15. Resurrection of Christ and the Dead

¹Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, ²by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; ⁶then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; ⁷then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; ⁸and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. ¹²Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised: ¹⁴and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. ¹⁵Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised: ¹⁷and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. ¹⁸Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. ²⁰But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. ²¹For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. ²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. ²⁷For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. ²⁸And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. ²⁹Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? ³⁰Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour? ³¹I protest by that glorifying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ³²If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. ³³Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals. ³⁴Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame. ³⁵But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come? ³⁶Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die: ³⁷and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind; ³⁸but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own. ³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes. ⁴⁰There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. ⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: ⁴³it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.