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The First Letter to the Corinthians 15

15 Next, I am informing you, fellow believers, about the good news that I told you about. You learned this good news from me, and you firmly believe it. 2 When you continue to firmly believe the message that I preached to you, God saves you by means of that message. Otherwise, you believed the message for nothing.

3 Here is one of the first things that I told you, which I learned from the Lord: the Messiah died on the cross to take away our sins, just as the authors of the holy books wrote. 4 People buried him, but during the third day after that, God made him alive again, just as the authors of the holy books wrote. 5 He appeared to Peter and then to the rest of Jesus’ 12 closest followers. 6 After that, he appeared at one time to greater than 500 fellow believers. Although some of these people have died, almost all of them are still alive. 7 After that, he appeared to James and then to everyone whom he sent to represent him. 8 Finally, after he appeared to all of them, he appeared to me also. So, because I became one whom Jesus sent to represent him after everyone else, I am like a baby that was born in an unusual way. 9 In fact, I am less significant and honorable than every other person whom the Messiah sent to represent him. Indeed, since I tried to destroy those who believe in the Messiah, I do not deserve it when others call me one whom the Messiah sent to represent him. 10 However, God graciously made me one whom the Messiah sent to represent him. Further, what he has given me has resulted in great things. In fact, I worked harder than all the other ones whom the Messiah sent to represent him. Of course, it was not really I who worked so hard. Instead, it was God graciously working through me who did so much. 11 In the end, both I and the other apostles proclaim the good news that I have described, and you trusted this good news.

12 Because all believers say that God made the Messiah alive again, no one in your group should be claiming that people who have died will not live again. 13 Suppose that it were true that people who have died will not live again. In that case, God did not make the Messiah alive again. 14 Suppose that it is true that God did not make the Messiah alive again. In that case, it was for no reason that we proclaimed the good news and you believed it. 15 Further, we would be people who tell lies about God, because we declared before God that he made the Messiah alive again when he really did not. This would all be true were God not to make those who have died alive again. 16 You can tell that this is true when you suppose that God does not make people who have died alive again. In that case, God did not make even the Messiah alive again. 17 Suppose that it is true that God did not make the Messiah alive again. In that case, you believed the good news for no reason, and sin continues to control you. 18 In that case again, the believers who have died will never live again. 19 Suppose that we can confidently expect the Messiah to help us only before we die. In that case, all people should feel sorry for us more than they feel sorry for anyone else.

20 But here is what is true: God has made the Messiah alive again, and he is the first of those who have died whom God will make alive again. 21 You can tell that this is true, because people die through what the one man Adam did. So also people who have died will live again through what the one man Jesus did. 22 What I mean is that, just as all people end up dying because God united them to Adam, in the same way all believers will live again because God unites them to the Messiah. 23 Now, all people who will live again do so in turn: first the Messiah and then those who belong to the Messiah when he comes back again. 24 After that, what everything that God has created is waiting for will happen. At that time, the Messiah will get rid of everyone and everything that rules and governs and controls. Then, he will present God, who is our Father, with the kingdom so that God rules over everything. 25 Here is how that works: God has decided that the Messiah will rule until whenever he has conquered all those who oppose him. 26 The last thing that opposes Christ that he will get rid of is that people die. 27 Now, David wrote, “he made him conquer everything that opposes him.” Of course, “everything” does not include God, who is the one who “made him conquer everything.” 28 So, after he has conquered everything, then God the Son will submit to the one who made him conquer everything. In this way, God will conquer and rule all things.

29 Now, consider people who baptize others to help those who are dead. Further, suppose again that God never makes people who have died alive again. In that case, there is no reason for people to baptize others to help those who have died. 30 Even more, in that case, there is no reason for we who proclaim the good news to constantly endanger ourselves as we do. 31 Indeed, I risk dying very frequently. I swear that this is true by how I boast about you, fellow believers, which I do because God has united all of us to the Messiah, who is Jesus our Lord. 32 Suppose that I was thinking about merely human things while I struggled against those who opposed me when I visited the city of Ephesus. In that case, struggling against them does not benefit me at all. Suppose again that God does not make people who have died alive again. In that case, we should do what many people say to do: eat food, and drink wine, because we will die very soon. 33 You should not believe what is wrong. This popular saying is true: “Evil friends lead astray a person who normally does what is proper.” 34 I want you to start acting alertly and properly. You should not keep doing what is wrong. I command these things because some people in your group do not know God. I say that in order to make you feel ashamed

35 Now a person may ask about the way in which the people who have died live again and about what form they will take. 36 If you do not know the answers to those questions, you are not thinking clearly! Just think about this: a seed that you put in the ground must die before it can grow. 37 Speaking about a seed that you put in the ground, you know that it is not in the form of the plant. Rather, it is just the seed. This is true whether we are speaking about wheat or some other crop. 38 Indeed, God makes seeds grow into the forms that he chooses, and each kind of seed has a specific form into which it grows. 39 The physical parts of different living beings vary. For example, humans, mammals, birds, and fish all have different kinds of physical parts. 40 Some things exist in heaven, and other things exist on earth. The forms of things in heaven are glorious in one way, while the forms of things on earth are glorious in another way. 41 Further, the sun, moon, and stars are glorious in different ways. In fact, each star is glorious in its own specific way.

42 Here is the way all that applies to how people who have died live again. People put a decaying body into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that it can never die. 43 People put a body that receives no respect into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that everyone respects it. People put a frail body into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that it is strong. 44 People put a body that belongs to this world into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that it belongs to the world that God will renew. Just as some bodies belong to this world, so some bodies belong to the world that God will renew.

45 You can tell that this is true because Moses wrote, “God made the first human, Adam, as a living being who belonged to this world.” On the other hand, Jesus, who is like another Adam, now belongs to the world that God will renew and gives life to others. 46 Now the first Adam’s body that belongs to this world existed first, and only after that does the last Adam’s body exist that belongs to the world that God will renew. 47 Adam, who represents the first kind of human, belonged on the earth. In fact, God made him from dust. On the other hand, Jesus, who represents the second kind of human, belongs in heaven. 48 All people who belong on the earth are like Adam. All those who belong in heaven are like Jesus. 49 Our bodies currently are like Adam’s body that belongs to this world. In the same way, we should live in such a way that our bodies will eventually be like Jesus’ body, which belongs to the world that God will renew.

50 Listen to this, my fellow believers: human bodies as they currently exist cannot participate in God’s kingdom that lasts forever, since they fall apart and die. 51 Pay attention! I am going to tell you something that God has now revealed. Not all of us will die, but God will transform all of us. 52 He will transform us in one moment, as fast as a person blinks an eye. This will happen when an angel blows the trumpet that signals that this world is ending. When an angel blows that trumpet, God will make those who have died live again so that they can never die, and he will transform everyone who still lives. 53 So, bodies that fall apart and die need to transform into bodies that last forever and can never die. 54 When our bodies that fall apart and die transform into bodies that last forever and can never die, at that time what the prophets wrote about will finally happen:

“God has made it so that people no longer die.”

55 Further,

“When people die, this does not destroy or hurt them.”

56 People die because sin causes them to die, and that happens because the law specifies dying as the penalty for sin. 57 However, I praise God because he has enabled us to conquer how we sin and die. He has done this by means of what our Lord, Jesus the Messiah, has done.

58 So then, fellow believers whom I love, firmly believe what you know is true. Consistently serve the Lord more and more. You should do these things because you know that what you do to serve the Lord will result in great things, since God has united you to the Lord.

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