1 C hristian 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.

Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,

2 T his is what I preached to you. You are saved from the punishment of sin by the Good News if you keep hold of it, unless your faith was worth nothing.

by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.

3 F irst of all, I taught you what I had received. It was this: Christ died for our sins as the Holy Writings said He would.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 C hrist was buried. He was raised from the dead three days later as the Holy Writings said He would.

and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures;

5 C hrist was seen by Peter. After that, the twelve followers saw Him.

and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve;

6 A fter that, more than 500 of His followers saw Him at one time. Most of them are still here, but some have died.

then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep;

7 A fter that, James saw Christ. Then all the missionaries saw Him.

then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles;

8 L ast of all, Christ showed Himself to me as if I had been born too late.

and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also.

9 F or I am the least important of all the missionaries. I should not be called a missionary because I made it so hard for God’s church.

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

10 I am different now. It is all because of what God did for me by His loving-favor. His loving-favor was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other missionaries. But it was not I who worked. It was God’s loving-favor working through me.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

11 I t makes no difference how you heard the Good News. It could have been through the other missionaries or through me. The important thing is this: We preached the Good News to you and you believed it. We Will Be Raised from the Dead Also

Whether then it be I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

12 W e preached to you that Christ has been raised from the dead. But some of you say that people are not raised from the dead. Why do you say this?

Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 I f the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised from the dead.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised:

14 I f Christ was not raised from the dead, then what we preach to you is worth nothing. Your faith in Christ is worth nothing.

and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.

15 T hat makes us all liars because we said that God raised Christ from the dead. But God did not raise Christ from the dead if the dead do not come to life again.

Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised.

16 I f the dead are not raised, then not even Christ was raised from the dead.

For if the dead are not raised, neither hath Christ been raised:

17 I f Christ was not raised from the dead, your faith is worth nothing and you are still living in your sins.

and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 T hen the Christians who have already died are lost in sin.

Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 I f we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are more sad than anyone else.

If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

20 B ut it is true! Christ has been raised from the dead! He was the first One to be raised from the dead and all those who are in graves will follow.

But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.

21 D eath came because of a man, Adam. Being raised from the dead also came because of a Man, Christ.

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 A ll men will die as Adam died. But all those who belong to Christ will be raised to new life.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 T his is the way it is: Christ was raised from the dead first. Then all those who belong to Christ will be raised from the dead when He comes again.

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.

24 N ext, at the end of the world, Christ will give His holy nation over to God the Father. Christ will have destroyed every nation and power.

Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

25 C hrist must be King until He has destroyed all those who hate Him and work against Him.

For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

26 T he last thing that will be destroyed is death.

The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.

27 T he Holy Writings say that God has put all things under Christ’s feet except Himself.

For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.

28 W hen Christ is over all things, He will put Himself under God Who put all things under Christ. And God will be over all things.

And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.

29 W hat good will it do people if they are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised, why are people baptized for them?

Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

30 W hy are we also in danger every hour?

Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

31 I say this, Christian brothers, I have joy in what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for you. That is why I face death every day.

I protest by that glorifying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

32 A s men look at it, what good has it done for me in the city of Ephesus to fight with men who act like wild animals? If the dead are not raised, we might as well be like those who say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

If after the manner of men I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

33 D o not let anyone fool you. Bad people can make those who want to live good become bad.

Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.

34 K eep your minds awake! Stop sinning. Some do not know God at all. I say this to your shame. The Body That Will Be Raised

Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak this to move you to shame.

35 S omeone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of bodies will they have?”

But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?

36 W hat a foolish question! When you plant a seed, it must die before it starts new life.

Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:

37 W hen you put it in the earth, you are not planting the body which it will become. You put in only a seed.

and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind;

38 I t is God Who gives it a body just as He wants it to have. Each kind of seed becomes a different kind of body.

but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

39 A ll flesh is not the same. Men have one kind of flesh. Animals have another kind. Fish have another kind, and birds have another kind.

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes.

40 T here are bodies in the heavens. There are bodies on earth. Their greatness is not the same.

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 T he sun has its greatness. The moon has its greatness. Stars have their greatness. One star is different from another star in greatness.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 I t is the same with people who are raised from the dead. The body will turn back to dust when it is put in a grave. When the body is raised from the grave, it will never die.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 I t has no greatness when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with shining-greatness. It is weak when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with power.

it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 I t is a human body when it dies, but it is a God-like body when it is raised from the dead. There are human bodies and there are God-like bodies.

it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

45 T he Holy Writings say, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” But the last Adam (Christ) is a life-giving Spirit.

So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 W e have these human bodies first. Then we are given God-like bodies that are ready for heaven.

Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.

47 A dam was the first man. He was made from the dust of the earth. Christ was the second man. He came down from heaven.

The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.

48 A ll men of the earth are made like Adam. But those who belong to Christ will have a body like the body of Christ Who came from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 N ow, our bodies are like Adam’s body. But in heaven, our bodies will be like the body of Christ.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 C hristian brothers, our bodies which are made of flesh and blood will not go into the holy nation of God. That which dies can have no part in that which will never die.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 F or sure, I am telling you a secret. We will not all die, but we will all be changed.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 I n a very short time, no longer than it takes for the eye to close and open, the Christians who have died will be raised. It will happen when the last horn sounds. The dead will be raised never to die again. Then the rest of us who are alive will be changed.

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 O ur human bodies made from dust must be changed into a body that cannot be destroyed. Our human bodies that can die must be changed into bodies that will never die.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 W hen this that can be destroyed has been changed into that which cannot be destroyed, and when this that does die has been changed into that which cannot die, then it will happen as the Holy Writings said it would happen. They said, “Death has no more power over life.”

But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains?

O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?

56 T he pain in death is sin. Sin has power over those under the Law.

The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

57 B ut God is the One Who gives us power over sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. We give thanks to Him for this.

but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 S o then, Christian brothers, because of all this, be strong. Do not allow anyone to change your mind. Always do your work well for the Lord. You know that whatever you do for Him will not be wasted.

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