1 Corinthians 15

Thomson^{(i) 1} I now, brethren, remind you in what terms I proclaimed the gospel which I proclaimed to you, and which you received, and in which you have continued, ² and by which also you are saved, if you strictly adhere to it, unless indeed you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you, as one of the principal things, that which I actually received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; ⁴ and that he was buried; and that he was raised up the third day according to the scriptures; ⁵ and that he was seen by Cephas, then, by the twelve; ⁶ after that he was seen by above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater number are even now alive, but some indeed are composed to rest; ⁷ after that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles; ⁸ and, last of all, he was seen also by me, who am as it were one born out of due time; ⁹ for I am the very least of the apostles, and am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the congregation of God. ¹⁰ But by the favour of God I am what I am; and this favour of his which reached me was not fruitless; but I have laboured more than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹ Whether therefore I or they laboured, thus do we proclaim, and thus you have believed. ¹² Now, if Christ be proclaimed, that he hath been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is indeed no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ hath not been raised, our proclamation is vain, and your belief is also vain. ¹⁵ And we are found to be actually false witnesses of God; because we have testified concerning God, that he hath raised the Christ, whom he hath not raised, if indeed the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ hath not been raised, your belief is vain; you are still in your sins; ¹⁸ and consequently they, who have been composed to rest in Christ, have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we, of all men, are most to be pitied. ²⁰ But now Christ hath been raised from the dead. He was the first fruits of them who have been composed to rest. ²¹ For since by man came death, by man also cometh a resurrection of the dead. ²² For as by Adam all die, so by the Christ all shall be brought to life: ²³ but every one in his proper order; Christ the first fruits; then they who belong to Christ, at his coming: ²⁴ then the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God the father, when he shall have put a stop to all empire and all authority, and all power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he hath put all the enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy, death, is to be destroyed: ²⁷ for he hath put all under his feet. "But when it is said, That all are subjected; it is evident that there is an exception of him who subjected the all to him; ²⁸ and when the all are subjected to him, then will the Son himself also be subjected to him who subjected the all to him that God may be the all in all. ²⁹ This being the case what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If they who are altogether dead are not raised up, why are they then baptized for the dead? ³⁰ and why are we every hour incurring danger ³¹ I dying daily? I swear by that boasting of yours" [meaning that which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord] ³² "if I as a man had fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is that to me if the dead are not raised up? Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die." ³³ Be not led astray; "good morals are debauched by talk profane." ³⁴ Be righteously sober and sin not. For some have not a knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. ³⁵ But a certain person will say, How are the dead raised, and with what sort of a body do they come? ³⁶ Simpleton! that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened unless it dieth. ³⁷ And as to what thou sowest, thou sowest not the body which is to be, but a bare grain, for instance, of wheat, or of any other seeds: ³⁸ and God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every of the seeds its own peculiar body. ³⁹ All flesh is not of the same sort; but there is one sort of flesh peculiar to men; another to beasts, and another to fishes, and another to birds. ⁴⁰ There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies. But the glory of the celestial is of one sort, and the glory of the terrestrial, of another. ⁴¹ The glory of the sun is of one kind; and the glory of the moon, of another; and the glory of the stars is different: One star differeth from another in glory. ⁴² Thus it is also with respect to the resurrection of the dead. That which is sown, is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: ⁴⁴ it is sown an animal body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is an animal body; and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ Thus also it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul." The latter Adam is a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual was not first, but the animal; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man from the earth was earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As the earthy was, such also are they who are earthy. And as the heavenly is, such shall they be who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor can corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold I tell you a secret: We shall not all be composed to rest; but we shall all be changed ⁵² in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for it will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility; and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility; and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then will be brought to pass the word which is written, "Death is completely swallowed up." ⁵⁵ O death where is thy sting? Where thy victory, O grave? ⁵⁶ Sin is indeed the sting of death; And the law is the strength of sin: ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God who gives us the victory Through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ So then, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, abounding always in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.