Read the Bible

The Fact of Christ's Resurrection

¹ Now ^(C1)I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the ^(C2)gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, ^(C3)in which you also stand,² by which you also are saved, ^(C1)if you hold firmly to ^(F1)the word which I preached to you, ^(C2)unless you believed in vain.

³ For ^(C1)I handed down to you ^(F1)as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died ^(C2)for our sins ^(C3)according to the Scriptures,⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was ^(C1)raised on the third day ^(C2)according to the Scriptures,⁵ and that ^(C1)He appeared to ^(F1)(C2)Cephas, then ^(C3)to the twelve.⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some ^(C1)have fallen asleep;⁷ then He appeared to ^(F1)(C1)James, then to ^(C2)all the apostles;⁸ and last of all, as ^(F1)to one untimely born, ^(C1)He appeared to me also.⁹ For I am ^(C1)the least of the apostles, ^(F1)and not fit to be called an apostle, because I ^(C2)persecuted the church of God.¹⁰ But by ^(C1)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I ^(C2)labored even more than all of them, yet ^(C3)not I, but the grace of God with me.¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

¹² Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there ^(C1)is no resurrection of the dead?¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;¹⁴ and ^(C1)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.¹⁵ Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^(F1)against God that He ^(C1)raised ^(F2)Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised;¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(C1)you are still in your sins.¹⁸ Then also those who ^(C1)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are ^(C1)of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But the fact is, Christ ^(C1)has been raised from the dead, the ^(C2)first fruits of those who ^(C3)are asleep.²¹ For since ^(C1)by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead.²² For ^(C1)as in Adam all die, so also in ^(F1)Christ all will be made alive.²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(C1)the first fruits, after that ^(C2)those who are Christ's at ^(C3)His coming,²⁴ then comes the end, when He hands over ^(C1)the kingdom to our ^(C2)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(C3)all rule and all authority and power.²⁵ For He must reign ^(C1)until He has put all His enemies under His feet.²⁶ The last enemy that will be ^(C1)abolished is death.²⁷ For ^(C1)HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "^(C2)All things are put in subjection," it is clear that ^(F1)this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.²⁸ When ^(C1)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that ^(C2)God may be all in all.

²⁹ For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized ^(F1)for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized ^(F1)for them?³⁰ Why are we also ^(C1)in danger every hour?³¹ I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that ^(C1)I die daily.³² If ^(F1)from human motives I ^(C1)fought with wild beasts at ^(C2)Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, ^(C3)LET'S EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.^33 (C1)Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."^34 (C1)Sober up ^(F1)morally and stop sinning, for some have ^(C2)no knowledge of God. ^(C3)I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But ^(C1)someone will say, "How are ^(C2)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"^36 (C1)You fool! That which you ^(C2)sow does not come to life unless it dies;³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^(F1)something else.³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(C1)to each of the seeds a body of its own.³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish.⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (C1)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^(F1)(C2)a perishable body, it is raised ^(F2)(C3)an imperishable body;⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(C1)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(C1)natural body, it is raised a ^(C2)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.⁴⁵ So also it is written: "The first ^(C1)MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING ^(F1)PERSON." The ^(C2)last Adam was a ^(C3)life-giving spirit.⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.⁴⁷ The first man is ^(C1)from the earth, ^(F1)(C2)earthy; the second Man is from heaven.⁴⁸ As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly One, ^(C1)so also are those who are heavenly.⁴⁹ Just as we have ^(C1)borne the image of the earthy, ^(F1)we ^(C2)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that ^(C1)flesh and blood cannot ^(C2)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^(F1)the perishable inherit ^(F2)(C3)the imperishable.⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a ^(F1)(C1)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(C2)changed,⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(C1)the trumpet will sound, and ^(C2)the dead will be raised ^(F1)imperishable, and ^(C3)we will be changed.⁵³ For this ^(F1)perishable must put on ^(F2)(C1)the imperishable, and this ^(C2)mortal must put on immortality.⁵⁴ But when this ^(F1)perishable puts on ^(F2)the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: "^(C1)DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP in victory.⁵⁵ "^(C1)WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR STING?"⁵⁶ The sting of ^(C1)death is sin, and ^(C2)the power of sin is the Law;⁵⁷ but ^(C1)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(C2)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (C1)Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in ^(C2)the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.