1 Moreover, brothers, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and in which ye stand; 2 by which also ye are being saved if ye retain the word that 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 appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve; 6 after that, he appeared unto more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain unto now, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he appeared unto James; then to all the apostles. 8 And last of all he appeared unto me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, for I am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace towards me was not in vain, for 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 the Christ is preached that rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither is Christ risen; 14 and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 And we are even found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up the Christ, whom he did not raise up, if it so be that the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not raised either; 17 and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are even yet in your sins. 18 Then those also who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have existence in Christ, we are the most miserable of all men.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those that slept. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in the Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward, those that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then comes 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 until he has put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is clear that he is excepted, who did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also subject himself unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
29 Else what shall 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 jeopardy every hour? 31 I die daily to stay in the glory of having taught you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what does it advantage me, if the dead do not rise? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. 33 Be not deceived: evil companions corrupt good character. 34 Watch diligently, and sin not; for some do not know God: I speak this to your shame.
35 But someone will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not brought to life, unless it dies first; 37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be, but bare grain: it may be of wheat or of some other grain; 38 but God gives it a body as it has pleased him, and to each seed its 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 heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the heavenly glory is one thing, and the earthly glory is another. 41 One thing is the glory of the sun, and another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it shall be raised in incorruption; 43 it is sown in dishonour, it shall be raised with glory; it is sown in weakness, it shall be raised with power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it shall be 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 life-giving Spirit. 46 Howbeit the spiritual is not first, but the natural; and afterward, that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord of heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are those also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such also are those 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, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall all indeed be raised, but we shall not all be changed; 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised without corruption, 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 word that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power 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 ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.