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1 Corinthians 15
Modern English Version
1 Corinthians 15
Modern English Version
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now, brothers, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you have received, and in which you stand. 2 Through it you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 was buried, rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and was seen by Cephas, and then by the twelve. 6 Then He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain to this present time, though some have passed away. 7 Then He was seen by James and then by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born at the wrong time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and am not fit to be called an apostle, because I 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. I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is preached that He rose from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen. 14 If Christ has not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yes, and we would then be found false witnesses of God, because we have testified that God raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then they also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came by man, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward, those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end when He will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For He “has put all things under His feet.”[a] But when He says, “all things are put under Him,” it is revealed that He, who has put all things under Him, is the exception. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me if the dead do not rise?
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”[b]
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 34 Awake to righteousness and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? With what body do they come?” 36 You fool! What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not sow the body that shall be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 Then God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh. There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. One star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 So it is written, “The first man Adam was made a living soul.”[c] The last Adam was made a life-giving spirit. 46 However, that which is spiritual is not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man was the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible will put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality. 54 When this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then the saying that is written shall come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”[d]
55 “O death, where is your sting?
O grave, where is your victory?”[e]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15
New International Version
1 Corinthians 15
New International Version
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel(A) I preached to you,(B) which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved,(C) if you hold firmly(D) to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received(E) I passed on to you(F) as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins(G) according to the Scriptures,(H) 4 that he was buried,(I) that he was raised(J) on the third day(K) according to the Scriptures,(L) 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b](M) and then to the Twelve.(N) 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.(O) 7 Then he appeared to James,(P) then to all the apostles,(Q) 8 and last of all he appeared to me also,(R) as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles(S) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted(T) the church of God.(U) 10 But by the grace(V) of God I am what I am, and his grace to me(W) was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them(X)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.(Y) 11 Whether, then, it is I or they,(Z) this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,(AA) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection(AB) of the dead?(AC) 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised,(AD) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.(AE) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.(AF) 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep(AG) in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.(AH)
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,(AI) the firstfruits(AJ) of those who have fallen asleep.(AK) 21 For since death came through a man,(AL) the resurrection of the dead(AM) comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.(AN) 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;(AO) then, when he comes,(AP) those who belong to him.(AQ) 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom(AR) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.(AS) 25 For he must reign(AT) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.(AU) 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.(AV) 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[c](AW) Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.(AX) 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,(AY) so that God may be all in all.(AZ)
29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?(BA) 31 I face death every day(BB)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts(BC) in Ephesus(BD) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
33 Do not be misled:(BF) “Bad company corrupts good character.”[e](BG) 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God(BH)—I say this to your shame.(BI)
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask,(BJ) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”(BK) 36 How foolish!(BL) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.(BM) 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.(BN) 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor,(BO) the moon another and the stars another;(BP) and star differs from star in splendor.
42 So will it be(BQ) with the resurrection of the dead.(BR) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;(BS) 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;(BT) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(BU)
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[f];(BV) the last Adam,(BW) a life-giving spirit.(BX) 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.(BY) 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth;(BZ) the second man is of heaven.(CA) 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.(CB) 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,(CC) so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.(CD)
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood(CE) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,(CF) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.(CG) 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery:(CH) We will not all sleep,(CI) but we will all be changed(CJ)— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,(CK) the dead(CL) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable(CM) must clothe itself with the imperishable,(CN) and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[h](CO)
56 The sting of death is sin,(CQ) and the power of sin is the law.(CR) 57 But thanks be to God!(CS) He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(CT)
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,(CU) because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.(CV)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first
- 1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter
- 1 Corinthians 15:27 Psalm 8:6
- 1 Corinthians 15:32 Isaiah 22:13
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 From the Greek poet Menander
- 1 Corinthians 15:45 Gen. 2:7
- 1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us
- 1 Corinthians 15:54 Isaiah 25:8
- 1 Corinthians 15:55 Hosea 13:14
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.