1 Corinthians 15

(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.

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Study Questions

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1. Why did Paul begin his discussion of the resurrection by referring to the gospel? Verse 1.

2. Why did Paul say they were saved by the gospel “if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you” or as the Revision puts it “if ye hold fast”? What did he mean by “unless ye have believed in vain”? Verse 2.

3. What are the basic facts of the gospel? Why did Christ die? Verses 3-4.

4. What is Paul’s proof of the resurrection of Christ? Name and explain all the witnesses of Christ’s resurrection. Verses 5-8.

5. What did Paul mean by referring to himself as “the least of the apostles”? Did he mean the he had less authority than the other apostles? Verse 9.

6. To what does Paul attribute the fact that his labors were more abundant than all the other apostles? Verse 10.

7. What two things characterized the preaching of the apostles, no matter which apostle it was? Verse 11.

8. Since the Corinthians believed that Christ rose from the dead, what was the inconsistency in their thinking? Verse 12.

9. What are the consequences of denying the doctrine of a resurrection? Verses 13-14.

10. What is another consequence of denying the doctrine of a resurrection? Verse 15.

11. If the dead do not rise, what fact of the gospel is negated? Verse 16.

12. What is the personal loss of the Corinthians if the resurrection of Christ is not true? Verse 17.

13. If there is no resurrection of the dead, what happened to the loved ones of the Corinthians who believed the gospel? Verse 18.

14. Why would Christians be the most pitiable (miserable, King James Version) group if only in this life we have hope in Christ? Verse 19.

15. What is our guarantee of a general resurrection? What is it about the term “first-truths” that teaches us that we shall be bodily raised from the dead? Verse 20.

16. What naturally followed the sin and death of Adam? Consequently, what naturally had to follow the resurrection of Christ? Verse 21.

17. Since the antithesis of physical death is physical life, wouldn’t the antithesis of universal physical death be a universal physical resurrection from the dead? Verse 22.

18. Who was the first to be raised from the dead never to die again? Although the wicked are not under consideration here, when would all others rise from the dead? Verse 23.

19. What will happen after the coming of Christ? Does the Lord’s schedule include the establishment of a kingdom, and the resurrection of the wicked after a thousand year reign? Verse 24.

20. Is Christ reigning now? What must happen before he ends his reign? Verse 25.

21. How did Paul here define the length of Christ’s rule? Verse 26.

22. Who is exempted from the subjection of man, as realized in the person of Christ, when Paul applies the quote of Psalms 8:6 to Christ? Verse 27.

23. When everything has been subjected to Christ, what will happen then? Is the fact that the Son is subject to the Father contradictory to the deity of Christ? Verse 28.

24. It is estimated that there are at least 40 different views of this verse. How do we know the Mormon view is not correct?
To suggest a realistic view, and remembering that this passage does not add to our knowledge of baptism, but to our knowledge of the resurrection, let us consider three questions:
(1) Why be baptized?
(2) If there is no resurrection, what difference does it make whether we have our sins washed away or not?
(3) Therefore, under what circumstances would baptism be nonsensical? Verse 29.

25. Under what circumstances would baptism and living the Christian life be an unnecessary peril or risk? Verses 30-31.

26. Under what circumstances would it be an advantage to fight wild beasts, literally or figuratively? If the dead rise not, what should we do? Verse 32.

27. Who would have provided evil communications in this connection? What was their shame leading to unrighteousness and sin? Verses 33-34.

28. What are the two specific objections raised by those at Corinth? Verse 35.

29. What did those at Corinth see every day in nature that they denied as being possible for men? Verse 36.

30. How is Paul’s illustration about the grain an answer to the second question in verse 35? Verse 37.

31. When was the plan developed that caused the various seeds to produce after their own kind? Verse 38.

32. Since God gave to each part of creation a body suited to its needs, what can we say about our resurrection bodies? Verse 39.

33. If celestial bodies are heavenly bodies, that is, the sun, moon, and stars, what would terrestrial (earthly) bodies be? How would the glory of the Grand Canyon differ from the Milky Way? Verse 40.

34. If God can give a body to each of his creations in proportion to his glorious plans, what can we say about the resurrection body? Verse 41.

35. As Paul discusses the difference between the resurrection body and the mortal body, what is the “it” that is sown and raised? What are the differences in the two? Verses 42-44.

36. From whom did we receive a body fitted for life in this world and from whom did we receive a body fitted for life in the world to come? Verse 45.

37. How is this verse a denial of the doctrine of reincarnation among others? Verse 46.

38. Since our present bodies are earthly, like the first man, what will our resurrection bodies be? Verses 47-48.

39. Has Paul answered the questions of verse 35? How would you briefly answer these questions? Verse 49.

40. Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, what does this portend for mortal man? Verse 50.

41. What will have to happen before the saints, both living and dead, enter the kingdom? Why did Paul say “we”? Verse 51.

42. What will happen when the last trumpet sounds? Verse 52.

43. What is meant here that the “corruptible must put on incorruption” and “this mortal must put on immortality”? Verse 53.

44. Where is it written that “death is swallowed up in victory”? Verse 54.

45. Where can we find the prediction of death as a defeated enemy and as a scorpion that has lost its sting? Verse 55.

46. How is sin the sting of death? How is the power of sin the law? Verse 56. (See Romans 6:23 and Romans 7:7-12)

47. How did God give us the victory through Jesus Christ the Lord? Verse 57.

48. What did Paul admonish Christians to be and do? Under what circumstances would our labor be in vain? How do we know it will not be in vain? Verse 58.