Open English Translation 1COR Chapter 15

15 Now brothers and sisters, I want to remind you all about the good message that I preached to you, which you then received and now base your faith on. 2 You’re all saved by that good message if you hold firmly to what I preached to you, assuming that you didn’t just ‘say that’ you believe.

3 Yes, first of all, I passed onto you all what I myself had received: that Messiah died for our sins as the scriptures had predicted,[ref] 4 and that he was buried and then brought back to life on the third day as per the scriptures again,[ref] 5 and that he was seen by Cephas and then by the twelve.[ref] 6 Then he was seen by more than 500 believers at once—most of whom are still living, although some have already passed away. 7 Then he was seen by Yacob, and then by all the ambassadors.

8 Then last of all, as if I’d been born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also,[ref] 9 because I’m the least of the ambassadors—quite unworthy of that title because I persecuted God’s assembly.[ref] 10 But I am what I am thanks to God’s grace, as his grace towards me hasn’t been wasted. Actually, I worked harder than all the others, although of course it wasn’t really me, but God’s grace with me. 11 Anyway, whether it was me or them, we all preach that same good message, and that’s how you all came to belief.

12 Now if the message declares that Messiah was killed and then raised back to life, how come some of you are saying that no one comes back to life? 13 If no one who’s dead comes back to life, then Messiah couldn’t have come back to life, 14 and if Messiah hasn’t come back to life, then our preaching is meaningless and so is your faith! 15 Not only that, it would make us into fraudsters lying about God, because we’ve testified that God brought Messiah back to life, but that can’t be true if the dead can’t come back to life. 16 Because if the dead don’t come back to life, then Messiah can’t have come back to life, 17 but if Messiah didn’t come back to life, then your faith is wasted and you’re all still just unforgiven sinners. 18 Again, if that’s the case, those believers who’ve passed away simply perished. 19 If our hope in Messiah only applies to this life, then we should be pitied more than anyone else.

20 But Messiah has indeed come back to life from the dead, leading the way for those who have passed away, 21 because since death came through a man (Adam), then the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man (Yeshua). 22 Just as everyone who’s in Adam will die, so everyone who’s in Messiah will come back to life, 23 but each in his own turn: first Messiah will be leading, then when he returns, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come when he hands over the kingship to God the Father after he’s destroyed all rule, and all authority and power, 25 because he must reign until he’s defeated all his enemies.[ref] 26 The final enemy to be abolished will be death itself 27 because (as David wrote),[ref] ‘God has made everything subject to him.’ (Now when it says ‘everything’, of course that doesn’t include God who’s the one that made it happen.) 28 And when everything has been put under his control, then the son himself will submit to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God will be in total control.

29 Otherwise, what will the people do who’re being immersed in water for the dead? If the dead don’t come back to life, why would they get immersed for them? TODO: WHAT’S THIS ABOUT? 30 As for us, why do we place ourselves in danger all the time? 31 I’m dying every day by your boasting brothers and sisters, which I have in Messiah Yeshua our master. TODO: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 32 If I fought with wild animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what did I gain? If the dead aren’t brought back to life, then ‘Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we’ll die anyway.’[ref]

33 Don’t be fooled: ‘Evil conversations corrupt good character.’ 34 Sober up as you should, and stop sinning, because some of you are quite ignorant about God. (I say that to your shame.)

35 But someone will ask, “How do the dead come back to life and what kind of body will they have then?” 36 Silly question! Plants don’t come to life unless the seed dies first. 37 And you don’t sow the plants, but you sow the bare seeds—perhaps of wheat or something else— 38 then God gives it a body just like he wants, so each seed gets its own new body.

39 Not all bodies are the same: humans have one kind of body, animals have different ones, birds different again, and fish also different.

40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the beauty of heavenly bodies and of earthly bodies are quite different. 41 The sun, the moon, and the stars all have their own different types of beauty, and even the beauty of stars differs from one to another.

42 So too it is with the resurrection of the dead. The decaying body is ‘sown’ into the ground, but the raised body is immortal. 43 It’s ‘sown’ in dishonour but it’s raised in splendour. It’s ‘sown’ in weakness but it’s raised in power. 44 It’s ‘sown’ a natural body but it’s raised as a spiritual body. (If there’s a natural body, there’s also a spiritual body.) 45 As it’s also written:[ref] ‘The first Adam being a living being.’ The last ‘Adam’ is a life-giving spirit, 46 but the spiritual doesn’t come first—it’s first the natural and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was made of dust from the earth—the second man came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like that earthly man, and heavenly people are like that heavenly man.

49 And just like we carry the image of that earthly man, we should also bear the image of that heavenly man. 50 Now brothers and sisters, I can tell you all that our present physical bodies can’t inherit God’s kingdom, and nor can corrupt things inherit immortality.

51 Listen, I’m explaining a mystery to you all. Not all of us will pass away, but we will all be changed[ref] 52 in an instant, a millisecond, at the last trumpet because the trumpet will sound and the dead will come back to living as immortals, and we’ll be changed. 53 Yes, it’s essential for this perishable body to become incorruptible and for this mortal to become immortal. 54 But when this perishable body becomes incorruptible and this mortal becomes immortal, then what was written will come true:[ref] ‘Death is replaced by victory.’

55 [ref]‘Death, where is your victory?

Yes death, where is your sting?’

56 Sin is the sting of death, and sin’s power is The Law, 57 but be thankful to God because it’s him who gives us the victory through our master Yeshua Messiah.

58 Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and stand firm, always doing the master’s work enthusiastically, knowing that your work for the master isn’t wasted.