1 Corinthians 15:20-58

20But the fact is, Christ 1has been raised from the dead, the 2first fruits of those who 3are asleep. 21For since 4by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For 5as in Adam all die, so also in 6Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ 7the first fruits, after that 8those who are Christ’s at 9His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over 10the kingdom to our 11God and Father, when He has abolished 12all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign 13until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be 14abolished is death. 27For 15He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “16All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that 17this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28When 18all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that 19God may be all in all.

29For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized 20for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized 21for them? 30Why are we also 22in danger every hour? 31I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that 23I die daily. 32If 24from human motives I 25fought with wild beasts at 26Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, 27let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 3328Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 3429Sober up 30morally and stop sinning, for some have 31no knowledge of God. 32I say this to your shame.

35But 33someone will say, “How are 34the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 3635You fool! That which you 36sow 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 37something else. 38But God gives it a body just as He wished, and 38to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, 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, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

4239So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown 4041a perishable body, it is raised 4243an imperishable body; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in 44glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a 45natural body, it is raised a 46spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So also it is written: “The first 47man, Adam, became a living 48person.” The 49last Adam was a 50life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47The first man is 51from the earth, 5253earthy; the second Man is from heaven. 48As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly One, 54so also are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have 55borne the image of the earthy, 56we 57will also bear the image of the heavenly.

50Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that 58flesh and blood cannot 59inherit the kingdom of God; nor does 60the perishable inherit 6162the imperishable. 51Behold, I am telling you a 6364mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be 65changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for 66the trumpet will sound, and 67the dead will be raised 68imperishable, and 69we will be changed. 53For this 70perishable must put on 7172the imperishable, and this 73mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this 74perishable puts on 75the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “76Death has been swallowed up in victory. 5577Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” 56The sting of 78death is sin, and 79the power of sin is the Law; 57but 80thanks be to God, who gives us the 81victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

5882Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in 83the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.