The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

1Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 2by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to [a]the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

3For I handed down to you [b]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 [c]Cephas, then to the twelve. 6After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7then He appeared to [d]James, then to all the apostles; 8and last of all, as [e]to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9For I am the least of the apostles, [f]and not fit 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 did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12Now 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? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. 15Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified [g]against God that He raised [h]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

20But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in [i]Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that [j]this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

29For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized [k]for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized [l]for them? 30Why are we also in danger every hour? 31I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily. 32If [m]from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, LET’S EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE. 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34Sober up [n]morally and stop sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of [o]something else. 38But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41There is one glory of the sun, 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 [p]a perishable body, it is raised [q]an imperishable body; 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 body. 45So also it is written: “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING [r]PERSON.” The last Adam was a life-giving spirit. 46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47The first man is from the earth, [s]earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, [t]we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

50Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does [u]the perishable inherit [v]the imperishable. 51Behold, I am telling you a [w]mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [x]imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For this [y]perishable must put on [z]the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this [aa]perishable puts on [ab]the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR STING?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; 57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

[a] 2 Lit to what word I
[b] 3 Lit among the first
[c] 5 Peter’s Aramaic name
[d] 7 Or Jacob
[e] 8 Lit to an untimely birth
[f] 9 Lit who am
[g] 15 Or concerning
[h] 15 I.e., the Messiah
[i] 22 I.e., the Messiah
[j] 27 Lit except the
[k] 29 Or in behalf of
[l] 29 Or in behalf of
[m] 32 Lit according to man
[n] 34 Lit righteously
[o] 37 Lit some of the rest
[p] 42 Lit in corruption
[q] 42 Lit in incorruption
[r] 45 Or soul
[s] 47 Or made of dust, and so throughout the ch
[t] 49 Two early mss let’s also
[u] 50 Lit corruption
[v] 50 Lit incorruption
[w] 51 Or secret
[x] 52 Lit incorruptible
[y] 53 Lit corruptible
[z] 53 Lit incorruption
[aa] 54 Lit corruptible
[ab] 54 Lit incorruption