1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I
preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of
the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at
once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are
fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the
apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out
of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be
called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the
grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me
was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I,
but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I
or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say
some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if
there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if
Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also
vain. 15 Yea, 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. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not
Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are
yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ
are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of
all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits 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, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then 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. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death.
27 For 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. 28 And 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.
29 Else 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? 30 And why stand we in
jeopardy every hour? 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in
Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If 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.
33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of
God: I speak this to your shame.
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it
die: 37 And 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: 38
But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his
own body.
39 All 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. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but
the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is
another. 41 There 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.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is
sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is
raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual
body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so
it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam
was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the
Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are
earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall
be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord.