1 Corinthians 15:14

Amplified Bible

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth].

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
And if Christ has never been raised, then the message we tell is worth nothing. And your faith is worth nothing.

Revised Standard Version
if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If Christ be not rysen then is oure preachinge vayne and youre faith is also in vayne.

Hebrew Names Version
If Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

International Standard Version
and if Christ has not been raised, then our message means nothing and yourour">[fn] faith means nothing.

New American Standard Bible
and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.

New Century Version
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing.

Update Bible Version
and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is also vain, [and] your faith is also vain.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if Christ is not raised, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.

English Standard Version
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if Christ be not raised, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Weymouth's New Testament
And if Christ has not risen, it follows that what we preach is a delusion, and that your faith also is a delusion.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if Crist roos not, oure preching is veyn, oure feith is veyn.

English Revised Version
and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.

Berean Standard Bible
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.

Contemporary English Version
And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith.

American Standard Version
and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.

Bible in Basic English
And if Christ did not come again from the dead, then our good news and your faith in it are of no effect.

Complete Jewish Bible
and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain;

Darby Translation
but if Christ is not raised, then, indeed, vain also [is] our preaching, and vain also your faith.

Etheridge Translation
And if the Meshiha hath not risen, vain is our proclamation, and vain also your faith.

Murdock Translation
And if the Messiah hath not risen, our preaching is vain, and your faith also vain.

King James Version (1611)
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine:

New Living Translation
And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

New Life Bible
If Christ was not raised from the dead, then what we preach to you is worth nothing. Your faith in Christ is worth nothing.

New Revised Standard
and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine.

George Lamsa Translation
And if Christ is not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also in vain;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, if Christ, hath not been raised, void, after all, is our proclamation, void also, our faith, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain: and your faith is also vain.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If Christe be not rysen agayne, then is our preachyng vayne, and your fayth is also vayne.

Good News Translation
and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe.

Christian Standard Bible®
and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.

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

Lexham English Bible
But if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.

Literal Translation
But if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is also worthless.

Young's Literal Translation
and if Christ hath not risen, then void [is] our preaching, and void also your faith,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf Christ be not rysen, then is oure preachinge in vayne,and youre faith is also in vayne:

Mace New Testament (1729)
and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is empty talk, and your faith even meer amusement.

New English Translation
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty.

New King James Version
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Simplified Cowboy Version
And if he didn't come back, then everything we've told you is a farce . . . and so is your faith.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

Contextual Overview

¹²Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth].¹⁵We are even discovered to be false witnesses [misrepresenting] God, because we testified concerning Him that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, 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 worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin]. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Corinthians 15:2, 1 Corinthians 15:17, Psalms 73:13, Isaiah 49:4, Genesis 8:8, Matthew 15:9, Acts 17:31, Galatians 2:2, James 1:26, James 2:20

Reciprocal: Psalms 127:1 - they labour Mark 7:7 - in vain John 16:10 - righteousness Acts 25:19 - which Romans 10:9 - and shalt Galatians 2:21 - Christ

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"

Genesis 15:4
Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir."

Genesis 15:5
And the LORD brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, "Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them." Then He said to him, "So [numerous] shall your descendants be."

Genesis 15:6
Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).

Genesis 15:7
And He said to him, "I am the [same] LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance."

Genesis 15:9
So God said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

Genesis 15:11
The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Genesis 15:14
"But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.

Genesis 15:18
On the same day the LORD made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if Christ be not risen,.... If this is a truth, and must be taken as granted, as it must be, if there is no resurrection at all:

then is our preaching vain; false, empty, delusory, unprofitable, and useless; not only that part of it which more especially concerns the resurrection of Christ, but even the whole of it; preaching Christ as the Son of God, which was the subject of the apostle's ministry, and which he set out with, is to no purpose, if he is not risen; for one considerable proof of his sonship depends upon his resurrection, which is the declaration of it; for who can believe him to be the Son of God, if he is detained under the power of the grave? one reason why he could not be held of death, and the pains and cords of it, any longer than was necessary, and was his pleasure, was because he was the Son of God, as well as surety of his people, who had paid the whole debt: so the preaching of his incarnation, obedience, sufferings, and death, is of no use and avail, if he has not abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light, first in himself, and then for his people:

and your faith is also vain; either the grace of faith, by which they believed on Christ, or the doctrine of faith; or since this is repeated, 1 Corinthians 15:17 the one may be meant here, and the other there. The doctrine of faith they had given their assent to, not only respecting the resurrection of Christ, but any other truth relating to his person and office, must be vain and empty, and without any foundation; even that faith which is one, uniform, harmonious, and consistent, which was once delivered to the saints; which they are to stand fast in, to strive, contend, and fight for, and not part with at any rate, upon any account whatever; and yet this, and the preaching and belief of it, are useless and insignificant things, if Christ is not risen; such wretched absurdities must follow upon the denial of that truth.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And if Christ is not risen, then is our preaching vain - Another consequence which must follow if it be held that there was no resurrection, and consequently that Christ was not risen. it would be vain and useless to preach. The substance of their preaching was that Christ was raised up; and all their preaching was based on that. If that were not true, the whole system was false, and Christianity was an imposition. The word vain here seems to include the idea of useless, idle, false. It would be “false” to affirm that the Christian system was from heaven; it would be useless to proclaim such a system, since it could save no one.

And your faith is also vain - It is useless to believe. It can be of no advantage. If Christ was not raised, he was an impostor, since he repeatedly declared that he would rise Matthew 16:21; Matthew 18:22-23; Luke 9:22, and since the whole of his religion depended on that. The system could not be true unless Christ had been raised, as he said he would be; and to believe a false system could be of no use to any man. The argument here is one addressed to all their feelings, their hopes, and their belief. It is drawn from all their convictions that the system was true. Were they, could they be prepared to admit a doctrine which involved the consequence that all the evidences which they had that the apostles preached the truth were delusive, and that all the evidences of the truth of Christianity which had affected their minds and won their hearts were false and deceptive? If they were not prepared for this, then it followed that they should not abandon or doubt the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 15:14. Then is our preaching vain — Our whole doctrine is useless, nugatory and false.

And your faith is also vain. — Your belief of a false doctrine must necessarily be to you unprofitable.