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1 Corinthians 15: Raised in Victory

Paul defends the bodily resurrection of Christ and believers, declaring that death is defeated and our labor in the Lord is never in vain.

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1 Corinthians 15 (WEB)

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 bestowed on 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.

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 found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so 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.

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits 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, even 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.

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 us 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.

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.

50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit the Kingdom of God; 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.

Summary

Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he preached and they received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day, appearing to Cephas, the twelve, more than five hundred at once, James, all the apostles, and last of all to Paul himself, the least of the apostles, saved by grace. This resurrection is the heart of the message. So Paul confronts those who deny the resurrection of the dead: if there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised, and if Christ is not raised, their preaching and faith are worthless, they are still in their sins, the dead in Christ have perished, and believers are the most pitiable of people. But Christ has indeed been raised, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. As death came through Adam, resurrection comes through Christ, who will reign until every enemy is destroyed, the last enemy being death itself, until God is all in all. Paul answers how the dead are raised by the image of seed: what is sown perishable, dishonored, weak, and natural is raised imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. As we have borne the image of Adam, made of dust, we shall bear the image of the heavenly man. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, so at the last trumpet we will all be changed in an instant, the dead raised imperishable and the living transformed, and the perishable will put on the imperishable. Then death is swallowed up in victory—its sting is gone, conquered through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore Paul urges them to stand firm and abound in the Lord's work, knowing their labor is not in vain.

Main Characters

  • Paul — The apostle who recounts the gospel he received, lists the resurrection witnesses, and defends the bodily resurrection as the foundation of faith.
  • Christ the risen firstfruits — Jesus, raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, the firstfruits of those who sleep and the conqueror of death.
  • Adam and the last Adam — Adam, through whom death entered, contrasted with Christ, the life-giving last Adam through whom resurrection comes.
  • Death the last enemy — The final foe to be abolished, swallowed up in victory through the resurrection of Christ and of his people.

Key Verse

1 Corinthians 15:3 (WEB)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Lessons Learned

  • The gospel centers on Christ's death, burial, and bodily resurrection.
  • If Christ is not raised, the whole Christian faith collapses.
  • Christ is the firstfruits, guaranteeing the resurrection of all who belong to him.
  • Because death is defeated, our labor in the Lord is never in vain.
  • The resurrection is essential. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14, WEB). Everything stands or falls with the empty tomb.
  • Christ is the firstfruits. “Now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20, WEB). His rising guarantees ours.
  • Death is a defeated enemy. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26, WEB). For believers, death's reign is broken.
  • Your labor is not in vain. Be “always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58, WEB). Resurrection makes our work matter forever.
  1. What are the core facts of the gospel that Paul says he received and passed on?
  2. Why does Paul say that if Christ is not raised, our faith is worthless?
  3. What does it mean that Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep?
  4. How does Paul describe the difference between our present bodies and our resurrection bodies?
  5. How does the certainty of resurrection change the way you face death, suffering, and daily work?
  1. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, attested by many eyewitnesses (15:3-8). These historical facts, not abstract ideas, are the foundation of the faith.
  2. If there is no resurrection, then Christ is not raised, sin is not conquered, and believers are still lost and to be pitied (15:14-19). The resurrection is not an optional add-on but the very thing that makes the gospel good news.
  3. As firstfruits, Christ's resurrection is the first installment that guarantees the full harvest of all who belong to him (15:20-23). His rising is the pledge that we, too, will be raised at his coming.
  4. Our present bodies are perishable, dishonored, weak, and natural; the resurrection body will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (15:42-44). Like a seed and the plant it becomes, there is both continuity and glorious transformation.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Because death is defeated and the dead in Christ will rise, believers can face loss with hope and pour themselves into the Lord's work, knowing it is never wasted (15:57-58). As leader, let resurrection hope bring comfort and courage to the group.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.