1 ^15:1I DECLARE to you, brothers, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which also you stand, ^15:2by which also you are saved, if you adhere to the word we preached to you, unless indeed you believed in vain. ^15:3For I delivered to you at first, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ^15:4and that he was buried, and that he rose on the third day according to the Scriptures, ^15:5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ^15:6Afterwards he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the most continue even to the present time, but some have fallen asleep. ^15:7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ^15:8and last of all he appeared to me also, as one born out of due time. ^15:9For I am the least of the apostles, and am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God; ^15:10but by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, but not I but the grace of God with me. ^15:11Whether therefore it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

2 ^15:12But if Christ is preached that he was raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? ^15:13But if there is not a resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raised; ^15:14and if Christ has not been raised, then both our preaching is vain, and your faith also vain; ^15:15and we are found also false witnesses of God, because we testified in regard to God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up if indeed the dead are not raised. ^15:16For if the dead are not raised, Christ was not raised; ^15:17and if Christ was not raised, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins, ^15:18and those then who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ^15:19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

3 ^15:20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, a first fruit of those that have slept. ^15:21For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ^15:22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ also shall all be made alive. ^15:23But each one in his own order; Christ a first fruit, then those who are Christ's at his coming; ^15:24then is the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when he will destroy every principality and every authority and power. ^15:25For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. ^15:26The last enemy, death, shall be destroyed, ^15:27for he put all things under his feet. But when he says that all things are put under him, it is clear that he is excepted who puts all things under him; ^15:28and when all things have been put under him, then will the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

4 ^15:29Else what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? and why are they baptized for them? ^15:30Why also do we encounter danger every hour? ^15:31By the joy on account of you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ^15:32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, of what advantage is it to me? If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. ^15:33Be not deceived; evil companionships corrupt good morals. ^15:34Awake to righteousness and sin not; for some have not a knowledge of God. I speak to your shame.

5 ^15:35But some one will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? ^15:36Foolish man, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies; ^15:37and what you sow, you sow not the body which shall be, but the naked grain, it may be of wheat, or some of the other grains; ^15:38but God gives it a body as he pleases, and to each of the grains its own body. ^15:39All 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. ^15:40And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one, and of the earthly another. ^15:41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. ^15:42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in destruction, it is raised in indestructibleness; ^15:43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ^15:44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ^15:45And thus it is written; The first man Adam became a living soul; the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. ^15:46But the spiritual was not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ^15:47The first man was from the earth, earthly, the second man is from heaven. ^15:48Like the earthly, such also are the earthly; and like the heavenly, such also are the heavenly; ^15:49and as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

6 ^15:50But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor shall destruction inherit indestructibleness. ^15:51Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ^15:52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead be raised, indestructible, and we shall be changed. ^15:53For this destructible must put on indestructibleness, and this mortal must put on immortality. ^15:54And when this destructible has put on indestructibleness, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall the word be accomplished that is written; Death was swallowed up in victory. ^15:55Where, death, is your sting? where, death, is your victory? ^15:56And the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ^15:57but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ^15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.