1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:6

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, in that mountain of Galilee, where he had appointed to meet his disciples: of whom the greater part remain unto this day, and being yet alive can give ample witness to this truth; but some of them rest in the sleep of death.

1 Corinthians 15:8

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

And, last of all, he was seen of me, as one out of season, after all the rest, called to my apostleship.

1 Corinthians 15:9

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

For, I am the meanest of all the Apostles; and not worthy of that honourable title, because I persecuted the Church of God; although not maliciously, but in an ignorant zeal of the Law.

1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

But, by the mere grace and mercy of God, contrary to my deservings, I am called to this station of my apostleship, and furnished with gifts and abilities to discharge it: neither was I careless in improving this mercy and goodness of God to me, for I laboured more abundantly than they all; and yet, why do I say, it was I that laboured? rather it was the grace of God, which both enabled me and wrought by me.

1 Corinthians 15:11

Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

But, whether it were my labour or theirs, all comes to one:

1 Corinthians 15:17

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

And if Christ be not risen, your faith should be in vain pitched upon a dead and perished Redeemer; and so ye are yet under that woeful condemnation, which is due to your sins; from which only the Resurrection of Christ can acquit and discharge you.

1 Corinthians 15:19

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

If the comforts and hopes that we have in Christ were only confined to this present life, and extended not beyond death, we were of all men the most miserable; who do willingly curb and restrain ourselves of those pleasures, which others take full scope unto; and endure those hardnesses and miseries, which others shift off; only, in the expectation of that glory, which we shall once enjoy, with Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:20

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

But now, all our stay, and comfort, is, that Christ is risen from the dead; and is so become the first-fruits of them that sleep in death, as that, the virtue of his Resurrection extends unto all his that lie in their graves, and that they by the power thereof shall necessarily follow him, in rising to life.

1 Corinthians 15:22

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

For, as in the first Adam, who was the first-fruits of all his dying generation, we all die; so in the Second Adam, which was the first-fruits of those that rise from the dead, we all shall be made alive: Adam brought death upon mankind; Christ, life and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:23

But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

So as, all shall rise; but every man in his own order: first, Christ, who is as the first sheaf of this harvest of the resurrection by and from which all the whole crop of the dead saints receive virtue, shall shew himself, as being already risen; afterwards, they that are Christ’s, who are found alive at his coming; and they that are dead in him, and in his faith and favour, shall be, upon their happy change, carried up to meet him.

1 Corinthians 15:24

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Then cometh the end of all this miserable and troublesome world, when he shall have delivered the kingdom of his Mediatorship unto God the Father; and shall have vanquished and put down all the adversary principalities and powers, both of earth and of hell.

1 Corinthians 15:25

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

For he must, by the interest of his Mediatory power, reign, until he hath fully subdued all the enemies of his Church and children.

1 Corinthians 15:26

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The last enemy, that shall be subdued and destroyed, shall be death itself, who hath hitherto subdued and destroyed all things.

1 Corinthians 15:27

It is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

It is manifest, that herein God the Father excepteth himself, who did put all things under the subjection of his Son.

1 Corinthians 15:28

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

And, when all things shall be thus subdued unto the Son, as the King of his Church, God and Man; then shall the Son also, to whom as Mediator the power and rule of all things is committed and as it were delegated by the Father, resign up this Mediatory rule and government to his Father, who hath committed it unto him: so as, he shall no more reign, now, as Mediator, but as God; and we shall enjoy God immediately, who shall be all in all to us.

1 Corinthians 15:29

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Else, to what purpose is the usual, but misgrounded, practice of those men, which are baptized for their dead friends, in a conceit of giving aid and refreshment to them, in that common state of death, if they were not fully assured that the dead shall arise again?

1 Corinthians 15:30

And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

And why do we stand in continual jeopardy every hour, for the profession of the Gospel, and particularly of the truth of the Re-urrection, if we were not persuaded of a retribution after our departure hence?

1 Corinthians 15:31

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

For me, I protest, I swear, by that joy, which I take in you, as the dear children and fruit of my Apostleship, which is the greatest comfort that my Lord Jesus Christ hath given unto me; that I am every day dying, ready to be offered up, for the Name of my Lord and Saviour.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

But for you, O Corinthians, be not ye miscarried with such godless and wicked speeches; remembering that old, but true, verse of the heathen Poet, Evil communications corrupt good manners.

1 Corinthians 15:34

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Awake ye, from the secure and dangerous estate of your former corruptions, to a life of grace and righteousness; and do not dare to yield yourselves over to your sins; and give not ear to those lewd suggestions of wicked and profane men: for there are some such, even amongst you who profess Christianity, that have not the true knowledge and fear of God: I speak this to your shame, who have had so powerful means to the contrary.

1 Corinthians 15:35

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

But some man will object, and say, You speak of a Resurrection; but what an impossible thing is this, that you tell us! How can it be, that that body, which is vanished to dust and corruption, should rise again? Tell us then: what body is it, that shall be restored to us? for this cannot possibly be repaired.

1 Corinthians 15:36

Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

Thou fool, do but look to the grain, that thou sowest: that, which thou sowest, doth not sprout up again, except it first corrupt and die:

1 Corinthians 15:37

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain.

And, when thou sowest, thou sowest not that ear and that corn which shall be, but bare grain.

1 Corinthians 15:38

But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

But God gives it, in the growing up, that body or substance, which it hath, according to his pleasure, and to every seed his own body; not the body of another kind of grain, nor the body of another grain of the same kind, but to every grain his own body.

1 Corinthians 15:39

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

And, as it is in plants, that they have their several bodies and substances, which God gives them at his pleasure; so is it in those creatures, which have sense and motion: there are several kinds of flesh in them: there is one flesh of men, another of beasts, &c. And even so in the Resurrection, God, who hath here given a fleshly body unto men, shall then give them such a body as shall be for glorified persons.

1 Corinthians 15:40

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There are also celestial bodies or substances, as the heaven itself, the planets, and other stars: and there are terrestrial substances, as these elements of earth and water, and the minerals and metals therein contained; each of these have bodies of their own differing, in degrees of worth and excellency, one from another.

1 Corinthians 15:41

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

And even so, in the heavenly bodies themselves, there are several degrees of glory: for there is one glory of the sun, which is the great original of light; and another of the moon, which is next to it, in glory and lightsomeness; and another of the stars, which make less shew than it; and, amongst those stars also, one differs from another, in brightness and glory.

1 Corinthians 15:42

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

So is it in the state of the Resurrection, compared with the present: the body, as it is now, is a goodly creature; but then, it shall have another manner of lustre upon it: it is laid down in corruption, it is raised again in a state of immortality and incorruption. So also verse 43.

1 Corinthians 15:44

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body, &c.

We lay down in the grave a natural body, such as we took from our parents; earthly, dull, heavy, and such, as when it was at the best, needed the aid of our senses; but it is raised a body quite altered in all the qualities thereof; having put off all the grossness and cloggy substance of it, and become pure, light, and apt to motion, and as near as a body may be to the nature and qualities of a spirit: so, there is a gross and natural body; and there is a body that is pure, agile, and spirit-like.

1 Corinthians 15:45

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

And, so it is written, that the body of the first man, which

1 Corinthians 15:46

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Howbeit, our natural being was first; and then, after, our spiritual: we must first receive our elementary and natural body from Adam, ere we can receive our spiritual and incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 15:47

The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

The first Adam was formed of the earth; and therefore was of a base and earthly composition: the Second Adam, which is the Lord Christ, as he came from heaven, so he hath a heavenly and glorious body.

1 Corinthians 15:48

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

And, according to the differences of the First and Second Adam, so are they that partake of the natures of them both: as the First Adam was earthly, so those, which are derived from him, and have nothing but what they receive from him, are earthly and corruptible; and, as the Second Adam is heavenly, so they, that partake of him, are heavenly and glorious.

1 Corinthians 15:49

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

And, as we have been like the First Adam, sinful, mortal, and corruptible; so shall we be, like the Second Adam, pure, immortal, incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 15:50

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Now, this I say, brethren, that these natural bodies of ours, consisting of flesh and blood, as they are in this base, dreggish, and drossy condition, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. XV. 51, 52. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We shall not all sleep in death; but we shall be suddenly changed to an incorruptible estate: those, that shall be found alive at the coming of Christ, shall be instantly so wrought upon by the power of God, that their bodies shall pass, by a present alteration, into an immortal and glorious condition. We shall be changed in a moment, even in the twinkling of an eye; when the last summons to Judgment shall be given: for the Archangel, with a trumpet-like voice, shall call all that are dead in their graves unto Judgment; and the dead shall thereupon rise incorruptible, and those that are alive shall then undergo that change.

1 Corinthians 15:53

For this corruptible must put on incorruption.

For this corruptible body must lay down this impureness and corruption; and must, instead thereof, put on incorruption and perfect glory.

1 Corinthians 15:54

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then &c.

Then shall be brought to pass that saying, that is written in the prophet Isaiah, He shall swallow up death in victory; for that death shall be fully both vanquished and destroyed, and happily triumphed over, by life and immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:55

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

And that other of the prophet Hosea, O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: Now then may we justly insult over subdued death; and say, O death, where is thy sting, wherewith thou hadst wont to wound all creatures? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:56

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

It is only sin, by which death hath power over us; and it is the just rigour of the Law, that inflicts death upon us, for sin.

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But, thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory over sin, which is the cause of death; and over death, which is inflicted for sin, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Therefore, my brethren, since ye know that there is certainly a Resurrection and a Day of Retribution, wherein ye shall receive the reward of your good works and holy obedience; and ye cannot lose any of your hopes and labours, which ye have undergone for Christ’s sake; be ye therefore stedfast and immoveable, &c.