Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he preached: Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose on the third day. If Christ is not risen, faith is vain. Death is swallowed up in victory.
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 Christ'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 .