Christian Basics Bible - Flipbook - Page 29
page 1319 • 1 Corinthians 15
a prophet or think you are spiritual, you
should recognize that what I am saying is
a command from the Lord himself. 38 But if
you do not recognize this, you yourself will
not be recognized.*
39
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be
eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speak
ing in tongues. 40But be sure that everything
is done properly and in order.
The Resurrection of Christ
Let me now remind you, dear broth
ers and sisters,* of the Good News I
preached to you before. You welcomed it
then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this
Good News that saves you if you continue
to believe the message I told you—unless,
of course, you believed something that was
never true in the first place.*
3
I passed on to you what was most im
portant and what had also been passed
on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as
the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he
was raised from the dead on the third day,
just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by
Peter* and then by the Twelve. 6 After that,
he was seen by more than 500 of his fol
lowers* at one time, most of whom are still
alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was
seen by James and later by all the apostles.
8
Last of all, as though I had been born at
the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am
the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not
even worthy to be called an apostle after the
way I persecuted God’s church.
10
But whatever I am now, it is all because
God poured out his special favor on me—and
not without results. For I have worked harder
than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I
but God who was working through me by his
grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I
preach or they preach, for we all preach the
same message you have already believed.
15
The Resurrection of the Dead
12
But tell me this—since we preach that
Christ rose from the dead, why are some
of you saying there will be no resurrection of
the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of
the dead, then Christ has not been raised
either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised,
then all our preaching is useless, and your
faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all
be lying about God—for we have said that
God raised Christ from the grave. But that
can’t be true if there is no resurrection of
the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of
the dead, then Christ has not been raised.
17
And if Christ has not been raised, then
your faith is useless and you are still guilty
of your sins. 18In that case, all who have died
believing in Christ are lost! 19And if our hope
in Christ is only for this life, we are more to
be pitied than anyone in the world.
20
But in fact, Christ has been raised from
the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of
all who have died.
21
So you see, just as death came into the
world through a man, now the resurrection
from the dead has begun through another
man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we
all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs
to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there
is an order to this resurrection: Christ was
raised as the first of the harvest; then all
who belong to Christ will be raised when
he comes back.
24
After that the end will come, when
he will turn the Kingdom over to God the
Father, having destroyed every ruler and
authority and power. 25For Christ must reign
until he humbles all his enemies beneath
his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be de
stroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say,
“God has put all things under his author
ity.”* (Of course, when it says “all things are
under his authority,” that does not include
God himself, who gave Christ his author
ity.) 28 Then, when all things are under his
authority, the Son will put himself under
God’s authority, so that God, who gave his
Son authority over all things, will be utterly
supreme over everything everywhere.
29
If the dead will not be raised, what
point is there in people being baptized for
those who are dead? Why do it unless the
dead will someday rise again?
30
And why should we ourselves risk our
lives hour by hour? 31 For I swear, dear broth
ers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is
as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our
Lord has done in you. 32 And what value was
there in fighting wild beasts—those people
of Ephesus*—if there will be no resurrection
14:21a Greek in the law.
14:21b Isa 28:11-12. 14:33 The phrase
as in all the meetings of God’s holy people could instead be joined
to the beginning of 14:34. 14:35 Some manuscripts place
verses 3435 after 14:40. 14:38 Some manuscripts read If you are
ignorant of this, stay in your ignorance.
15:1 Greek brothers; also
in 15:31, 50, 58. 15:2 Or unless you never believed it in the first
place.
15:5 Greek Cephas.
15:6 Greek the brothers.
15:27 Ps
8:6. 15:32a Greek fighting wild beasts in Ephesus.
