1 Corinthians 15
1Now I am bringing back to your attention, brothers and sisters, the Good News which I announced to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 2and through which you are being saved—if you hold firmly to the logic of the message I announced to you, unless you believed for no reason at all.
3For I handed down to you as of primary importance what I also received: that Christ died on behalf of our sins “according to the Scriptures,” 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day “according to the Scriptures,” 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once, most of whom remain with us until now, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the emissaries. 8Last of all, as if to one born through a miscarriage, he appeared to me as well.
9For I am the least of the emissaries, one who is not fit to be called an emissary because I persecuted the ekklesia of God. 10But by the favor of God I am what I am, and his favor toward me was not wasted. On the contrary, I labored harder than all of them—though it was not I, but the favor of God that is with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we proclaim and this is what you believed.
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as having been raised from the dead, how can some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is empty and your faith is empty. 15We are even found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified against God that he raised the Christ—whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are more pitiable than all other people.
20But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-harvest of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a human, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a human. 22For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own rank: Christ the first-harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his arrival. 24Then comes the goal, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after he has nullified every ruler and every authority and power. 25For he must reign “until he puts all his enemies under his feet.” 26The last enemy to be nullified is Death. 27For “he has subjected all things under his feet.” But when it says that "all things" have been subjected, it is clear that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. 28And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
29Otherwise, what will they do—those who are being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30And why do we put ourselves in danger every hour? 31I die every day—I swear it by the pride I have in you, brothers and sisters, which I hold in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If, from a human perspective, I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what do I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34Sober up as is right and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seed—perhaps of wheat or something else. 38But God gives it a body just as he intended, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39Not all flesh is the same flesh: human flesh is one thing, the flesh of animals another, the flesh of birds another, and the flesh of fish another. 40There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one thing, 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 star differs from star in glory.
42So it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in decay, it is raised in immortality; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a soul-animated body, it is raised a Spirit-animated body. If there is a soul-animated body, there is also a Spirit-animated body. 45So it is written: “The first human, Adam, became a living soul”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46However, the Spirit-animated is not first, but the soul-animated, then the Spirit-animated. 47The first human was from the earth, made of dust; the second human is from heaven. 48As was the one made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly one, so are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have worn the image of the one made of dust, we will also wear the image of the heavenly one.
50I tell you this, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does decay inherit immortality. 51Look, I tell you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52in a split-second, in the flicker of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised immortal, and we will be changed. 53For this decaying thing must put on immortality, and this mortal thing must put on deathlessness. 54When this decaying thing puts on immortality and this mortal thing puts on deathlessness, then the word that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”
56The sting of Death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.