The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

And I make known to you, brothers, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you also received, in which you also have stood,

through which you are also being saved, if you hold fast [to] the word—what I proclaimed as good news to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Writings,

and that He was buried, and that He has risen on the third day according to the Writings,

and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve,

afterward He appeared to above five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, and some also fell asleep;

afterward He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

And last of all—as to the untimely birth—He also appeared to me,

for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Assembly of God,

and by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that [is] toward me did not come in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that [is] with me;

whether, then, I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

And if Christ is preached, that He has risen out of the dead, how [do] certain among you say that there is no resurrection of [the] dead?

And if there is no resurrection of [the] dead, neither has Christ risen;

and if Christ has not risen, then our preaching [is] void, and your faith [is] also void,

and we are also found [to be] false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised up the Christ, whom He did not raise if then dead persons do not rise;

for if dead persons do not rise, neither has Christ risen,

and if Christ has not risen, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins;

then, also, those having fallen asleep in Christ perished;

if we only have hope in Christ in this life, we are to be most pitied of all men.

The Order of Resurrection

And now, Christ has risen out of the dead—He became the first-fruits of those sleeping,

for since through man [is] death, also through Man [is] a resurrection of the dead,

for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all will be made alive,

and each in his proper order: Christ, a first-fruit, afterward those who are the Christ’s in His coming,

then—the end, when He may deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He may have made all rule useless, and all authority and power.

For it is necessary for Him to reign until He may have put all the enemies under His feet.

The last enemy is done away with—death.

For He put all things under His feet, and when one may say that all things have been subjected, [it is] evident that He is excepted who subjected all things to Him,

and when all things may be subjected to Him, then also the Son Himself will be subject to Him, who subjected to Him all things, that God may be the all in all.

Seeing what will they do who are immersed for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why are they also immersed for the dead?

Why do we also stand in peril every hour?

I die every day, by the glorying of you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If I fought with wild beasts in Ephesus after the manner of a man, what [is] the advantage to me if the dead do not rise? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

Do not be led astray; evil communications corrupt good manners;

wake up, as is right, and do not sin; for some have an ignorance of God; I say [it] to you for shame.

The Resurrection Body

But someone will say, “How do the dead rise?”

Unwise! You—what you sow is not quickened except it may die;

and that which you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, it may be of wheat, or of someone of the others,

and God gives a body to it according as He willed, and its proper body to each of the seeds.

All flesh [is] not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds;

and [there are] heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but one [is] the glory of the heavenly, and another that of the earthly;

one glory of sun, and another glory of moon, and another glory of stars, for star differs from star in glory.

So also [is] the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption;

it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body;

so also it has been written: “The first man Adam became a living creature,” the last Adam [is] for a life-giving spirit,

but that which is spiritual [is] not first, but that which [was] natural, afterward that which [is] spiritual.

The first man [is] out of the earth—earthly; the second Man [is] the LORD out of Heaven;

as [is] the earthly, such [are] also the earthly; and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] also the heavenly;

and according as we bore the image of the earthly, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

(Hosea 13:9–14)

And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood are not able to inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the corruption inherit the incorruption.

Behold, I tell you a secret: we indeed will not all sleep, but we will all be changed;

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed;

for it is necessary for this corruptible to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality;

and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then will be brought to pass the word that has been written: “Death was swallowed up—to victory;

Where, O Death, your sting? Where, O Death [[ or Hades]], your victory?”

And the sting of death [is] sin, and the power of sin the Law;

and to God—thanks, to Him who is giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;

so that, my beloved brothers, become steadfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the LORD at all times, knowing that your labor in the LORD is not vain.

Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,

by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

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?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith also is in vain.

Yes, we are also found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up if it is true that the dead are not raised.

For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

The Order of Resurrection

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.

For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming.

Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.”(a) But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.

When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?

Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”(b)

Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?”

You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

That which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.

But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.

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.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable.

It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

So also it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.” (c) The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

However, that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s(d) also bear the image of the heavenly.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

(Hosea 13:9–14)

Now I say this, brothers,(e) that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.

Behold,(f) I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”(g)

“Death, where is your sting? Hades,(h) where is your victory?”(i)

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Footnotes

(a)15:27 ℘ Psalms 8:6

(b)15:32 ℘ Isaiah 22:13

(d)15:49 NU, TR read “we will” instead of “let’s”

(e)15:50 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(f)15:51 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(g)15:54 ℘ Isaiah 25:8

(h)15:55 or, Hell

(i)15:55 ℘ See Hosea 13:14