The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[a]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(A)as others ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(D)those who ^[b]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(E)by the word of the Lord, that ^(F)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[c]asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(G)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(H)the trumpet of God. ^(I)And the dead in Christ will rise first.

²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall ^(A)be made alive. ²³ But ^(B)each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers ^(C)the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope^(A)

¹² Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, ^(B)then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because ^(C)we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; ^(D)you are still in your sins! ¹⁸ Then also those who have ^[a]fallen ^(E)asleep in Christ have perished. ^19 (F)If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰ But now ^(G)Christ is risen from the dead, and has become ^(H)the firstfruits of those who have ^[b]fallen asleep. ²¹ For ^(I)since by man came death, ^(J)by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall ^(K)be made alive. ²³ But ^(L)each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers ^(M)the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(N)till He has put all enemies under His feet. ^26 (O)The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For ^(P)“He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ^28 (Q)Now when all things are made subject to Him, then ^(R)the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

²⁹ Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? ³⁰ And ^(S)why do we stand in ^[c]jeopardy every hour? ³¹ I affirm, by ^(T)the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(U)I die daily. ³² If, in the manner of men, ^(V)I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ^(W)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

³³ Do not be deceived: ^(X)“Evil company corrupts good habits.” ^34 (Y)Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; ^(Z)for some do not have the knowledge of God. ^(AA)I speak this to your shame.

A Glorious Body

³⁵ But someone will say, ^(AB)“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” ³⁶ Foolish one, ^(AC)what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. ³⁷ And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind ^[d]of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

⁴⁰ There are also ^[e]celestial bodies and ^[f]terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

^42 (AD)So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ^43 (AE)It is sown in dishonor, 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ And so it is written, ^(AF)“The first man Adam became a living being.” ^(AG)The last Adam became ^(AH)a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ^47 (AI)The first man was of the earth, ^(AJ)made^[g] of dust; the second Man is ^[h]the Lord ^(AK)from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the ^[i]man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; ^(AL)and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And ^(AM)as we have borne the image of the man of dust, ^(AN)we^[j] shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Our Final Victory

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that ^(AO)flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

Assurance of the Resurrection

5 For we know that if ^(A)our earthly ^[a]house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house ^(B)not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this ^(C)we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our ^[b]habitation which is from heaven, ³ if indeed, ^(D)having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴ For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, ^(E)but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also ^(F)has given us the Spirit as ^[c]a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. ⁷ For ^(G)we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, yes, ^(H)well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

⁹ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ^10 (I)For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(J)that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, ^(K)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹² For ^(L)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^(M)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For ^(N)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(O)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(P)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16 (Q)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^(R)yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(S)is in Christ, he is ^(T)a new creation; ^(U)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(V)new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(W)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that ^(X)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ^[d]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(Y)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For ^(Z)He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become ^(AA)the righteousness of God in Him.