1 Corinthians 15:35–58

³⁵But some one will say, ‘How do the dead rise? ³⁶unwise! thou—what thou dost sow is not quickened except it may die; ³⁷and that which thou dost sow, not the body that shall be dost thou sow, but bare grain, it may be of wheat, or of some one of the others, ³⁸and God doth give to it a body according as He willed, and to each of the seeds its proper body. ³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds; ⁴⁰and there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but one is the glory of the heavenly, and another that of the earthly; ⁴¹one glory of sun, and another glory of moon, and another glory of stars, for star from star doth differ in glory. ⁴²So also is the rising again of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; ⁴³it is sown in dishonour, 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; ⁴⁵so also it hath been written, ‘The first man Adam became a living creature,’ the last Adam is for a life-giving spirit, ⁴⁶but that which is spiritual is not first, but that which was natural, afterwards that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is out of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord out of heaven; ⁴⁸as is the earthy, such are also the earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are also the heavenly; ⁴⁹and, according as we did bear the image of the earthy, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰And this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood the reign of God is not able to inherit, nor doth the corruption inherit the incorruption.

⁵¹Lo, I tell you a secret; we indeed shall not all sleep, and we all shall be changed; ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we—we shall be changed: ⁵³for it behoveth this corruptible to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality; ⁵⁴and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written, ‘The Death was swallowed up—to victory; ⁵⁵where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?’ ⁵⁶and the sting of the death is the sin, and the power of the sin the law; ⁵⁷and to God—thanks, to Him who is giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸So that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.

Chapter 16