The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel (A)I preached to you, which you received, (B)in which you stand, and by which (C)you are being saved, if you (D)hold fast to the word I preached to you—(E)unless you believed in vain.

For (F)I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised (I)on the third day (J)in accordance with the Scriptures, and that (K)he appeared to Cephas, then (L)to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to (M)James, then (N)to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, (O)he appeared also to me. For (P)I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because (Q)I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, (R)I worked harder than any of them, (S)though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 6, 31, 50, 58

Resurrection Essential to the Gospel

15 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand(A) and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.(B) For I passed on to you(C) as most important what I also received: that Christ died(D) for our sins according to the Scriptures,(E) that he was buried,(F) that he was raised on the third day(G) according to the Scriptures,(H) and that he appeared to Cephas,(I) then to the Twelve.(J) Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time;(K) most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James,(L) then to all the apostles.(M) Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time,[a](N) he also appeared to me.(O)

For I am the least of the apostles,(P) not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted(Q) the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.(R) 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

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Footnotes

  1. 15:8 Or one whose birth was unusual

Resurrection

15 1-2 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time—this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast.)

3-9 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.

10-11 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.

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