1 N ow I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,

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 b y which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

This 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.

3 F or I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

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

4 t hat he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

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

5 a nd that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Christ was seen by Peter. After that, the twelve followers saw Him.

6 T hen he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

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

7 T hen he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

After that, James saw Christ. Then all the missionaries saw Him.

8 a nd last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

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

9 F or I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

For 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.

10 B ut by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

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.

11 W hether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

It 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

12 N ow if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

We 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?

13 B ut if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.

If the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised from the dead.

14 I f Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

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

15 Y es, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised.

That 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.

16 F or if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.

If the dead are not raised, then not even Christ was raised from the dead.

17 I f Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

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

18 T hen they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Then the Christians who have already died are lost in sin.

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

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

20 B ut now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.

But 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.

21 F or since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

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

22 F or as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

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

23 B ut each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.

This 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.

24 T hen the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

Next, 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.

25 F or he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

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

26 T he last enemy that will be abolished is death.

The last thing that will be destroyed is death.

27 F or, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.

The Holy Writings say that God has put all things under Christ’s feet except Himself.

28 W hen all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

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

29 O r else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?

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

30 W hy do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

Why are we also in danger every hour?

31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

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.

32 I f I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

As 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.”

33 D on’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

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

34 W ake up righteously, and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

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

35 B ut someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?”

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

36 Y ou foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

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

37 T hat which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.

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

38 B ut God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

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

39 A ll flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

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

40 T here are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.

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

41 T here is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

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

42 S o also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable.

It 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.

43 I t is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

It 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.

44 I t is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

It 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.

45 S o also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

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

46 H owever that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

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

47 T he first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.

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

48 A s is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

All 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.

49 A s we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly.

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

50 N ow I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.

Christian 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.

51 B ehold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

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

52 i n a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

In 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.

53 F or this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Our 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.

54 B ut when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

When 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.”

55 “ Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”

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

56 T he sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

The pain in death is sin. Sin has power over those under the Law.

57 B ut thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

58 T herefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

So 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.