1 Corinthians 14:21-15:32

New King James Version

²¹^(A)In the law it is written:

^(B)“With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”

says the Lord.

²²Therefore tongues are for a ^(C)sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. ²³Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, ^(D)will they not say that you are ^[a]out of your mind? ²⁴But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. ²⁵^[b]And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report ^(E)that God is truly among you.

Order in Church Meetings

²⁶How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, ^(F)has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. ^(G)Let all things be done for ^[c]edification. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹Let two or three prophets speak, and ^(H)let the others judge. ³⁰But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, ^(I)let the first keep silent. ³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³²And ^(J)the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³For God is not the author of ^[d]confusion but of peace, ^(K)as in all the churches of the saints.

³⁴^(L)Let ^[e]your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the ^(M)law also says. ³⁵And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

³⁶Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? ³⁷^(N)If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. ³⁸But ^[f]if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

³⁹Therefore, brethren, ^(O)desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. ⁴⁰^(P)Let all things be done decently and in order.

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality^(Q)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel ^(R)which I preached to you, which also you received and ^(S)in which you stand, ²^(T)by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless ^(U)you believed in vain.

³For ^(V)I delivered to you first of all that ^(W)which I also received: that Christ died for our sins ^(X)according to the Scriptures, ⁴and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day ^(Y)according to the Scriptures, ⁵^(Z)and that He was seen by ^[g]Cephas, then ^(AA)by the twelve. ⁶After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have ^[h]fallen asleep. ⁷After that He was seen by James, then ^(AB)by all the apostles. ⁸^(AC)Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

⁹For I am ^(AD)the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because ^(AE)I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But ^(AF)by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, ^(AG)yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope^(AH)

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

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰But now ^(AN)Christ is risen from the dead, and has become ^(AO)the firstfruits of those who have ^[j]fallen asleep. ²¹For ^(AP)since by man came death, ^(AQ)by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall ^(AR)be made alive. ²³But ^(AS)each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴Then comes the end, when He delivers ^(AT)the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign ^(AU)till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶^(AV)The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷For ^(AW)“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^(AX)Now when all things are made subject to Him, then ^(AY)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

²⁹Otherwise, 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? ³⁰And ^(AZ)why do we stand in ^[k]jeopardy every hour? ³¹I affirm, by ^(BA)the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(BB)I die daily. ³²If, in the manner of men, ^(BC)I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ^(BD)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”