15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
15:5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
15:6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
15:8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
15:11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
15:13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15:15 More 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. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
15:23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
15:24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
15:27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” 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.
15:28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
15:29 Now 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?
15:30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?
15:31 I die every day–I mean that, brothers–just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
15:32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
15:34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God–I say this to your shame.
15:35 But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”
15:36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
15:37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
15:38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.
15:39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.
15:40 There 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.
15:41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
15:42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
15:43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
15:45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
15:46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
15:47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
15:48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
15:49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
15:50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed–
15:52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
15:53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
15:54 When 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.”
15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
15:1 Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I announced to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
15:2 Through which also you are being saved, if you hold fast the word which I announced to you as the gospel, unless you have believed in vain.
15:3 For I delivered to you, first of all, that which also I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;
15:4 And that He was buried, and that He has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures;
15:5 And that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve;
15:6 Then He appeared to over five hundred brothers at one time, of whom the majority remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
15:7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
15:8 And last of all He appeared to me also, as it were to one born prematurely.
15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.
15:11 Therefore whether it is I or they, so we preach and so you have believed.
15:12 But if Christ is proclaimed that He has been raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.
15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is vain; your faith is vain also.
15:15 And also we are found to be false witnesses of God because we have testified concerning God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are not raised.
15:16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised.
15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
15:18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
15:19 If it is only that we have hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most miserable.
15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
15:21 For since through man came death, through man also came the resurrection of the dead.
15:22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
15:23 But each one in his own order: the firstfruits, Christ; then those who are Christ s at His coming;
15:24 Then the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to His God and Father, once He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
15:25 For He must reign until God puts all His enemies under His feet.
15:26 Death, the last enemy, is being abolished.
15:27 For He has subjected all things under His feet. But when He says that all things are subjected, it is evident that all things are except Him who has subjected all things to Him.
15:28 And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to Him who has subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.
15:29 Otherwise what shall they who are baptized for the dead do? If the dead are actually not raised, why then are they baptized for them?
15:30 Why also do we brave danger every hour?
15:31 I protest by the boasting in you, brothers, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
15:32 If after the manner of men I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
15:33 Do not be deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.
15:34 Awake from the drunken stupor righteously and do not sin, for some of you are ignorant of God. I speak to your shame.
15:35 But someone will say, How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?
15:36 Foolish man, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies;
15:37 And what you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of some other of the rest.
15:38 But God gives it a body even as He willed, and to each of the seeds its own body.
15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but one is of men, and another flesh is of cattle, and another is of birds, and another is of fish.
15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another.
15:41 There is another glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption;
15:43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
15:44 It is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a soulish body, there is also a spiritual one.
15:45 So also it is written, The first man, Adam, became a living soul ; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.
15:46 But the spiritual is not first but the soulish, then the spiritual:
15:47 The first man is out of the earth, earthy; the second man is out of heaven.
15:48 As the earthy is, such are they also that are earthy; and as the heavenly is, such are they also that are heavenly.
15:49 And even as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
15:50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
15:54 And when this corruptible will put on incorruption and this mortal will put on immortality, then the word which is written will come to pass, Death has been swallowed up unto victory.
15:55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
15:57 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.