The Resurrection of Christ

1Now I make known to you⁺, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you⁺, which also you⁺ received, in which you⁺ also stand, 2by which you⁺ are also being saved in what word I proclaimed to you⁺, if you⁺ hold fast—unless you⁺ believed in vain.

3For I delivered 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. 6Afterward, He appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, the greater part of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. 7Afterward, He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8And last of all, as to one of untimely birth, He appeared also to me.

9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not sufficient 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 toward me was not empty. But I toiled more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, I or they, thus we preach, and thus you⁺ believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised out from the dead, how do some among you⁺ say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then also our preaching is void, and your⁺† faith is void. 15Then also we are found false witnesses of God, because we have witnessed concerning God that He raised Christ, whom He has not raised if then the dead are not raised.

16For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your⁺ faith is futile; you⁺ are still in your⁺ sins. 18Then also those having fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If only in this life we are having hope in Christ, we are more to be pitied than all men.

The Order of Resurrection

20But now Christ has been raised out from the dead,† the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep. 21For since death is through a man, also through a man is the resurrection of the dead. 22For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive— 23but each in his own order: Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming, 24then the end, when He shall deliver the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have made null all rule and all authority and power. 25For it is necessary for Him to reign until He shall have put all the enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy to be made null is death. 27For “He has subjected all things under His feet.”† But when it may be said that all things have been subjected, it is evident that the One having subjected all things to Him is excepted. 28Now when all things shall be subjected to Him, then also the Son Himself will be subjected to the One having subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

29Otherwise,† what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are they also baptized for them?† 30And why are we in danger every hour? 31I die every day, as surely as the boasting in you⁺, brothers,† which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If according to man I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what is the gain to me? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and let us drink,

for tomorrow we die.Ӡ

33Do not be led astray: “Bad companionships corrupt good morals.”† 34Sober up righteously and do not sin, for some have ignorance of God. I speak to you⁺ for shame.

The Resurrection Body

35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36You Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that will be, but you sow a bare grain, if it may be of wheat or of some of the rest. 38But God gives it a body as He willed, and to each of the seeds, its own body.

39Not all flesh is the same, but indeed one flesh is of men, and another flesh is of beasts, and another flesh is of birds, and another is of fish.† 40And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But indeed, the glory of the heavenly is one kind, and that 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.

42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruptibility; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual.† 45So also it has been written: “The first man Adam became into a living soul;”† the last Adam into a life-giving spirit.

46But the spiritual was not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. 47The first man was out of the earth, made of dust; the second man† out of heaven. 48As was the one made of dust, such are also those made of dust; and as is the heavenly one, such are also the heavenly. 49And as we bore the image of the one made of dust, we will also bear† the image of the heavenly one.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?
(Hosea 13:9–14)

50Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruptibility.

51Behold, I speak to you⁺ a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For it is necessary for this, the corruptible to put on† incorruptibility, and this, the mortal to put on immortality.

54Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,† then the word having been written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”†

55“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?Ӡ

56Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, the One giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your⁺ labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Footnotes:

5 That is, Peter
14 WH our
20 BYZ and TR include and has become.
27 Psalm 8:6
29 That is, If there is no resurrection
29 BYZ and TR for the dead
31 BYZ and TR do not include brothers.
32 Isaiah 22:13
33 Probably a quote from the Greek comedy Thais by Menander
39 BYZ and TR another of fish, and another of birds
44 BYZ and TR There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual/i>
45 Genesis 2:7
47 BYZ and TR include is the Lord.
49 BYZ so also let us bear
53 Or be clothed with
54 WH does not include and this mortal shall have put on immortality.
54 Isaiah 25:8
55 Hosea 13:14 (see also LXX); BYZ and TR “Where, O Death, is your sting? Where, O Hades, is your victory?”