Beginning
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel (A)I preached to you, which you received, (B)in which you stand, 2 and by which (C)you are being saved, if you (D)hold fast to the word I preached to you—(E)unless you believed in vain.
3 For (F)I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised (I)on the third day (J)in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that (K)he appeared to Cephas, then (L)to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to (M)James, then (N)to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, (O)he appeared also to me. 9 For (P)I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because (Q)I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, (R)I worked harder than any of them, (S)though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, (T)how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, (U)then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that (V)he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and (W)you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who (X)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[b] in this life only, (Y)we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact (Z)Christ has been raised from the dead, (AA)the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as (AB)by a man came death, (AC)by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For (AD)as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then (AE)at his coming (AF)those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers (AG)the kingdom to God the Father after destroying (AH)every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign (AI)until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be (AJ)destroyed is death. 27 For (AK)“God[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When (AL)all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that (AM)God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we (AN)in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by (AO)my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, (AP)I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, (AQ)I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, (AR)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 (AS)Do not be deceived: (AT)“Bad company ruins good morals.”[d] 34 (AU)Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For (AV)some have no knowledge of God. (AW)I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, (AX)“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! (AY)What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There 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.
42 (AZ)So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; (BA)it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 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. 45 Thus it is written, (BB)“The first man Adam became a living being”;[e] (BC)the last Adam became a (BD)life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 (BE)The first man was from the earth, (BF)a man of dust; (BG)the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, (BH)so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just (BI)as we have borne the image of the man of dust, (BJ)we shall[f] also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Mystery and Victory
50 I tell you this, brothers: (BK)flesh and blood (BL)cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. (BM)We shall not all sleep, (BN)but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For (BO)the trumpet will sound, and (BP)the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and (BQ)this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
(BR)“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 (BS)“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and (BT)the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, (BU)who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 (BV)Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in (BW)the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord (BX)your labor is not in vain.
The Collection for the Saints
16 Now concerning[g] (BY)the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On (BZ)the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, (CA)as he may prosper, (CB)so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send (CC)those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Plans for Travel
5 (CD)I will visit you after passing through (CE)Macedonia, for (CF)I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may (CG)help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now (CH)just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, (CI)if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until (CJ)Pentecost, 9 for (CK)a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and (CL)there are many adversaries.
10 (CM)When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for (CN)he is doing (CO)the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So (CP)let no one despise him. (CQ)Help him on his way (CR)in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
Final Instructions
12 Now concerning (CS)our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will[h] to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
13 (CT)Be watchful, (CU)stand firm in the faith, (CV)act like men, (CW)be strong. 14 (CX)Let all that you do be done in love.
15 Now I urge you, brothers[i]—you know that (CY)the household[j] of Stephanas were (CZ)the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves (DA)to the service of the saints— 16 (DB)be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for (DC)your absence, 18 for they (DD)refreshed my spirit as well as yours. (DE)Give recognition to such people.
Greetings
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. (DF)Aquila and Prisca, together with (DG)the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. (DH)Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, write (DI)this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be (DJ)accursed. Our Lord, come![k] 23 (DK)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.