1Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

15Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters

, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.G1161G80G1107G5213G2098G3739G2097G5213G3739G2532G3880G2532G1722G3739G24762It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

G1223G3739G2532G4982G1487G2722G5101G3056G2097G5213G1622G1508G4100G15003I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.G1063G3860G5213G1722G4413G3739G3880G2532G3880G3754G5547G599G5228G2257G266G2596G11244He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.G2532G3754G2290G2532G3754G1453G5154G2250G2596G11245He was seen by Peter

and then by the Twelve.G2532G3754G3700G2786G1534G14276After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers

at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.G1899G3700G1883G4001G80G2178G1537G3739G4119G3306G2193G737G1161G5100G2532G28377Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.G1899G3700G2385G1534G3956G6528Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.G1161G2078G3956G3700G2504G5619G16269For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I'm not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God's church.G1063G1473G1510G1646G652G3739G1510G3756G2425G2564G652G1360G1377G1577G231610But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.G1161G5485G2316G1510G3739G1510G2532G846G5485G1519G1691G1096G3756G2756G235G2872G4054G846G3956G1161G3756G1473G235G5485G2316G3588G4862G169811So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.G3767G1535G1473G1535G1565G3779G2784G2532G3779G4100

The Resurrection of the Dead

12But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?G1161G1487G5547G2784G3754G1453G1537G3498G4459G3004G5100G1722G5213G3754G2076G3756G386G349813For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.G1161G1487G2076G3756G386G3498G3761G1453G5547G3761G145314And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.G1161G1487G5547G1453G3756G1453G686G2257G2782G2756G2532G5216G4102G1161G2532G275615And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.G1161G2532G2147G5575G2316G3754G3140G2596G2316G3754G1453G5547G3739G1453G3756G1453G1512G686G3498G1453G375616And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.G1063G1487G3498G1453G3756G1453G3761G5547G145317And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.G1161G1487G5547G1453G3756G1453G5216G4102G3152G2075G2089G1722G5216G26618In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!G686G2532G2837G1722G5547G62219And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.G1487G1722G5026G2222G3440G1679G2070G1722G5547G2070G3956G444G165220But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.G1161G3570G1453G5547G1453G1537G3498G1096G536G283721So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.G1063G1894G1223G444G2288G1223G444G2532G386G349822Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.G1063G5618G1722G76G3956G599G2532G3779G1722G5547G2227G3956G222723But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.G1161G1538G1722G2398G5001G5547G536G1899G3588G5547G1722G846G395224After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.G1534G5056G3752G3860G932G2316G2532G3962G3752G2673G3956G746G2532G3956G1849G2532G141125For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.G1063G846G1163G936G891G3739G302G5087G3956G2190G5259G846G422826And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.G2078G2190G2673G228827For the Scriptures say, "God has put all things under his authority."

(Of course, when it says "all things are under his authority," that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)G1063G5293G3956G5259G846G4228G1161G3752G2036G3754G3956G5293G1212G3754G1622G5293G3956G5293G84628Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God's authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.G1161G3752G3956G5293G846G5119G5293G5207G2532G846G5293G5293G3956G5293G846G2443G2316G5600G3956G1722G395629If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?G1893G5101G4160G907G5228G3498G1487G3498G1453G3756G3654G5101G2532G907G5228G349830And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour?G2532G5101G2793G2249G2793G3956G561031For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.G3513G5212G2251G2746G3739G2192G1722G5547G2424G2257G2962G599G2596G225032And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus

—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, "Let's feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!"G1487G2596G444G2341G1722G2181G5101G3786G3427G1487G3498G1453G3756G5315G2532G4095G1063G839G59933Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."G4105G3361G4105G2556G3657G5351G5543G223934Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don't know God at all.G1594G1346G2532G264G3361G1063G5100G2192G56G2316G3004G4314G5213G1791

The Resurrection Body

35But someone may ask, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?"G235G5100G2046G4459G1453G3498G1453G1161G4169G4983G206436What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first.G878G3739G4771G4687G2227G3756G2227G3362G59937And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting.G2532G3739G4687G4687G3756G4983G1096G235G1131G2848G1487G5177G4621G2228G5100G306238Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed.G1161G2316G1325G846G4983G2531G2309G2532G1538G4690G2398G498339Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.G3956G4561G3756G846G4561G235G3303G243G4561G444G1161G243G4561G2934G1161G243G2486G1161G243G442140There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies.G2532G2032G4983G2532G4983G1919G235G3303G1391G2032G2087G1161G1919G208741The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.G243G1391G2246G2532G243G1391G4582G2532G243G1391G792G1063G792G1308G792G1722G139142It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.G3779G2532G386G3498G4687G1722G5356G1453G1722G86143Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.G4687G1722G819G1453G1722G1391G4687G1722G769G1453G1722G141144They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.G4687G5591G4983G1453G4152G4983G2076G5591G4983G2532G2076G4152G498345The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person."

But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.G2532G3779G1125G4413G444G76G1096G1519G2198G5590G2078G76G1519G2227G415146What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.G235G3756G4412G4152G235G5591G1899G415247Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.G4413G444G1537G1093G5517G1208G444G2962G1537G377248Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.G3634G5517G5108G2532G5517G2532G3634G2032G5108G2032G2532G203249Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like

the heavenly man.G2532G2531G5409G1504G5517G5409G2532G5409G1504G203250What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.G1161G5124G5346G80G3754G4561G2532G129G3756G1410G2816G932G2316G3761G2816G5356G2816G86151But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!G2400G3004G5213G3466G2837G3756G3956G3303G2837G1161G236G3956G23652It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.G1722G823G1722G4493G3788G1722G2078G4536G1063G4537G2532G3498G1453G862G2532G2249G23653For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.G1063G5124G5349G1163G1746G861G2532G5124G2349G1746G11054Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die

, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory.G1161G3752G5124G5349G1746G861G2532G5124G2349G1746G110G5119G1096G3056G1125G2288G2666G1519G353455O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

"G2288G4226G4675G2759G86G4226G4675G353456For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.G1161G2759G2288G266G1161G1411G266G355157But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.G1161G5485G2316G3588G1325G2254G3534G1223G2257G2962G2424G554758So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.G5620G3450G27G80G1096G1476G277G3842G4052G1722G2041G2962G1492G3754G5216G2873G2076G3756G2756G1722G2962