THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 15

1 Moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand

2 By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures

4 And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures

5 And that he was seen of Cephas then of the twelve

6 After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep

7 After that he was seen of James then of all the apostles

8 And last of all he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time

9 For I am the least of the apostles that am not meet 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 which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me

11 Therefore whether it were I or they so we preach and so ye believed

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen

14 And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain

15 Yea and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not

16 For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised

17 And if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are 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 firstfruits of them that slept

21 For since by man came death 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 firstfruits afterward they that are hrist’s at his coming

24 Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power

25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death

27 For he hath put all things under his feet But when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead

30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily

32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not let us eat and drink for to morrow we die

33 Be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners

34 Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame

35 But some man will say How are the dead raised up and with what body do they come

36 Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die

37 And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain it may chance of wheat or of some other grain

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and to every seed his own body

39 All flesh is not the same flesh but there is one kind of flesh of men another flesh of beasts another of fishes and another of birds

40 There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial but 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 for one star differeth from another star in glory

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption

43 It is sown in dishonour 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 And so it is written The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickening spirit

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual

47 The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from heaven

48 As is the earthy such are they also that are earthy and as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly

50 Now this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption

51 Behold I shew 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 trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory

55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory

56 The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law

57 But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord