Christ Was Raised to Life
1 My friends, I want you to remember the message I preached and that you believed and trusted. 2 You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing.
3 I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. This part is:
Christ died for our sins,
as the Scriptures say.
4 He was buried,
and three days later
he was raised to life,
as the Scriptures say.
5 Christ appeared to Peter,
then to the twelve.
6 After this, he appeared
to more than five hundred
other followers.
Most of them are still alive,
but some have died.
7 He also appeared to James,
then to all of the apostles.
8 Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time.
9 I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle. 10 But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me. 11 But it doesn't matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same.
God's People Will Be Raised to Life
12 If we preach that Christ was raised from death, how can some of you say the dead will not be raised to life? 13 If they won't be raised to life, Christ himself wasn't raised to life. 14 And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. 15 If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying he raised Christ to life, when he really did not.
16 So if the dead won't be raised to life, Christ wasn't raised to life. 17 Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. 18 And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. 19 If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.
20 But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. 21 Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. 22 Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. 23 But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 24 Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father.
25 Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, 26 and the last enemy he destroys will be death. 27 When the Scriptures say he will put everything under his power, they don't include God. It was God who put everything under the power of Christ. 28 After everything is under the power of God's Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son's power. Then God will mean everything to everyone.
29 If the dead are not going to be raised to life, what will people do who are being baptized for them? Why are they being baptized for those dead people? 30 And why do we always risk our lives 31 and face death every day? The pride that I have in you because of Christ Jesus our Lord is what makes me say this. 32 What do you think I gained by fighting wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead are not raised to life,
“Let's eat and drink.
Tomorrow we die.”
33 Don't fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you. 34 Be sensible and stop sinning. You should be embarrassed that some people still don't know about God.
What Our Bodies Will Be Like
35 Some of you have asked, “How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 Don't be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. 37 Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up. 38 This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have. 39 People, animals, birds, and fish are each made of flesh, but none of them are alike. 40 Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. 41 The sun isn't like the moon, the moon isn't like the stars, and each star is different.
42 That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. 43 These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. 44 As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.
45 The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. 46 We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. 47 The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. 48 Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. 49 Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
50 My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means they cannot share in God's kingdom, which lasts forever. 51 I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. 52 It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so we will never die again. 53 Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay. 54 The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true,
“Death has lost the battle!
55 Where is its victory?
Where is its sting?”
56 Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. 57 But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!
58 My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.
1 Moreouer brethren, I declare vnto you the Gospel, which I preached vnto you, which ye haue also receiued, and wherein ye continue, 2 And whereby ye are saued, if ye keepe in memorie, after what maner I preached it vnto you, except ye haue beleeued in vaine. 3 For first of all, I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued, how that Christ died for our sinnes, according to the Scriptures, 4 And that he was buried, and that he arose the third day, according to the Scriptures, 5 And that he was seene of Cephas, then of the twelue. 6 After that, he was seene of more then fiue hudreth brethren at once: whereof many remaine vnto this present, and some also are asleepe. 7 After that, he was seene of Iames: then of all the Apostles. 8 And last of all he was seene also of me, as of one borne out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the Apostles, which am not meete to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. 10 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. 11 Wherefore, whether it were I, or they, so we preach, and so haue ye beleeued. 12 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? 13 For if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine. 15 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. 16 For if the dead be not raised, then is Christ not raised. 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vaine: ye are yet in your sinnes. 18 And so they which are a sleepe in Christ, are perished. 19 If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable. 20 But nowe is Christ risen from the dead, and was made the first fruites of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue, 23 But euery man in his owne order: the first fruites is Christ, afterward, they that are of Christ, at his comming shall rise againe. 24 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. 25 For he must reigne till hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete. 26 The last enemie that shalbe destroyed, is death. 27 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.) 28 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. 29 Els what shall they doe which are baptized for dead? if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for dead? 30 Why are wee also in ieopardie euery houre? 31 By your reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord, I die dayly. 32 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. 33 Be not deceiued: euill speakings corrupt good maners. 34 Awake to liue righteously, and sinne not: for some haue not ye knowledge of God, I speake this to your shame. 35 But some man will say, Howe are the dead raised vp? and with what body come they foorth? 36 O foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die. 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shalbe, but bare corne as it falleth, of wheat, or of some other. 38 But God giueth it a body at his pleasure, euen to euery seede his owne body, 39 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. 40 There are also heauenly bodies, and earthly bodies: but the glorie of the heauenly is one, and the glorie of the earthly is another. 41 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. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The bodie is sowen in corruption, and is raysed in incorruption. 43 It is sowen in dishonour, and is raysed in glory: it is sowen in weakenesse, and is raysed in power. 44 It is sowen a naturall body, and is raysed a spirituall body: there is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body. 45 As it is also written, The first man Adam was made a liuing soule: and the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spirituall: but that which is naturall, and afterward that which is spirituall. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heauen. 48 As is the earthly, such are they that are earthly: and as is the heauenly, such are they also that are heauenly. 49 And as we haue borne the image of the earthly, so shall we beare the image of the heauenly. 50 This say I, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of God, neither doeth corruption inherite incorruption. 51 Behold, I shewe you a secret thing, We shall not all sleepe, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortall must put on immortalitie. 54 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. 55 O death where is thy sting? O graue where is thy victorie? 56 The sting of death is sinne: and ye strength of sinne is the Lawe. 57 But thankes be vnto God, which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. 58 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.