The Resurrection of Christ

1 Now I would remind you, brothers,¹ of the gospel ^gI preached to you, which you received, ^hin which you stand, 2 and by which ⁱyou are being saved, if you ^jhold fast to the word I preached to you—^kunless you believed in vain.

3 For ^lI delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died ^mfor our sins ⁿin accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised ^oon the third day ^pin accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that ^qhe appeared to Cephas, then ^rto the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to ^sJames, then ^tto all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^uhe appeared also to me. 9 For ^vI am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because ^wI persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, ^xI worked harder than any of them, ^ythough it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, ^zhow can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, ^athen not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that ^bhe raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and ^cyou are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who ^dhave fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope¹ in this life only, ^ewe are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact ^fChrist has been raised from the dead, ^gthe firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as ^hby a man came death, ⁱby a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For ^jas in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then ^kat his coming ^lthose who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers ^mthe kingdom to God the Father after destroying ⁿevery rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign ^ountil he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be ^pdestroyed is death. 27 For ^q“God² has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When ^rall things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that ^sGod may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we ^tin danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by ^umy pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^vI die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, ^wI fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, ^x“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 ^yDo not be deceived: ^z“Bad company ruins good morals.”³ 34 ^aWake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For ^bsome have no knowledge of God. ^cI say this to your shame.