1 Corinthians 15 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters,[a] of the good news[b] that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters[c] at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.[d] 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died[e] in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.[f] 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end,[g] when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For ‘God[h] has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?

30 And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31 I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters,[i] as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised,

‘Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.’

33 Do not be deceived:

‘Bad company ruins good morals.’

34 Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.

42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is[j] from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will[k] also bear the image of the man of heaven.

50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters,[l] is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die,[m] but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, 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. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:

‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
55 ‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’

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

58 Therefore, my beloved,[n] be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Gk brothers
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Or gospel
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:6 Gk brothers
  4. 1 Corinthians 15:6 Gk fallen asleep
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:18 Gk fallen asleep
  6. 1 Corinthians 15:20 Gk fallen asleep
  7. 1 Corinthians 15:24 Or Then come the rest
  8. 1 Corinthians 15:27 Gk he
  9. 1 Corinthians 15:31 Gk brothers
  10. 1 Corinthians 15:47 Other ancient authorities add the Lord
  11. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Other ancient authorities read let us
  12. 1 Corinthians 15:50 Gk brothers
  13. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Gk fall asleep
  14. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Gk beloved brothers

You Might Also Like:

1 Corinthians 15 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

15 And I make known to you, brethren, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which also ye did receive, in which also ye have stood, 2 through which also ye are being saved, in what words I proclaimed good news to you, if ye hold fast, except ye did believe in vain, 3 for I delivered to you first, ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

15 Soothly, brethren, I make the gospel known to you, which I have preached to you, which also ye have taken, in which [and] ye stand, 2 by which also ye shall be saved [by which and ye be saved]; by which reason I have preached to you, if ye hold, if ye have not believed idly. 3 For I betook to y...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

15 Now, my brothers, I want to bring the good news to your minds again. I told it to you and you received it. You now believe it. 2 You are saved by it, if you hold on to what I told you. If you do not, then you have believed for nothing. 3 I told you first what was told to me. I told you that Chris...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - World English Bible (WEB)

15 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also receiv...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - The Voice (VOICE)

15 Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I preached to you when we first met. It’s the essential message that you have taken to heart, the central story you now base your life on; 2 and through this gospel, you are liberated—unless, of course, your faith has come to nothing...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Victory of the Resurrection15 Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the Good News which I proclaimed to you. You also received it, and you took your stand on it, 2 and by it you are being saved if you hold firm to the word I proclaimed to you—unless you believed without proper consider...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Resurrection of Christ15 Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, 2 by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Ch...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

15 Moreover brothers, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which you have also received, and wherein you continue, 2 And whereby you are saved, if you keep in memory the word which I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain. 3 For first of all, I delivered to you that which ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

The Gospel of the Messiah, Crucified, Buried and Risen15 Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, about the good news which I announced to you. You received this good news, and you’re standing firm on it, 2 and you are saved through it, if you hold fast the message I announced to you – unless it wa...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Resurrection of Christ15 Now I want you to understand, brothers and sisters, the good news[a] that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,(A)2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

The resurrection of the dead. 15 Brethren, as pertaining to the gospel that I preached to you, which you have also accepted, and in which you continue, 2 by which also you are saved, I call to your mind how I preached to you – if you keep it, unless you have believed in vain. 3 For first of all I ...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Resurrection of Christ15 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed s...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jesus Christ Was Raised from the Dead15 Christian brothers, I want to tell the Good News to you again. It is the same as I preached to you before. You received it and your faith has been made strong by it. 2 This is what I preached to you. You are saved from the punishment of sin by the Good News i...
Read More

1 Corinthians 15 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality(A)15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel (B)which I preached to you, which also you received and (C)in which you stand, 2 (D)by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless (E)you believed in vain. 3 For (F)I deliv...
Read More