1 Corinthians 15:12-45

King James Version

¹²Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

¹³But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

¹⁴And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

¹⁵Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

¹⁶For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

¹⁷And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

¹⁸Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

¹⁹If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

²⁰But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

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

²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

²³But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

²⁶The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

²⁷For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

²⁸And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

²⁹Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

³⁰And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

³¹I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

³²If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

³³Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

³⁴Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

³⁵But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

³⁶Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

³⁷And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

³⁸But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

⁴⁰There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

⁴¹There 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.

⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

⁴³It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

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1 Corinthians 15:12-45

New International Version

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,^(A) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection^(B) of the dead?^(C) ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised,^(D) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.^(E) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.^(F) ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep^(G) in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(H)

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^(I) the firstfruits^(J) of those who have fallen asleep.^(K) ²¹For since death came through a man,^(L) the resurrection of the dead^(M) comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^(N) ²³But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^(O) then, when he comes,^(P) those who belong to him.^(Q) ²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom^(R) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^(S) ²⁵For he must reign^(T) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^(U) ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^(V) ²⁷For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[a]^(W) Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.^(X) ²⁸When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^(Y) so that God may be all in all.^(Z)

²⁹Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?^(AA) ³¹I face death every day^(AB)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild beasts^(AC) in Ephesus^(AD) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”^[b]^(AE)

³³Do not be misled:^(AF) “Bad company corrupts good character.”^[c]^(AG) ³⁴Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God^(AH)—I say this to your shame.^(AI)

The Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will ask,^(AJ) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”^(AK) ³⁶How foolish!^(AL) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.^(AM) ³⁷When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.^(AN) ³⁹Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor,^(AO) the moon another and the stars another;^(AP) and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴²So will it be^(AQ) with the resurrection of the dead.^(AR) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;^(AS) ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;^(AT) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.^(AU)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”^[d];^(AV) the last Adam,^(AW) a life-giving spirit.^(AX)