1 Corinthians 15:16-22

16So, if dead people never rise to a new life, then Christ himself did not rise after his death.

17And if Christ did not rise, then you have believed a false message. God would still say that you are guilty, because of your sins.

18Also, think about those people who believed in Christ but they have already died. If dead people do not rise to a new life, those people would have no life with God.

19As believers, we trust Christ to lead us into a new life after death. But if we only trust him to help us in this life, we should be very sad. Everybody should be very sorry for us, more than for anyone else.

20But it is really true that God raised Christ up after his death. He rose up to go to God in heaven. He was the first, so we know that believers who die will also rise up.

21All people die because of what one man did. That was Adam. And it is because of another man that people can rise up after death to a new life. That is Christ.

22As people, all of us belong to Adam's family. So all of us must die. But all people who belong to Christ will live again after death.