20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,(A) the firstfruits(B) of those who have fallen asleep.(C) 21 For since death came through a man,(D) the resurrection of the dead(E) comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.(F) 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;(G) then, when he comes,(H) those who belong to him.(I) 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom(J) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.(K) 25 For he must reign(L) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.(M) 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.(N) 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[a](O) 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.(P) 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,(Q) so that God may be all in all.(R)

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? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?(S) 31 I face death every day(T)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts(U) in Ephesus(V) 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.”[b](W)

33 Do not be misled:(X) “Bad company corrupts good character.”[c](Y) 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God(Z)—I say this to your shame.(AA)

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask,(AB) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”(AC) 36 How foolish!(AD) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.(AE) 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.(AF) 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 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. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor,(AG) the moon another and the stars another;(AH) and star differs from star in splendor.

42 So will it be(AI) with the resurrection of the dead.(AJ) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;(AK) 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;(AL) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(AM)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[d];(AN) the last Adam,(AO) a life-giving spirit.(AP) 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.(AQ) 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth;(AR) the second man is of heaven.(AS) 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.(AT) 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,(AU) so shall we[e] bear the image of the heavenly man.(AV)

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood(AW) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,(AX) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.(AY) 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery:(AZ) We will not all sleep,(BA) but we will all be changed(BB) 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,(BC) the dead(BD) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable(BE) must clothe itself with the imperishable,(BF) and the mortal with immortality. 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.”[f](BG)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”[g](BH)

56 The sting of death is sin,(BI) and the power of sin is the law.(BJ) 57 But thanks be to God!(BK) He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(BL)

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:27 Psalm 8:6
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:32 Isaiah 22:13
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:33 From the Greek poet Menander
  4. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Gen. 2:7
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us
  6. 1 Corinthians 15:54 Isaiah 25:8
  7. 1 Corinthians 15:55 Hosea 13:14

Believers Who Have Died

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed(A) about those who sleep in death,(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.(C) 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,(D) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.(E) 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,(F) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.(G) 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,(H) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel(I) and with the trumpet call of God,(J) and the dead in Christ will rise first.(K) 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left(L) will be caught up together with them in the clouds(M) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord(N) forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another(O) with these words.

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