptures, ⁴and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day ^haccording to the Scriptures, ⁵ⁱand that He was seen by ¹Cephas, then ^jby the twelve. ⁶After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have ²fallen asleep. ⁷After that He was seen by James, then ^kby all the apostles. ^8lThen last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

⁹For I am ^mthe least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because ⁿI persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But ^oby the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, ^pyet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope

¹²Now 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? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, ^qthen Christ is not risen. ¹⁴And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because ^rwe have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; ^syou are still in your sins! ¹⁸Then also those who have ³fallen ^tasleep in Christ have perished. ^19uIf in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰But now ^vChrist is risen from the dead, and has become ^wthe firstfruits of those who have ⁴fallen asleep. ²¹For ^xsince by man came death, ^yby Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall ^zbe made alive. ²³But ^aeach one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴Then comes the end, when He delivers ^bthe kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign ^ctill He has put all enemies under His feet. ^26dThe last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷For ^e“He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ^28fNow when all things are made subject to Him, then ^gthe Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

²⁹Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? ³⁰And ^hwhy do we stand in ⁵jeopardy every hour? ³¹I affirm, by ⁱthe boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^jI die daily. ³²If, in the manner of men, ^kI have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ^l“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

³³Do not be deceived: ^m“Evil company corrupts good habits.” ³⁴ⁿAwake to righteousness, and do not sin; ^ofor some do not have the knowledge of God. ^pI speak this to your shame.

A Glorious Body

³⁵But someone will say, ^q“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” ³⁶Foolish one, ^rwhat you sow is not made alive unless it dies. ³⁷And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind ⁶of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

⁴⁰There are also ⁷celestial bodies and ⁸terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹There 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.

^42sSo also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ^43tIt 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵And so it is written, ^u“The first man Adam became a living being.” ^vThe last Adam became ^wa life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ^47xThe first man was of the earth, ^ymade ⁹of dust; the second Man is ¹the Lord ^zfrom heaven. ⁴⁸As was the ²man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; ^aand as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹And ^bas we have borne the image of the man of dust, ^cwe ³shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Our Final Victory

⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that ^dflesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I tell you a ⁴mystery: ^eWe shall not all sleep, ^fbut we shall all be changed—⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. ^gFor the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and ^hthis mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ⁱ“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵“O ^{j 5}Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and ^kthe strength of sin is the law. ^57lBut thanks be to God, who gives us ^mthe victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ⁿTherefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing ^othat your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Collection for the Saints

16Now concerning ^athe collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ^2bOn the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. ³And when I come, ^cwhomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. ^4dBut if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

Personal Plans

⁵Now I will come to you ^ewhen I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). ⁶And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may ^fsend me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, ^gif the Lord permits.

⁸But I will tarry in Ephesus until ^hPentecost. ⁹For ⁱa great and effective door has opened to me, and ^jthere are many adversaries.

¹⁰And ^kif Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for ^lhe does the work of the Lord, as I also do. ^11mTherefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey ⁿin peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.

¹²Now concerning our brother ^oApollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time.

Final Exhortations

^13pWatch, ^qstand fast in the faith, be brave, ^rbe strong. ^14sLet all that you do be done with love.

¹⁵I urge you, brethren—you know ^tthe household of Stephanas, that it is ^uthe firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ^vthe ministry of the saints—^16wthat you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and ^xlabors with us.

¹⁷I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, ^yfor what was lacking on your part they supplied. ^18zFor they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore ^aacknowledge such men.

Greetings and a Solemn Farewell

¹⁹The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, ^bwith the church that is in their house. ²⁰All the brethren greet you. ^cGreet one another with a holy kiss.

^21dThe salutation with my own hand—Paul’s.

²²If anyone ^edoes not love the Lord Jesus Christ, ^flet him be ¹accursed. ^gO ²Lord, come!

^23hThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ²⁴My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.