36Did the word of God come forth from you? Or came it unto you alone? 37If any one thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandments. 38But if any one is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39Wherefore, brethren, desire earnestly the gift of prophecy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40But let all things be done decently and in order.
XV. And I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also ye received, in which also ye stand; 2through which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word with which I preached to you, unless ye believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you first of all what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 4and that he was buried, and that he has risen on the third day according to the Scriptures; 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve; 6after that, he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep. 7After that, he appeared to James; then to all the apostles. 8And last of all he appeared to me also, as the one born out of due time. 9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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 labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
12Now if Christ is preached that he has risen from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ risen; 14and if Christ has not risen, then is our preaching vain, and vain also your faith. 15And we are also found false witnesses of God; because we testified of God, that he raised up Christ; whom he raised not, if it be so that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, neither has Christ risen; 17and if Christ has not risen, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then also they who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20But now Christ has risen from the dead, the first-fruits of those who sleep. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive. 23But each in his own order; Christ the first-fruits; afterward they who are Christ's at his coming. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to God, the Father; when he shall have done away all rule, and all authority and power. 25For he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet. 26As the last enemy, Death shall be done away. For he subjected all things under his feet. 27But when he says, All things are subjected, it is manifest that he is excepted, who subjected all things to him. 28And when all things shall be subjected to him, then will also the Son himself be subject to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
29Else what shall they do who are immersed for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then immersed for them? 30Why also are we in peril every hour? 31I protest by my glorying in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32If after the manner of men I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what is the profit to me, if the dead rise not?
Let us eat and drink;
For to-morrow we die.
33Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners. 34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God. I say it to your shame.
35But some one will say: How do the dead rise? And with what kind of body do they come? 36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die; 37and what thou sowest, not the body that shall be sowest thou, but bare grain, perchance of wheat, or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as it pleased him, and to each of the seeds its own body.