Self-interpreting Bible

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1 Corinthians 15

1From the truth of Christ's resurrection Paul inferreth the necessity of our own. 20Christ, the firstfruits, being raised, shall be followed in due order by those that are his; 24till having subdued all enemies he shall give up the kingdom to God the Father. 29If there be no resurrection of the dead, in vain is it for any one to risk his life, as the apostle did, continually. 35The manner of the resurrection. 51The change which shall be wrought at the last day in the bodies both of the dead and the living. 58An exhortation to stedfast faith and perseverance in our duty.

1 MOREOVER, brethren, aI declare unto you bthe gospel cwhich I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and dwherein ye stand;

2 eBy which also ye are saved, if ye 1keep in memory 2what I preached unto you, funless ye have believed in vain.

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

4 jAnd that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day kaccording to the scriptures:

5 lAnd that he was seen of mCephas, then nof the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen oof above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are pfallen asleep.

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

8 rAnd last of all he was seen of me also, as of 3one born out of due time.

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

10 But uby the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but vI laboured more abundantly than they all: wyet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

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

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

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

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

15 Yea, and we are found bfalse 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 cFor if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 jBut 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 khave delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

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

26 mThe last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For he nhath 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 oAnd 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 pbaptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

30 qAnd why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

31 I protest rby 4your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, sI die tdaily.

32 If 5after the *manner of men uI have fought with beasts at vEphesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? wlet us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

33 xBe not deceived: yevil communications corrupt good manners.

34 zAwake to righteousness, and sin not; for asome have not the knowledge of God: bI speak this to your shame.

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

36 dThou 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 eBut God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

    39 fAll 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 gThere 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 hSo also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in icorruption; it is raised in jincorruption:

      43 kIt 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 lnatural body, and there is a mspiritual body.

      45 And so it is written, nThe 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 oThe first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

        48 pAs 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, qwe shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

        50 Now rthis I say, brethren, that sflesh and blood tcannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth ucorruption inherit incorruption.

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

        52 xIn a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the ylast *trump: for the trumpet shall sound, zand 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, aDeath is swallowed up in victory.

          55 bO death, where is thy sting? O 6grave, where is thy victory?

          56 cThe sting of death is sin; dand the strength of sin is the law.

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

          58 fTherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in gthe work of the Lord, *forasmuch as ye know hthat your labour is not in vain in the Lord.