³ For ^(A)I handed down to you ^[a]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died ^(B)for our sins ^(C)according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was ^(D)raised on the third day ^(E)according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that ^(F)He appeared to ^[b](G)Cephas, then ^(H)to the twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some ^(I)have fallen asleep; ⁷ then He appeared to ^[c](J)James, then to ^(K)all the apostles; ⁸ and last of all, as ^[d]to one untimely born, ^(L)He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am ^(M)the least of the apostles, ^[e]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I ^(N)persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by ^(O)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I ^(P)labored even more than all of them, yet ^(Q)not I, but the grace of God with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was 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 ^(R)is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and ^(S)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. ¹⁵ Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^[f]against God that He ^(T)raised ^[g]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(U)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then also those who ^(V)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are ^(W)of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But the fact is, Christ ^(X)has been raised from the dead, the ^(Y)first fruits of those who ^(Z)are asleep.

³⁵ But ^(A)someone will say, “How are ^(B)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” ^36 (C)You fool! That which you ^(D)sow does not come to life unless it dies; ³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^[a]something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(E)to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (F)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^[b](G)a perishable body, it is raised ^[c](H)an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(I)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(J)natural body, it is raised a ^(K)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that ^(A)flesh and blood cannot ^(B)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[a]the perishable inherit ^[b](C)the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a ^[c](D)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(E)changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(F)the trumpet will sound, and ^(G)the dead will be raised ^[d]imperishable, and ^(H)we will be changed. ⁵³ For this ^[e]perishable must put on ^[f](I)the imperishable, and this ^(J)mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this ^[g]perishable puts on ^[h]the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “^(K)Death has been swallowed up in victory. ^55 (L)Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of ^(M)death is sin, and ^(N)the power of sin is the Law; ⁵⁷ but ^(O)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(P)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.