1 Corinthians 15
Big idea: The letter's summit. Some in Corinth deny the resurrection of the dead, so Paul rebuilds from the shared foundation: the received gospel — Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures, and appeared to named, checkable witnesses. Then the reductio: no resurrection → no raised Christ → void preaching, vain faith, false witnesses, unforgiven sins, perished dead, pitiable Christians. But Christ HAS been raised — the first fruits — and in him a sequence unrolls to the end: all made alive, every enemy subdued, death abolished last, God all in all. The 'how' question gets the seed answer: sown perishable, raised imperishable; a natural body, a spiritual body; the man of dust, the man of heaven. The finale is a mystery declared — we shall all be changed, at the last trumpet — and a taunt sung over death itself, landing on the most practical 'therefore' in the letter: your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Every prior argument leaned here: the body's dignity (ch. 6), the waived rights and endured hardships (chs. 4, 9), the discipline (9:27) — all are rational only if the dead are raised. Ch. 16's mundane logistics right after it are the point: resurrection hope issues in steadfast ordinary work.
15:1–11 — The gospel delivered
Paul re-declares the Good News they received, in which they stand, by which they are saved — if they hold it fast. Its content is a handed-down formula of first importance: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; he was buried; he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures; he appeared — to Cephas, the twelve, five hundred at once (most still alive and askable), James, all the apostles, and last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, to Paul: least of the apostles, persecutor of God's assembly, made what he is by grace that was not futile but out-labored them all — yet not I, but God's grace with me. Whether I or they: so we preach, and so you believed.
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy 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 which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
15:12–19 — If there is no resurrection
The contradiction exposed: if Christ is preached as raised, how do some say there is no resurrection of the dead? The denial is run to its ends, twice over: no resurrection → Christ not raised → preaching void, faith void, apostles false witnesses against God himself. Again: dead not raised → Christ not raised → faith futile, you are still in your sins, the dead in Christ have simply perished — and if hope in Christ is for this life only, Christians are of all people most to be pitied.
12 Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised 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, neither has Christ been raised. 14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith also is in vain. 15 Yes, we are also found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
15:20–28 — First fruits and the end
The great reversal: but now Christ HAS been raised — the first fruits of those asleep. The Adam-Christ symmetry explains the scope: death through a man, resurrection through a man; in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive — but each in order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's at his coming, then the end — the kingdom handed to the Father after every rule, authority, and power is abolished. He must reign until all enemies are under his feet; the last enemy abolished is death. Psalm 8's 'all things under his feet' is glossed (the Subjector excepted), and the sequence closes at its widest aperture: the Son himself subjected, that God may be all in all.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep. 21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. 28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
15:29–34 — Practices and stakes
Ad hominem interlude: their own practice of baptism for the dead (mentioned, not endorsed) makes no sense without resurrection — and neither does Paul's life: hourly jeopardy, dying daily, fighting 'beasts' at Ephesus. If the dead aren't raised, Epicurean logic wins: eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. So the alarm sounds: don't be deceived — bad company corrupts good morals; sober up righteously, stop sinning; some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
29 Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” 34 Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
15:35–49 — With what body?
The objector's question — how are the dead raised, with what body? — gets a sharp 'foolish one' and a seed: what you sow isn't made alive unless it dies, and you don't sow the body that will be, but a bare grain; God gives it a body as he pleased. Creation shows body-diversity everywhere — flesh of men, animals, fish, birds; celestial and terrestrial bodies; sun, moon, star differing in glory. So the resurrection: sown perishable, raised imperishable; in dishonor, in glory; in weakness, in power; a natural body, a spiritual body — both categories real. The Adam typology returns: the first Adam a living soul, the last a life-giving spirit; natural first, then spiritual; the man of dust and the man of heaven, each imaging his own kind — and as we have borne the dust-man's image, let's bear the heavenly man's.
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 That which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind. 38 But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial. 41 There is one glory of the sun, 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. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. 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 a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly.
15:50–58 — Victory over death
The finale. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, so a mystery is declared: not all will sleep, but all will be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; the dead raised incorruptible, the living changed. The perishable must clothe itself with imperishability, the mortal with immortality — and when it does, Isaiah's line comes true: death is swallowed up in victory. Then the taunt, from Hosea: Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory? The sting is sin, sin's power the law — but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And the whole chapter lands on one 'therefore': be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, knowing your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable. 51 Behold, I 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 the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power 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 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).
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