The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel^(A) I preached to you,^(B) which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved,^(C) if you hold firmly^(D) to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³ For what I received^(E) I passed on to you^(F) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(G) according to the Scriptures,^{(H) 4} that he was buried,^(I) that he was raised^(J) on the third day^(K) according to the Scriptures,^{(L) 5} and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b](M) and then to the Twelve.^{(N) 6} After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^{(O) 7} Then he appeared to James,^(P) then to all the apostles,^{(Q) 8} and last of all he appeared to me also,^(R) as to one abnormally born.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles^(S) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(T) the church of God.^{(U) 10} But by the grace^(V) of God I am what I am, and his grace to me^(W) was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them^(X)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.^{(Y) 11} Whether, then, it is I or they,^(Z) this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,^(AA) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection^(AB) of the dead?^{(AC) 13} If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised,^(AD) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 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.^(AE) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.^{(AF) 18} Then those also who have fallen asleep^(AG) in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(AH)

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^(AI) the firstfruits^(AJ) of those who have fallen asleep.^{(AK) 21} For since death came through a man,^(AL) the resurrection of the dead^(AM) comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^{(AN) 23} But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^(AO) then, when he comes,^(AP) those who belong to him.^{(AQ) 24} Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom^(AR) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^{(AS) 25} For he must reign^(AT) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^{(AU) 26} The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^{(AV) 27} For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[c](AW) 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.^{(AX) 28} When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^(AY) so that God may be all in all.^(AZ)

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?^{(BA) 31} I face death every day^(BB)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² If I fought wild beasts^(BC) in Ephesus^(BD) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

³³ Do not be misled:^(BF) “Bad company corrupts good character.”^{[e](BG) 34} Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God^(BH)—I say this to your shame.^(BI)

The Resurrection Body

³⁵ But someone will ask,^(BJ) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”^{(BK) 36} How foolish!^(BL) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.^{(BM) 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.^{(BN) 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,^(BO) the moon another and the stars another;^(BP) and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴² So will it be^(BQ) with the resurrection of the dead.^(BR) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;^{(BS) 43} it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;^(BT) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.^(BU)

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”^[f];^(BV) the last Adam,^(BW) a life-giving spirit.^{(BX) 46} The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.^{(BY) 47} The first man was of the dust of the earth;^(BZ) the second man is of heaven.^{(CA) 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.^{(CB) 49} And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,^(CC) so shall we^[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.^(CD)

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood^(CE) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,^(CF) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^{(CG) 51} Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(CH) We will not all sleep,^(CI) but we will all be changed^(CJ)— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(CK) the dead^(CL) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable^(CM) must clothe itself with the imperishable,^(CN) 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.”^[h](CO)

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin,^(CQ) and the power of sin is the law.^{(CR) 57} But thanks be to God!^(CS) He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.^(CT)

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