1 Corinthians 15:5-58

5and that 1He appeared to 2Cephas, then 3to the twelve. 6After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some 4have fallen asleep; 7then He appeared to 56James, then to 7all the apostles; 8and last of all, as 8to one untimely born, 9He appeared to me also. 9For I am 10the least of the apostles, 11and not fit to be called an apostle, because I 12persecuted the church of God. 10But by 13the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I 14labored even more than all of them, yet 15not I, but the grace of God with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there 16is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14and 17if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified 18against God that He 19raised 20Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; 21you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who 22have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are 23of all men most to be pitied.

20But now Christ 24has been raised from the dead, the 25first fruits of those who 26are asleep. 21For since 27by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For 28as in Adam all die, so also in 29Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ 30the first fruits, after that 31those who are Christ’s at 32His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over 33the kingdom to the 34God and Father, when He has abolished 35all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign 36until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be 37abolished is death. 27For 38He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “39All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28When 40all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that 41God may be all in all.

29Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? 30Why are we also 42in danger every hour? 31I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, 43I die daily. 32If 44from human motives I 45fought with wild beasts at 46Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, 47let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 3348Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 3449Become sober-minded 50as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have 51no knowledge of God. 52I speak this to your shame.

35But 53someone will say, “How are 54the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 3655You fool! That which you 56sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of 57something else. 38But God gives it a body just as He wished, and 58to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, 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, 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.

4259So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown 6061a perishable body, it is raised 6263an imperishable body; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in 64glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a 65natural body, it is raised a 66spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So also it is written, “The first 67man, Adam, became a living soul.” The 68last Adam became a 69life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47The first man is 70from the earth, 7172earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, 73so also are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have 74borne the image of the earthy, 75we 76will also bear the image of the heavenly.

50Now I say this, brethren, that 77flesh and blood cannot 78inherit the kingdom of God; nor does 79the perishable inherit 8081the imperishable. 51Behold, I tell you a 82mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be 83changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for 84the trumpet will sound, and 85the dead will be raised 86imperishable, and 87we will be changed. 53For this 88perishable must put on 8990the imperishable, and this 91mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this 92perishable will have put on 93the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “94Death is swallowed up in victory. 5595O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56The sting of 96death is sin, and 97the power of sin is the law; 57but 98thanks be to God, who gives us the 99victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58100Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in 101the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.