¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(A)in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation.^{[a] (C)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, ^(D)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(E)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, ^(F)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(G)the message of reconciliation.

Mystery and Victory

⁵⁰ I tell you this, brothers: ^(A)flesh and blood ^(B)cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. ^(C)We shall not all sleep, ^(D)but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^(E)the trumpet will sound, and ^(F)the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^(G)this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: