The Resurrection of Christ 2 UST When you continue to firmly believe the message that I preached to you, God saves you by means of that message. Otherwise, you believed{ the message} for nothing. BSB BSB: By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
4 UST People buried him, but during the third day{ after that}, God made him alive again, just as{ the authors of} the holy books{ wrote}. BSB BSB: that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 UST He appeared to Peter and then to the{ rest of Jesus’} 12{ closest followers}. BSB BSB: and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.
7 UST After that, he appeared to James and then to everyone whom he sent to represent him. BSB BSB: Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 UST Finally, after he appeared to all of them, he appeared to me also. So,{ because I became one whom Jesus sent to represent him after everyone else}, I am like a baby that was born in an unusual way. BSB BSB: And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.
9 UST In fact, I am less significant and honorable than every other person whom the Messiah sent to represent him. Indeed, since I tried to destroy those who believe in the Messiah, I do not deserve it when others call me one whom the Messiah sent to represent him. BSB BSB: For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 UST However, God graciously made me one whom the Messiah sent to represent him. Further, what he has given me has resulted in great things. In fact, I worked harder than all the other{ ones whom the Messiah sent to represent him}. Of course, it was not really I{ who worked so hard}. Instead, it was God graciously working through me{ who did so much}. BSB BSB: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
The Resurrection of the Dead 13 UST Suppose{ that it were true} that people who have died will not live again.{ In that case,} God did not make the Messiah alive again. BSB BSB: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
15 UST Further, we would be people who tell lies about God, because we declared before God that he made the Messiah alive again when he really did not. This would all be true were God not to make those who have died alive again. BSB BSB: In that case, we are also exposed as false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 UST { You can tell that this is true when you} suppose that God does not make people who have died alive again.{ In that case,} God did not make even the Messiah alive again. BSB BSB: For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised.
17 UST Suppose{ that it is true} that God did not make the Messiah alive again.{ In that case,} you believed{ the good news} for no reason, and sin continues to control you. BSB BSB: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 UST In that case again, the believers who have died will never live again. BSB BSB: Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 UST Suppose that we can confidently expect the Messiah{ to help us} only before we die.{ In that case,} all people should feel sorry for us more than{ they feel sorry} for anyone else. BSB BSB: If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.
The Order of Resurrection 22 UST What I mean is that, just as all people end up dying because God united them to Adam, in the same way all{ believers} will live again because God unites them to the Messiah. BSB BSB: For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 UST Now, all people{ who will live again} do so in turn: first the Messiah and then those who belong to the Messiah when he comes{ back again}. BSB BSB: But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
24 UST After that, what everything that God has created is waiting for{ will happen}. At that time, the Messiah will get rid of everyone and everything that rules and governs and controls. Then, he will present God,{ who is our} Father, with the kingdom{ so that God rules over everything}. BSB BSB: Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.
25 UST Here is how{ that works}: God has decided that the Messiah will rule until whenever he has conquered all those who oppose him. BSB BSB: For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 UST The last thing that opposes Christ that he will get rid of is that people die. BSB BSB: The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 UST Now,{ David wrote,}“he made him conquer everything that opposes him.” Of course,“everything” does not include God, who is the one who“made him conquer everything.” BSB BSB: For “God has put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him.
28 UST So, after he has conquered everything, then God the Son will submit to the one who made him conquer everything. In this way, God will conquer and rule all things. BSB BSB: And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.
29 UST Now, consider people who baptize others to help those who are dead. Further, suppose again that God never makes people who have died alive again.{ In that case,} there is no reason for people to baptize others to help those who have died. BSB BSB: If these things are not so, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
30 UST Even more,{ in that case,} there is no reason for we{ who proclaim the good news} to constantly endanger ourselves{ as we do}. BSB BSB: And why do we endanger ourselves every hour?
31 UST Indeed, I risk dying very frequently. I swear{ that this is true} by how I boast about you, fellow believers, which I do because God has united all of us to the Messiah,{ who is} Jesus our Lord. BSB BSB: I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
32 UST Suppose that I was thinking about merely human things while I struggled against those who opposed me when I visited the city of Ephesus.{ In that case, struggling against them} does not benefit me at all. Suppose again that God does not make people who have died alive again.{ In that case,} we should{ do what many people say to do}: eat{ food}, and drink{ wine}, because we will die very soon. BSB BSB: If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
33 UST You should not believe what is wrong.{ This popular saying is true:}“Evil friends lead astray a person who normally does what is proper.” BSB BSB: Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
34 UST I want you to start acting alertly and properly. You should not keep doing what is wrong.{ I command these things} because some people in your group do not know God. I say that in order to make you feel ashamed BSB BSB: Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body 36 UST { If you do not know the answers to those questions,} you are not thinking clearly!{ Just think about this:} a seed that you put in the ground must die before it can grow. BSB BSB: You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
37 UST { Speaking about} a seed that you put in the ground,{ you know that} it is not in the form of the plant. Rather, it is just the seed. This is true whether{ we are speaking about} wheat or some other crop. BSB BSB: And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else.
38 UST Indeed, God makes seeds grow into the forms that he chooses, and each kind of seed has a specific form{ into which it grows}. BSB BSB: But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.
39 UST The physical parts of different living beings vary. For example, humans, mammals, birds, and fish all have different kinds of physical parts. BSB BSB: Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another.
40 UST Some things exist in heaven, and other things exist on earth. The forms of things in heaven are glorious in one way, while the forms of things on earth are glorious in another way. BSB BSB: There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another.
41 UST { Further,} the sun, moon, and stars are glorious in different ways. In fact, each star is glorious in its own specific way. BSB BSB: The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
43 UST People put a body that receives no respect into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that everyone respects it. People put a frail body into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that it is strong. BSB BSB: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44 UST People put a body that belongs to this world into the ground, but God makes it alive again so that it belongs to the world that God will renew. Just as some bodies belong to this world, so some bodies belong to the world that God will renew. BSB BSB: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 UST { You can tell that this is true} because Moses wrote,“God made the first human, Adam, as a living being who belonged to this world.”{ On the other hand, Jesus, who is like} another Adam, now belongs to the world that God will renew and gives life to others. BSB BSB: So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
46 UST Now{ the first Adam’ s} body that belongs to this world existed first, and only after that does{ the last Adam’ s body} exist that belongs to the world that God will renew. BSB BSB: The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
47 UST { Adam, who represents} the first{ kind of} human, belonged on the earth.{ In fact,} God made him from dust.{ On the other hand, Jesus, who represents} the second{ kind of} human, belongs in heaven. BSB BSB: The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
48 UST All people who belong on the earth are like Adam. All those who belong in heaven are like Jesus. BSB BSB: As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 UST Our bodies currently are like{ Adam’ s body} that belongs to this world. In the same way, we should live in such a way that our bodies will eventually be like{ Jesus’ body,} which belongs to the world that God will renew. BSB BSB: And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.
Where, O Death, Is Your Victory? (Hosea 13:9–14)
50 UST Listen to this, my fellow believers: human bodies as they currently exist cannot participate in God’ s kingdom that lasts forever, since they fall apart and die. BSB BSB: Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 UST Pay attention! I am going to tell you something that God has now revealed. Not all of us will die, but God will transform all of us. BSB BSB: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52 UST { He will transform us} in one moment, as fast as a person blinks an eye.{ This will happen} when{ an angel blows} the trumpet that signals that this world is ending. When{ an angel} blows that trumpet, God will make those who have died live again so that they can never die, and he will transform everyone who still lives. BSB BSB: in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 UST So, bodies that fall apart and die need to transform into bodies that last forever and can never die. BSB BSB: For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 UST When our bodies that fall apart and die transform into bodies that last forever and can never die, at that time what the prophets wrote about will finally happen:“God has made it so that people no longer die.” BSB BSB: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 UST { Further,}“When people die, this does not destroy or hurt them.” BSB BSB: “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”
56 UST People die because sin causes them to die, and that happens because the law specifies dying as the penalty for sin. BSB BSB: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 UST However, I praise God because he has enabled us to conquer{ how we sin and die}.{ He has done this} by means of what our Lord, Jesus the Messiah, has done. BSB BSB: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 UST So then, fellow believers whom I love, firmly believe{ what you know is true}. Consistently serve the Lord more and more.{ You should do these things} because you know that what you do{ to serve the Lord} will result in great things, since God has united you to the Lord. BSB BSB: Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.