 1 Family+, I now declare to you the Gospel that I have already proclaimed+ to you and which you have received and in which you stand 2 and by which you are also being saved, if you keep in memory what I have proclaimed+ to you, unless you have believed in vain. Psalm 119:11 3 For I delivered to you first of all what I also received: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, Isaiah 53:5 4 that He was buried and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures, Psalm 68:18 5 that He was seen by Cephas~ and then by the twelve. 6 After that, He was seen by more than five hundred of the family+ at once, of whom the greater part remain to this present time. But some have fallen asleep. 7 After that, He was seen by James and then by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, He was seen by me also, as one unnaturally+ born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not even suitable+ to be called an apostle because I persecuted the assembly+ of God. 10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am. His grace to me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than all of them. Yet not I, but it was the grace of God with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, we thus proclaim+ the Word, and you thus believed. 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed+, that He rose from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our proclaiming+ is in vain and your faith is also vain. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if it be so that the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not raised. 17 And if Christ is not raised, then your faith is vain and you are yet in your sins. 18 Then also those who fell asleep in Christ perished. 19 If it is only in this life that we have hope in Christ, then we, of all people, are most miserable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of those who slept. 21 For since death came by man, Adam, then the resurrection of the dead also came by man, Jesus Christ. 22 For just as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But everyone+ in their own order: Christ the first fruits, and afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then the end will come, when Jesus will have delivered up the kingdom to our God and Father, and when He will have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when it is said that all things are put in subjection under Him, it is obvious+ that He is excepted who put all things under Him. Psalm 8:6 28 For when all things have been subdued to Him, then the Son will Himself also be subject to God who put all things under Him so that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise+ what shall those do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 Every day, I risk dying. Our rejoicing is in having Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If according+ to the way of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, then what benefit+ is it to me. If the dead are not raised, then let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. Isaiah 22:13 33 Do not be deceived. Evil companions+ corrupt good behavior+. 34 Awaken to righteousness and do not sin. For some do not have the knowledge of 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 You fool. What you sow is not given life+ unless+ it dies. 37 What you sow is this: You do not sow the body that will be, but bare grain. It may be+ of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as it pleases Him, and to every seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh. There is one kind of flesh for men, another flesh for beasts, another for fish, and another for birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, and 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 differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption and it is raised in incorruptibility+. 43 It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. 44 It is sown as a natural body. It is raised as a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: The first man, Adam, was made a living soul. And the last Adam was made a life giving+ spirit. Genesis 2:7 46 However the first was not spiritual but the natural. Then afterward came the spiritual. 47 The first man came out of the earth, made of dust+. The second man came as the Lord out of heaven. 48 Just as God made the first man out of the earth+, of such also are all those made out of the earth. And just as one+ was heavenly, of such also is heavenly regeneration. 49 As we have borne the image of the earthly, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now family+, I say this: That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Nor does corruption inherit incorruptibility+. 51 Behold I will tell+ you a mystery~: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed~. 52 In a moment. In the twinkling of an eye. At the last trumpet. For a trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed~. 53 For this corruptible being must put on incorruptibility+ and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility+ and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall it be brought to pass that saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. Isaiah 25:8 55 O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death is sin and the strength 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+: Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because+ you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Matthew 4:10
|