The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

Moreouer brethren, I declare vnto you the Gospel, which I preached vnto you, which ye haue also receiued, and wherein ye continue,

And whereby ye are saued, if ye keepe in memorie, after what maner I preached it vnto you, except ye haue beleeued in vaine.

For first of all, I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued, how that Christ died for our sinnes, according to the Scriptures,

And that he was buried, and that he arose the third day, according to the Scriptures,

And that he was seene of Cephas, then of the twelue.

After that, he was seene of more then fiue hudreth brethren at once: whereof many remaine vnto this present, and some also are asleepe.

After that, he was seene of Iames: then of all the Apostles.

And last of all he was seene also of me, as of one borne out of due time.

For I am the least of the Apostles, which am not meete to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.

But by the grace of God, I am that I am: and his grace which is in me, was not in vaine: but I laboured more aboundantly then they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me.

Wherefore, whether it were I, or they, so we preach, and so haue ye beleeued.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if it be preached, that Christ is risen from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead?

For if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine.

And we are found also false witnesses of God: for we haue testified of God, that he hath raised vp Christ: whome he hath not raised vp, if so be the dead be not raised.

For if the dead be not raised, then is Christ not raised.

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vaine: ye are yet in your sinnes.

And so they which are a sleepe in Christ, are perished.

If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable.

The Order of Resurrection

But nowe is Christ risen from the dead, and was made the first fruites of them that slept.

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

For as in Adam all die, euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue,

But euery man in his owne order: the first fruites is Christ, afterward, they that are of Christ, at his comming shall rise againe.

Then shalbe the end, when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God, euen the Father, when he hath put downe all rule, and all authoritie and power.

For he must reigne till hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete.

The last enemie that shalbe destroyed, is death.

For he hath put downe all things vnder his feete. (And when he saith that all things are subdued to him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put downe all things vnder him.)

And when all things shalbe subdued vnto him, then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him, that did subdue all things vnder him, that God may be all in all.

Els what shall they doe which are baptized for dead? if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for dead?

Why are wee also in ieopardie euery houre?

By your reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord, I die dayly.

If I haue fought with beastes at Ephesus after ye maner of men, what aduantageth it me, if the dead be not raised vp? let vs eate and drinke: for to morowe we shall die.

Be not deceiued: euill speakings corrupt good maners.

Awake to liue righteously, and sinne not: for some haue not ye knowledge of God, I speake this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

But some man will say, Howe are the dead raised vp? and with what body come they foorth?

O foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die.

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shalbe, but bare corne as it falleth, of wheat, or of some other.

But God giueth it a body at his pleasure, euen to euery seede his owne body,

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beastes, and another of fishes, and another of birdes.

There are also heauenly bodies, and earthly bodies: but the glorie of the heauenly is one, and the glorie of the earthly is another.

There is another glorie of the sunne, and another glorie of the moone, and another glorie of the starres: for one starre differeth from another starre in glorie.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The bodie is sowen in corruption, and is raysed in incorruption.

It is sowen in dishonour, and is raysed in glory: it is sowen in weakenesse, and is raysed in power.

It is sowen a naturall body, and is raysed a spirituall body: there is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body.

As it is also written, The first man Adam was made a liuing soule: and the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.

Howbeit that was not first which is spirituall: but that which is naturall, and afterward that which is spirituall.

The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heauen.

As is the earthly, such are they that are earthly: and as is the heauenly, such are they also that are heauenly.

And as we haue borne the image of the earthly, so shall we beare the image of the heauenly.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

(Hosea 13:9–14)

This say I, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of God, neither doeth corruption inherite incorruption.

Behold, I shewe you a secret thing, We shall not all sleepe, but we shall all be changed,

In a moment, in the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall blow, and the dead shalbe raysed vp incorruptible, and we shalbe changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortall must put on immortalitie.

So when this corruptible hath put on incorruption, and this mortall hath put on immortalitie, then shalbe brought to passe the saying that is written, Death is swallowed vp into victorie.

O death where is thy sting? O graue where is thy victorie?

The sting of death is sinne: and ye strength of sinne is the Lawe.

But thankes be vnto God, which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ.

Therefore my beloued brethren, be ye stedfast, vnmoueable, aboundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord, forasmuch as ye knowe that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord.

Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,

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

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

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

and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

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

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

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

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

But 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.

Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now 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?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.

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

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

For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.

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

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

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

The Order of Resurrection

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep.

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

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

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

Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

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

When 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.

Or 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?

Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

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

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

Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

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

The Resurrection Body

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

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

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

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

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

There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.

There 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.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable.

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

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

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

However, that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

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

As 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.

As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s(d) also bear the image of the heavenly.

Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?

(Hosea 13:9–14)

Now I say this, brothers,(e) that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable.

Behold,(f) I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

in 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.

For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

But 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.”(g)

“Death, where is your sting? Hades,(h) where is your victory?”(i)

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

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

Therefore, 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.

Footnotes

(a)15:27 ℘ Psalms 8:6

(b)15:32 ℘ Isaiah 22:13

(d)15:49 NU, TR read “we will” instead of “let’s”

(e)15:50 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(f)15:51 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(g)15:54 ℘ Isaiah 25:8

(h)15:55 or, Hell

(i)15:55 ℘ See Hosea 13:14