1 Corinthians 15
15
Resurrection Essential to the Gospel
1Now brothers, I want to clarify # Or I make known for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand # Pr 24:16 on it. 2You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you — unless you believed for no purpose. # Or believed without careful thought, or believed in vain # Gl 4:11; Heb 6:8 3For I passed on to you # Jd 3 as most important what I also received:
that Christ died # 1Co 8:11 for our sins
according to the Scriptures, # Mt 26:54; 1Pt 1:20
4that He was buried, # Mt 27:59-60; Mk 15:46; Lk 23:53; Jn 19:41-42
that He was raised on the third day # 1Th 4:14
according to the Scriptures, # Ps 16:10; Is 53:10; Hs 6:2; Mt 12:40; Jn 2:22; Ac 2:25-32; 13:33-35; 26:22-23
5and that He appeared to Cephas, # Lk 24:34
then to the Twelve. # Mk 16:14; Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19,26; Ac 10:41
6Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; # Mt 28:10-20
most of them are still alive,
but some have fallen asleep.
7Then He appeared to James, # Jms 1:1
then to all the apostles. # Ac 1:3-11
8Last of all, as to one abnormally born, # Or one whose birth was unusual, He # 1Tm 1:13-16
He also appeared to me. # Ac 9:1-8
9For I am the least of the apostles, # Eph 3:8; 1Tm 1:16-17 unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted # Php 3:6 the church of God. 10But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me. # 2Co 3:5; Php 2:13; Col 1:29 11Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
Resurrection Essential to the Faith
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, # Mt 17:9 how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? # Mt 22:23; Mk 12:18; Lk 20:27; Ac 23:8; 2Tm 2:18 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. # Or proclamation is useless, and your faith also is useless, or proclamation is empty, and your faith also is empty 15In addition, we are found to be false witnesses # Mt 26:60 about God, because we have testified # Jn 15:26 about God that He raised up Christ — whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ # 1Th 4:16; 1Pt 5:14 have also perished. 19If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
Christ’s Resurrection Guarantees Ours
20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits # Ex 23:19; Lv 2:12; Rm 8:23; Col 1:18 of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death # Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10 came through a man, # Gn 3:1-7; Rm 5:12-14 the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. # Mt 28:5-6; Mk 16:6; Lk 24:5-8,34; Jn 11:25; 20:9,15-18 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. # Rm 14:9 23But each in his own order: # 1Th 4:17 Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, # Mt 24:6; Mk 13:7 when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, # Mt 5:16; 11:27; Lk 11:13; Jn 8:42; Eph 5:20 when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. # Ac 8:10; Eph 1:21; 1Pt 3:22 25For He must reign # Lk 1:33; Rv 11:15 until He puts all His enemies under His feet. # Ps 110:1; Mt 22:44; Eph 1:22 26The last enemy to be abolished is death. # 2Co 5:4 27For God has put everything under His feet. # Ps 8:6 # Ps 8:6 But when it says “everything” is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception. 28And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son # Jn 5:19; Heb 1:2 Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all. # Ps 104:24; Eph 1:23
Resurrection Supported by Christian Experience
29Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them? # Other mss read for the dead 30Why are we in danger every hour? 31I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day! # Rm 8:36 32If I fought wild animals in Ephesus # Eph 1:1 with only human hope, # Lit Ephesus according to man what good did that do me? # Lit what to me the profit? # 1Th 2:19 If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. # Is 22:13 # Is 22:13 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” # A quotation from the poet Menander, Thais, 218 34Come to your senses # Lit Sober up righteously # Ti 2:12 and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame. # 1Co 4:14
The Nature of the Resurrection Body
35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come? ” 36Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life # Jn 12:24 unless it dies. 37And as for what you sow — you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, # Lit but a naked seed perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38But God gives it a body as He wants, # Ps 143:10; Pr 16:9; Jn 5:30; Gl 1:4; Eph 1:9; 1Jn 2:17 and to each of the seeds its own body. 39Not all flesh # Php 3:3 is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor # Lk 9:31-32; Ac 22:11 of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 41There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for one star differs from another star in splendor. 42So it is with the resurrection of the dead:
Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; # Rm 2:7; Eph 6:24; 2Tm 1:10
43sown in dishonor, # 2Co 6:8 raised in glory; # 1Pt 5:4
sown in weakness, raised in power; # Mk 5:30; Lk 1:35; 6:19; Ac 19:11; 2Co 13:4; Rv 11:17
44sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; # Gn 2:7 # Gn 2:7 the last Adam # Rm 8:2 became a life-giving Spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
47The first man was from the earth
and made of dust; # Gn 2:7; 3:19; Ps 90:3
the second man is # Other mss add the Lord from heaven.
48Like the man made of dust,
so are those who are made of dust;
like the heavenly man,
so are those who are heavenly. # Php 3:20-21
49And just as we have borne
the image # Gn 1:27 of the man made of dust,
we will also bear
the image of the heavenly man. # 1Jn 3:2
Victorious Resurrection
50Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh # Php 3:3 and blood # Mt 16:17 cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,
52in a moment, in the blink of an eye,
at the last trumpet. # Mt 24:31; 1Pt 1:5
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.
53For this corruptible must be clothed # Pr 31:25
with incorruptibility, # 1Pt 1:18
and this mortal must be clothed
with immortality.
54When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up # Mt 23:24 in victory. # Is 25:8 # Is 25:8
55Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting? # Hs 13:14 # Hs 13:14
56Now the sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin # Rm 4:15 is the law. # Gl 5:4
57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory # 1Jn 5:5
through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, # Mk 14:6; Gl 3:10; Jms 2:14-26 knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 15
15
Jesus Came Back to Life
1Brothers and sisters, I’m making known to you the Good News which I already told you, which you received, and on which your faith is based. 2In addition, you are saved by this Good News if you hold on to the doctrine I taught you, unless you believed it without thinking it over. 3I passed on to you the most important points of doctrine that I had received:
Christ died to take away our sins as the Scriptures predicted.
4He was placed in a tomb.
He was brought back to life on the third day as the Scriptures predicted.
5He appeared to Cephas.#15:5 Cephas is the Aramaic name for the Apostle Peter. Next he appeared to the twelve apostles. 6Then he appeared to more than 500 believers at one time. (Most of these people are still living, but some have died.) 7Next he appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. 8Last of all, he also appeared to me.
I’m like an aborted child ⌞who was given life⌟. 9I’m the least of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God’s church. 10But God’s kindness #15:10 Or “grace.” made me what I am, and that kindness was not wasted on me. Instead, I worked harder than all the others. It was not I who did it, but God’s kindness was with me. 11So, whether it was I or someone else, this is the message we brought you, and this is what you believed.
We Will Come Back to Life
12If we have told you that Christ has been brought back to life, how can some of you say that coming back from the dead is impossible? 13If the dead can’t be brought back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life. 14If Christ hasn’t come back to life, our message has no meaning and your faith also has no meaning. 15In addition, we are obviously witnesses who lied about God because we testified that he brought Christ back to life. But if it’s true that the dead don’t come back to life, then God didn’t bring Christ back to life. 16Certainly, if the dead don’t come back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life either. 17If Christ hasn’t come back to life, your faith is worthless and sin still has you in its power. 18Then those who have died as believers in Christ no longer exist. 19If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.
20But now Christ has come back from the dead. He is the very first person of those who have died to come back to life. 21Since a man brought death, a man also brought life back from death. 22As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ. 23This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him ⌞will be made alive⌟. 24Then the end will come. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father as he destroys every ruler, authority, and power.
25Christ must rule until God has put every enemy under his control. 26The last enemy he will destroy is death. 27Clearly, God has put everything under Christ’s authority. When God says that everything has been put under Christ’s authority, this clearly excludes God, since God has put everything under Christ’s authority. 28But when God puts everything under Christ’s authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, since God had put everything under the Son’s authority. Then God will be in control of everything.
29However, people are baptized because the dead ⌞will come back to life⌟. What will they do? If the dead can’t come back to life, why do people get baptized as if they can ⌞come back to life⌟?
30Why are we constantly putting ourselves in danger? 31Brothers and sisters, I swear to you on my pride in you which Christ Jesus our Lord has given me: I face death every day. 32If I have fought with wild animals in Ephesus, what have I gained according to the way people look at things? If the dead are not brought back to life, “Let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’re going to die!” 33Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people. 34Come back to the right point of view, and stop sinning. Some people don’t know anything about God. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
We Will Have Bodies That Will Not Decay
35But someone will ask, “How do the dead come back to life? With what kind of body will they come back?”
36You fool! The seed you plant doesn’t come to life unless it dies first. 37What you plant, whether it’s wheat or something else, is only a seed. It doesn’t have the form that the plant will have. 38God gives the plant the form he wants it to have. Each kind of seed grows into its own form. 39Not all flesh is the same. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have still another. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies don’t all have the same splendor, neither do earthly bodies. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon has another kind of splendor, and the stars have still another kind of splendor. Even one star differs in splendor from another star.
42That is how it will be when the dead come back to life. When the body is planted, it decays. When it comes back to life, it cannot decay. 43When the body is planted, it doesn’t have any splendor and is weak. When it comes back to life, it has splendor and is strong. 44It is planted as a physical body. It comes back to life as a spiritual body. As there is a physical body, so there is also a spiritual body.
45This is what Scripture says: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual does not come first, but the physical and then the spiritual. 47The first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven. 48The people on earth are like the man who was made from the dust of the earth. The people in heaven are like the man who came from heaven. 49As we have worn the likeness of the man who was made from the dust of the earth, we will also wear the likeness of the man who came from heaven. 50Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom. What decays cannot inherit what doesn’t decay.
51I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. 52It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. 53This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. 54When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true:
“Death is turned into victory!
55Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?”
56Sin gives death its sting, and God’s standards give sin its power. 57Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation ⌞of your faith⌟. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.
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