The Resurrection of Christ

1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached to you at first, which ye received, and wherein ye stand. 2By which also ye are saved, if ye retain it as I preached it to you: unless indeed ye have believed in vain.

3For in the first place I delivered to you, that which I also received, to wit, that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures: 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. 5And that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve: 6after that He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain yet alive, but some are fallen asleep. 7Afterwards He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8And last of all He appeared to me also, as one born out of due time: for I am the lest of the apostles, 9not worthy 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 favor to me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether therefore I or they laboured most, thus we preach, and thus ye believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12Now if it be preached that Christ is risen from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13for if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yea, and we are found false witnesses concerning God, for we have testified of God, that He raised up Christ; whom He did not raise up, if indeed the dead do not rise. 16For if the dead rise not, then Christ is not raised: 17and if Christ be not risen, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also that sleep in Christ, are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

The Order of Resurrection

20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first-fruits of them that slept: 21for as by man came death, by man cometh also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in their proper order: the first-fruits, Christ; afterwards they that are Christ's, at his coming. 24Then will be the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father; when He shall have abolished all rule, and all authority, and power. 25For he must reign till He hath put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that is destroyed is death: 27for He hath put all things under his feet. But when He saith that all things are put under Him, it is plain that we are to except Him who put all things under Him. 28And when all things shall be subjected to Him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to Him, that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

29Besides, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why then are they baptized for the dead? 30And why are we in danger every hour? 31I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I am even dying daily. 32If, to speak as a man, I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage have I, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. --- 33Be not deceived, bad conversations corrupt good morals. 34Behave soberly, as ye ought to do, and sin not: for some of you have not the knowledge of God; to your shame I speak it.

The Resurrection Body

35But some will say, How are the dead raised, and with what body do they come? 36Silly creature! that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die first. 37And as to what thou sowest, thou sowest not the very body that shall be produced, but a bare grain, it may be, of wheat, or any other corn: 38and God giveth it a body as He pleaseth, and to every one of the seeds it's own body. 39All flesh is not the same kind of flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies: but there is one glory of the celestial, and another of the terrestrial. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: and one star differeth from another star in glory.

42So also will be the resurrection of the dead. Our body is sown in corruption, it is raised incorruptible: it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: 43it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual body: for there is an animal body, and there is a spiritual body. 45And so it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul." But the last Adam is an enlivening spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the animal; and afterwards the spiritual. 47The first man being made out of the earth, was earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48Such as the earthy was, such are they also that are earthy: and such, as is the heavenly, are they also that are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

50But this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor doth what is corruptible inherit incorruption. 51Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed in a moment, 52in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet (for the trumpet shall sound) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed: 53for this corruptible body must put on incorruption, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54And when this corruptible shall be clothed with incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law: 57but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.