The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Kapitel 15 -

Now I remind you, brothers, of the gospel I proclaimed to you, which you received and on which you stand.

It is by this gospel that you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

that he was buried, and 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 more than five hundred brothers at once. Most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.

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

Last of all, he appeared to me, as if to a child born at the wrong time.

For I am the least of the apostles. I am unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace in me was not in vain. Instead, I worked harder than all of them. Yet it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

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

And we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified against God, saying he raised up Christ when he did not.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins.

Then those who have died in Christ have also perished.

If only in this life we have confidence for the future in Christ, of all people we are most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who died.

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

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

But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits, and then those who belong to Christ will be made alive at his coming.

Then will be the end, when Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. This is when he will abolish all rule and all authority and power.

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

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

For “he has put everything under his feet.” But when it says “he has put everything,” it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to himself.

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him. This will happen so that God the Father may be all in all.

Or else what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

And why are we in danger every hour?

I die daily. That is what I declare by my boasting in you, brothers, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What do I gain, from a human point of view, if I fought with beasts at Ephesus, if the dead are not raised? “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Be not deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Sober up! Live righteously! Do not keep sinning. For some of you 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 will they come?”

You are so ignorant! What you sow will not start to grow unless it dies.

And what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed. It may become wheat or something else.

But God will give it a body as he chooses, and to each seed its own body.

Not all flesh is the same. Instead, there is one flesh of human beings, and another flesh for animals, and another flesh for birds, and another for fish.

There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly body is one kind and the glory of the earthly is another.

There is one glory of the sun, and 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. What is sown is perishable, and what is raised is 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

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

But the spiritual did not come first but the natural, and then the spiritual.

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

Just as the one made from dust is, so also are those who are made of the dust. And as the man of heaven is, so also are those who are of heaven.

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

(Hosea 13:9–14)

Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither does what is perishable inherit what is imperishable.

Look! I tell you a secret truth: We will not all die, but we will all be changed.

We will 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.

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

But when this perishable body has put on what is imperishable, and when this mortal body has put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”

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

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

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always abound in the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is not in 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.

Fußnoten

(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