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1 Corinthians 15
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King James Version
The
Resurrection of Christ
15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand;
15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what
I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures;
15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures:
15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
15:6 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.
15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the
apostles.
15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born
out of due time.
15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet
to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God.
15:10 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.
15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach,
and so ye believed.
The Resurrection of the
Dead
15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from
the dead, how say some among you that there is no
resurrection of the dead?
15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is
Christ not risen:
15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching
vain, and your faith is also vain.
15:15 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.
15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye
are yet in your sins.
15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished.
15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are
of all men most miserable.
15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits of them that slept.
15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive.
15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
15:24 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.
15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under
his feet.
15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
15:27 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.
15:28 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.
15:29 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?
15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ
Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
15:32 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.
15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners.
15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have
not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised
up? and with what body do they come?
15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened,
except it die:
15:37 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:
15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and
to every seed his own body.
15:39 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.
15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies
terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the
glory of the terrestrial is another.
15:41 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.
15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown
in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual
body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual
body.
15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a
living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but
that which is natural; and afterward that which is
spiritual.
15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man
is the Lord from heaven.
15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy:
and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are
heavenly.
15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.
15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
15:52 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.
15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.
15:54 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.
15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?
15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is
the law.
15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:58 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.1
Bible Commentary
51
Paul uses the word "sleep" as a metaphor for death (John 11:11). He calls attention to the fact that there are some who will not die, but who will be translated from the imperfect physical state to the perfect heavenly state. With regard to both those alive when Jesus comes and those who have died, the former instantaneously exchange their mortal bodies for immortal bodies; the latter are raised with immortal bodies.2
52 The change in the bodies of the saints will occur in an instant.2,3 The time when this glorious transformation takes place will be at the second coming of Christ, for it is then that the "trump of God" will sound, and faithful believers who have died will be raised in bodies that are entirely free from all effects of sin. Then Christians who are alive and looking eagerly for the coming of their Lord will undergo a
marvellous change, whereby all traces of corruption and imperfection will be removed from their bodies, which will be made like unto Christ's glorious body (see Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 John 3:2).2
53 It is essential that a change take place in the bodies of the saints. And this will take place either by their dying and being raised from the dead in immortal, incorruptible bodies, or by their being changed to that state without seeing death. Although the body is changed, the redeemed will retain their individual personal identity or character. The gift of immortality will be received only by those who accept God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, and this gift will be theirs when Jesus comes again.2
54 When, at Christ's coming, the amazing transformation from mortal to immortal has taken place, both of the righteous dead and the righteous living, then man's great enemy will no longer trouble the redeemed. The last thought that occupied their minds as the shadow of death overtook the saints was that of approaching sleep, their last feeling was that of the pain of death. As they see that Christ has come and conferred on them the gift of immortality, their first sensation will be one of great rejoicing that never again will they succumb to the power of death.2
55 In the glad and victorious cry "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" both death and the grave are personified and addressed, probably by the saints, who will be delivered forever from the threat of the suffering and separation caused by death. The sway that this enemy has held over all men ever since the fall of Adam will be forever removed from the redeemed at the second coming of Christ.2
56 The "sting of death" is here defined as "sin". Death, like a scorpion, has a sting, a fatal power imparted to it by means of sin, the cause of death (Romans 6:23). But the redeemed will never again commit sin: therefore they can never again feel the sting of death ((Nahum 1:9; Revelation 21:4).2
57 This verse presents the theme of all Scripture, namely, to show that the restoration of man to favor with God and to his original condition of perfection and freedom from all the effects of sin, is brought about by the mighty power of God working through our Lord Jesus Christ. For this triumph over the power of the adversary the redeemed will give praise and glory to God throughout eternity.2
References and notes
1.
King James Authorized Version
2.
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Vol. 6 pgs
655, 812-813
3.
Adam Clarke's Commentaries -
http://www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarke.htm
4.
CATHOLIC
ENCYCLOPEDIA: Epistles to the Corinthians
-
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04364a.htm
5. Christian Resource Centre (Bermuda) Horn, Siegfried -
http://www.nisbett.com/summary/sum-n-07.htm
6.
People's New Testament -
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=1co&chapter=015
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Author of 1 Corinthians 
