THE RESURRECTION (15:1-58)
Christ’s Resurrection and the Good News
1Now brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2and by which you are being saved if you hold on firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you believed it in vain.
3For I delivered to you as of first importance that which also I received: that Christa died for 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.
6Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at once (most of whom remain alive until now, but some have fallen asleep),
7then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8and last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.
9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit 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 to me was not found worthless. On the contrary, I labored even more than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
Christ’s Resurrection and Our Trust
12Now if Christ is being preached that he has been raised from among the dead, why are some among you saying that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised,
14and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worthless, and your trust is also worthless.
15Indeed, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified in contradiction to God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
16For if the dead are not raised, then even Christ has not been raised.
17And if Christ has not been raised, your trust is pointless; you are still in your sins.
18Then also, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19And also, if in this life we have only put our hope in Christ, we are of all people to be pitied the most.
Christ’s Resurrection as the Firstfruits
20But in fact, Christ has been raised from among the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also came by a man.
22For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.
24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to his God and Father, after he brings to an end every ruler and every authority and power.
25For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26The last enemy that will be brought to an end is death.
27For He has put all things in subjection under his feet.b But when it says, “all things” have been put in subjection, it is clear that the One who subjected all things to him is not included.
28And when all things have been put in subjection to him, then the Son will subject himself to Him who put all things in subjection to him, so that God is all in all.
Additional Support for Christ’s Resurrection
29Otherwise, what will those do who are being baptized for the sake of those who are dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?
30Why are we in danger every hour?
31I die every day! I swear this, brothers and sisters, by your reason to boast, that is, Christ Jesus our Lord.
32If for merely human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me if the dead are not raised? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.c
33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”d
34Start thinking clearly, as is right, and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to move you to shame.
35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”
36You senseless one, that which you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
37And that which you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat, or of something else.
38But God gives it a body just as it pleased him, and to each of the seeds he gives a body of its own.
39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of humans, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one kind, and the glory of the earthly 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 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 soul body, it is raised a spiritual body. Since there is a soul body, there is also a spiritual one.
45So also it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living soul.e The last Adam has become a life-giving spirit.
46But the spiritual is not first, on the contrary, the soul body is; after that is the spiritual.
47The first man is of the earth, made of dust; the second man is of heaven.
48Like the one made of dust, so too are those who are of the dust; and like the heavenly man, so too will be the heavenly ones.
49And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man.
50Now I say this, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood is not able to inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
51Look! I tell you a sacred secret: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.
52In a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54Now when this corruptible puts on incorruptibility, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the word that has been written will be brought to pass: Death has been swallowed up in victory.f
55O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?g
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the law,
57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58So then, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
d[33]
An exact quote from the play Thais, by Menander (342-291 BC), but likely widely used by Paul’s time.
