1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which you also have received, and wherein ye stand,
2by which ye also are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you-- unless ye have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve,
6and that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some have fallen asleep.
7After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8And last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9For I am the least of the apostles, not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all -- yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
12Now if Christ is preached, that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14and if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.
15Yea, and we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if so it be that the dead rise not.
16For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised;
17and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of those who slept.
21For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive;
23but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
24Then 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.
25For He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet.
26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,
27for "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, who did put all things under Him.
28And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son Himself also be subject unto Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
29Else, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?
30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
31I declare by my rejoicing in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die daily.
32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is there to me, if the dead rise not? "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
33Be not deceived: "Evil associations corrupt good manners."
34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
35But some man will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?"
36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, unless it die.
37And that which thou sowest is not that body which shall be, but bare grain, by chance of wheat or of some other grain.
38But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body.
39All 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.
40There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41There 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.
42So also is the resurrection of the dead: It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45And so it is written: "The first man Adam was made a living soul." The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.
46However that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual.
47The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Lord from Heaven.
48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed
52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54So 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?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.