1 Corinthians 15

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Brothers and sisters, let me remind you of the good news. I told it to you, and you took it in. You are standing strong in it.

2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

2This good news saves you, if you hold on to what I said. If you do not, then you believed for nothing.

3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

3I received this message myself, and I passed it on to you first of all. Christ, God's chosen one, died to take away our sins. The holy writings said this would happen.

4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

4He was buried. On the third day he was raised back to life. The holy writings said this too.

5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

5Then he let Cephas see him. After that, his twelve close followers saw him.

NoteCephas is another name for Peter, one of Jesus' closest followers.

6After 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.

6After that, more than five hundred believers saw him at one time. Most of them are still alive. Some have died.

NotePaul says "fallen asleep" when he means died. It was a gentle way to speak.

7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

7After that, James saw him. Then all the apostles saw him. Apostles were the men Jesus sent out to teach.

8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

8Last of all, he let me see him too. I was like a baby born at the wrong time.

9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

9I am the least of the apostles. I do not even deserve to be called one. I once hurt God's people.

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 laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

10But God was kind to me, and that is why I am what I am. His kindness to me was not wasted. I worked harder than all of them. But it was not really me. It was God's kindness working with me.

11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

11So it does not matter if it was me or them. We all tell the same message. And you believed it.

12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

12We tell you that Christ was raised from the dead. So how can some of you say dead people are never raised?

13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

13If dead people are never raised, then Christ was not raised either.

14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

14And if Christ was not raised, then our message means nothing. Your faith would mean nothing too.

15Yea, 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.

15We would also be telling lies about God. We said that God raised Christ back to life. If dead people are not raised, God did not do it.

16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

16If dead people are never raised, then Christ was not raised.

17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

17And if Christ was not raised, your faith is useless. Your sins would still be yours.

18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

18Then the people who died trusting Christ would be lost too.

19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

19Maybe our hope in Christ helps only in this life. Then people should feel more sorry for us than for anyone.

20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

20But Christ really was raised from the dead. He is the first of all the people who have died.

Note"Firstfruits" means the first crops picked from a field. They show the rest of the harvest is coming.

21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

21Death came to people through one man. New life for dead people also comes through one man.

22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

22Because of Adam, all people die. Because of Christ, all will be made alive.

23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

23But each one comes in his own turn. Christ came first. Later his people will rise, when he comes back.

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.

24Then the end will come. Christ will hand the kingdom over to God the Father. First he will end every ruler and every power.

25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

25Christ must rule until every enemy is beaten and under his feet.

26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

26The last enemy to 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, which did put all things under him.

27God put everything under Christ's feet. But God himself is not under him. God is the one who put everything there.

28And 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.

28One day everything will be under the Son. Then the Son will put himself under God, who put everything under him. Then God will be over all and in all.

29Else 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?

29Some people are baptized for those who have died. Baptized means washed in water to show they belong to God. Why would they do that if the dead are never raised?

NoteBeing baptized for the dead was something some people did back then. No one today knows exactly what it was.

30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

30And why do we put ourselves in danger every hour?

31I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our LORD, I die daily.

31I am proud of you because of Christ Jesus our Lord. And this is just as true: I face death every day.

32If 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.

32In Ephesus I fought wild animals. If I did that for ordinary human reasons, what did I gain? If the dead are never raised, we may as well say, "Let's eat and drink. Tomorrow we die."

33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

33Do not be fooled. Bad friends spoil good habits.

34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

34Wake up and do what is right. Stop sinning. Some of you do not really know God. I say this to make you ashamed.

35But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

35But someone will ask, "How are dead people raised? What kind of body will they have?"

36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

36That is a foolish question. A seed you plant must die first. Only then does it come to life.

37And 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:

37You do not plant the plant it will become. You only plant a bare seed, maybe wheat or something else.

38But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

38Then God gives it the body he chooses. Each kind of seed gets its own kind of 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.

39Bodies are not all the same. People have one kind. Animals have another. Fish have another. Birds have another.

40There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

40There are bodies in the sky and bodies on earth. The ones in the sky shine one way. The ones on earth shine another way.

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.

41The sun shines one way. The moon shines another way. The stars shine another way. Even one star shines differently from another star.

42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

42It is the same when dead people are raised. The body planted breaks down. The body raised never breaks down.

43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

43It is planted in shame. It is raised in glory. It is planted weak. It is raised strong.

44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

44It is planted as a natural body. It is raised as 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.

45The holy writings say it this way. The first man, Adam, became a living person. The last Adam became a spirit who gives life.

46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

46The spiritual did not come first. The natural came first. The spiritual came after.

47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

47The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came 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.

48People made of dust are like that first man. People who belong to heaven are like the man from heaven.

49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

49We have looked like the man made of dust. We will also look like the man from heaven.

50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

50Brothers and sisters, here is what I mean. Flesh and blood cannot share God's kingdom. What breaks down cannot receive what never breaks down.

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

51Listen, I will tell you a secret. Not all of us will die. But all of us will be changed.

52In 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.

52It will happen fast, in the blink of an eye. The last trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised, never to break down again. And we will be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

53This body that breaks down must put on a body that lasts. This body that dies must put on life that never ends.

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.

54One day that will happen. Then these written words will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

55Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your win?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

56Death stings because of sin. And sin gets its power from the law, God's rules.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

57But thank God! He gives us the win through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, 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.

58So, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Do not let anything move you. Always give yourselves fully to the Lord's work. You know your work for the Lord is never wasted.