1 Corinthians 15

New King James Version

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality^(A)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel^(B)which I preached to you, which also you received and^(C)in which you stand,^2 (D)by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless^(E)you believed in vain.

³ For^(F)I delivered to you first of all that^(G)which I also received: that Christ died for our sins^(H)according to the Scriptures,⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day^(I)according to the Scriptures,^5 (J)and that He was seen by^[a]Cephas, then^(K)by the twelve.⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have^[b]fallen asleep.⁷ After that He was seen by James, then^(L)by all the apostles.^8 (M)Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am^(N)the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because^(O)I persecuted the church of God.¹⁰ But^(P)by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all,^(Q)yet not I, but the grace of Godwhich waswith me.¹¹ Therefore, whetherit wasI or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope^(R)

¹² 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?¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead,^(S)then Christ is not risen.¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preachingisempty and your faithisalso empty.¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because^(T)we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.¹⁶ For ifthedead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faithisfutile;^(U)you are still in your sins!¹⁸ Then also those who have^[c]fallen^(V)asleep in Christ have perished.^19 (W)If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰ But now^(X)Christ is risen from the dead,andhas become^(Y)the firstfruits of those who have^[d]fallen asleep.²¹ For^(Z)since by mancamedeath,^(AA)by Man alsocamethe resurrection of the dead.²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall^(AB)be made alive.²³ But^(AC)each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward thosewho areChrist’s at His coming.²⁴ Thencomesthe end, when He delivers^(AD)the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.²⁵ For He must reign^(AE)till He has put all enemies under His feet.^26 (AF)The last enemythatwill be destroyedisdeath.²⁷ For^(AG)“He has put all things under His feet.”But when He says “all things are put underHim,”it isevident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.^28 (AH)Now when all things are made subject to Him, then^(AI)the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

²⁹ Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?³⁰ And^(AJ)why do we stand in^[e]jeopardy every hour?³¹ I affirm, by^(AK)the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,^(AL)I die daily.³² If, in the manner of men,^(AM)I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageis itto me? Ifthedead do not rise,^(AN)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

³³ Do not be deceived:^(AO)“Evil company corrupts good habits.”^34 (AP)Awake to righteousness, and do not sin;^(AQ)for some do not have the knowledge of God.^(AR)I speakthisto your shame.

A Glorious Body

³⁵ But someone will say,^(AS)“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”³⁶ Foolish one,^(AT)what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.³⁷ And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some othergrain.³⁸ But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

³⁹ All fleshisnot the same flesh, butthere isonekind^[f]offlesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish,andanother of birds.

⁴⁰ There arealso^[g]celestial bodies and^[h]terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestialisone, and thegloryof the terrestrialisanother.⁴¹ There isone glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; foronestar differs fromanotherstar in glory.

^42 (AU)So alsoisthe resurrection of the dead.The bodyis sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.^43 (AV)It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.⁴⁵ And so it is written,^(AW)“The first man Adam became a living being.”^(AX)The last Adambecame^(AY)a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.^47 (AZ)The first manwasof the earth,^(BA)made^[i]of dust; the second Manis^[j]the Lord^(BB)from heaven.⁴⁸ Aswasthe^[k]manof dust, so alsoarethosewho are madeof dust;^(BC)and asisthe heavenlyMan,so alsoarethosewho areheavenly.⁴⁹ And^(BD)as we have borne the image of themanof dust,^(BE)we^[l]shall also bear the image of the heavenlyMan.

Our Final Victory

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that^(BF)flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a^[m]mystery:^(BG)We shall not all sleep,^(BH)but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.^(BI)For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and^(BJ)this mortalmustput on immortality.⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:^(BK)“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁶ The sting of deathissin, and^(BM)the strength of sinisthe law.^57 (BN)But thanksbeto God, who gives us^(BO)the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (BP)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing^(BQ)that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.