The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

15 Now ^(A)I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the ^(B)gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, ^(C)in which you also stand, ² by which you also are saved, ^(D)if you hold firmly to ^[a]the word which I preached to you, ^(E)unless you believed in vain.

³ For ^(F)I handed down to you ^[b]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died ^(G)for our sins ^(H)according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was ^(I)raised on the third day ^(J)according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that ^(K)He appeared to ^[c](L)Cephas, then ^(M)to the twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some ^(N)have fallen asleep; ⁷ then He appeared to ^[d](O)James, then to ^(P)all the apostles; ⁸ and last of all, as ^[e]to one untimely born, ^(Q)He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am ^(R)the least of the apostles, ^[f]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I ^(S)persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by ^(T)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I ^(U)labored even more than all of them, yet ^(V)not I, but the grace of God with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

¹² Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there ^(W)is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and ^(X)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. ¹⁵ Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^[g]against God that He ^(Y)raised ^[h]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(Z)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then also those who ^(AA)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are ^(AB)of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But the fact is, Christ ^(AC)has been raised from the dead, the ^(AD)first fruits of those who ^(AE)are asleep. ²¹ For since ^(AF)by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(AG)as in Adam all die, so also in ^[i]Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(AH)the first fruits, after that ^(AI)those who are Christ’s at ^(AJ)His coming, ²⁴ then comes the end, when He hands over ^(AK)the kingdom to our ^(AL)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(AM)all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(AN)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be ^(AO)abolished is death. ²⁷ For ^(AP)He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “^(AQ)All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that ^[j]this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. ²⁸ When ^(AR)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that ^(AS)God may be all in all.

²⁹ For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized ^[k]for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized ^[l]for them? ³⁰ Why are we also ^(AT)in danger every hour? ³¹ I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that ^(AU)I die daily. ³² If ^[m]from human motives I ^(AV)fought with wild beasts at ^(AW)Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, ^(AX)let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^33 (AY)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^34 (AZ)Sober up ^[n]morally and stop sinning, for some have ^(BA)no knowledge of God. ^(BB)I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But ^(BC)someone will say, “How are ^(BD)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” ^36 (BE)You fool! That which you ^(BF)sow does not come to life unless it dies; ³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^[o]something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(BG)to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (BH)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^[p](BI)a perishable body, it is raised ^[q](BJ)an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(BK)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(BL)natural body, it is raised a ^(BM)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written: “The first ^(BN)man, Adam, became a living ^[r]person.” The ^(BO)last Adam was a ^(BP)life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is ^(BQ)from the earth, ^[s](BR)earthy; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, ^(BS)so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ Just as we have ^(BT)borne the image of the earthy, ^[t]we ^(BU)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that ^(BV)flesh and blood cannot ^(BW)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[u]the perishable inherit ^[v](BX)the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a ^[w](BY)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(BZ)changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(CA)the trumpet will sound, and ^(CB)the dead will be raised ^[x]imperishable, and ^(CC)we will be changed. ⁵³ For this ^[y]perishable must put on ^[z](CD)the imperishable, and this ^(CE)mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this ^[aa]perishable puts on ^[ab]the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “^(CF)Death has been swallowed up in victory. ^55 (CG)Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of ^(CH)death is sin, and ^(CI)the power of sin is the Law; ⁵⁷ but ^(CJ)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(CK)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (CL)Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in ^(CM)the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Instructions and Greetings

16 Now concerning ^(A)the collection for ^[a](B)the saints, as ^(C)I directed the churches of ^(D)Galatia, so you are to do as well. ² On ^(E)the first day of every week, each of you is to ^[b]put aside and save as he may prosper, so that ^(F)no collections need to be made when I come. ³ When I arrive, ^(G)whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; ⁴ and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵ But I ^(H)will come to you after I go through ^(I)Macedonia; for I ^(J)am going through Macedonia, ⁶ and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may ^(K)send me on my way wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now ^(L)just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, ^(M)if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will remain in ^(N)Ephesus until ^(O)Pentecost; ⁹ for a ^(P)wide door ^[c]for effective service has opened to me, and ^(Q)there are many adversaries.

¹⁰ Now if ^(R)Timothy comes, see that he ^[d]has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing ^(S)the Lord’s work, as I also am. ^11 (T)So do not look down on him, anyone. But ^(U)send him on his way ^(V)in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.

¹² Now concerning our brother ^(W)Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.

^13 (X)Be on the alert, ^(Y)stand firm in the faith, ^(Z)act like men, ^(AA)be strong. ¹⁴ All that you do must be done ^(AB)in love.

¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the ^(AC)household of Stephanas, that ^[e]they are the ^(AD)first fruits of ^(AE)Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ^(AF)ministry to ^(AG)the ^[f]saints; ¹⁶ I urge that ^(AH)you also be subject to such as these and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. ¹⁷ I rejoice over the ^[g](AI)coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have ^[h]supplied ^(AJ)what was lacking on your part. ¹⁸ For they ^(AK)have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore ^(AL)acknowledge such men.

¹⁹ The churches of ^[i](AM)Asia greet you. ^(AN)Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with ^(AO)the church that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers and sisters greet you. ^(AP)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ The greeting is in ^(AQ)my own hand—that of Paul. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be ^[j](AR)accursed. ^[k](AS)Maranatha! ^23 (AT)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Introduction

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)by the will of God, and our brother ^(D)Timothy,

To ^(E)the church of God which is at ^(F)Corinth with all the ^[a]saints who are throughout ^(G)Achaia:

^2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(J)God of all comfort, ⁴ who ^(K)comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in ^[b]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just ^(L)as the sufferings of Christ are ^[c]ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is ^(M)for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that ^(N)as you are partners in our sufferings, so also you are in our comfort.

⁸ For ^(O)we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our ^(P)affliction which occurred in ^[d](Q)Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. ^9 [e]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who ^(R)rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He ^[f](S)on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, ¹¹ if you also join in ^(T)helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by ^(U)many persons in our behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Integrity

¹² For our ^[g]proud confidence is this: the testimony of ^(V)our conscience, that in holiness and ^(W)godly sincerity, ^(X)not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. ¹³ For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand ^(Y)until the end; ¹⁴ just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, on ^(Z)the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹⁵ In this confidence I intended at first to ^(AA)come to you, so that you might ^[h]twice receive a ^[i](AB)blessing; ^16 [j]that is, to ^(AC)pass ^[k]your way into ^(AD)Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be ^(AE)helped on my journey to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide ^(AF)according to the flesh, so that with me there will be ^[l]yes, yes and no, no at the same time? ¹⁸ But as ^(AG)God is faithful, ^(AH)our word to you is not yes and no. ¹⁹ For ^(AI)the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and ^(AJ)Silvanus and ^(AK)Timothy—was not yes and no, but has been yes ^(AL)in Him. ²⁰ For ^(AM)as many as the promises of God are, ^(AN)in Him they are yes; therefore through Him also is ^(AO)our Amen to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who ^(AP)establishes us with you in Christ and ^(AQ)anointed us is God, ²² who also ^(AR)sealed us and ^(AS)gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a ^[m]pledge.

²³ But ^(AT)I call God as witness to my soul, that it was ^(AU)to spare you that I did not come again to ^(AV)Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we ^(AW)domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are ^(AX)standing firm.