1 Corinthians 15:9-44

For I am the least of the apostles,  not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted  the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.  Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed. Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,  how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”?  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.  Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses  about God, because we have testified  wrongly about God that he raised up Christ — whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ  have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits  of those who have fallen asleep. For since death  came through a man,  the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.  For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in his own order:  Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end,  when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father,  when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power.  For he must reign  until he puts all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be abolished is death.  For God has put everything under his feet.   , Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son  himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.  Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead?  If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?  Why are we in danger every hour? I face death every day,  as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus  as a mere man, what good did that do me?  If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.   , Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Come to your senses  , and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.  But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come? ” You fool! What you sow does not come to life  unless it dies. 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. But God gives it a body as he wants,  and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh  is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor  of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 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. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption;  sown in dishonor,  raised in glory;  sown in weakness, raised in power;  sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.