1 Corinthians 15:3-22

3For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,

5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

11Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.

12Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty.

15Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised.

16For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised.

17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins.

18Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.

19For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.

20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man.

22For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.