1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Christian Standard Bible

The Nature of the Resurrection Body

³⁵ But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” ³⁶ You fool! What you sow does not come to life^(A) unless it dies. ³⁷ And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he wants,^(B) and to each of the seeds its own body. ³⁹ Not all flesh^(C) is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. ⁴⁰ There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor^(D) of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. ⁴¹ There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. ⁴² So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption;^{(E) 43} sown in dishonor,^(F) raised in glory;^(G) sown in weakness, raised in power;^{(H) 44} sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being;^[a](I) the last Adam^(J) became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man was from the earth, a man of dust;^(K) the second man is^[b] from heaven. ⁴⁸ Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.^{(L) 49} And just as we have borne the image^(M) of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.^(N)

Victorious Resurrection

⁵⁰ What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh^(O) and blood^(P) cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.^(Q) For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible body must be clothed^(R) with incorruptibility,^(S) and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. ⁵⁴ When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin^(W) is the law.^{(X) 57} But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory^(Y) through our Lord Jesus Christ!

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work,^(Z) because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.