1 Corinthians 15

Now I declare to you, brothers, the Injil1 which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 

3For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that AL-MASIH2 died for our sins according to Al-Kitab3, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to Al-Kitab, 5and that he appeared to Cephas4, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. 9For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the congregation of God. 10But by the grace of God5 I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

12Now if AL-MASIH is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has AL-MASIH been raised. 14If AL-MASIH has not been raised, then our message is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. 15Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up AL-MASIH, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has AL-MASIH been raised. 17If AL-MASIH has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18Then they also who are fallen asleep in AL-MASIH have perished. 19If we have only hoped in AL-MASIH in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

20But now AL-MASIH has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in AL-MASIH all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: AL-MASIH the first fruits, then those who are AL-MASIH’s, at his coming. 24Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27For,

he “put all things in subjection under his feet.” 6 

But when he says he “put all things in subjection,” it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. 28When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. 

29Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead? 30Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour? 31I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in AL-MASIH ‘ISA7 our Lord, I die daily. 32If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then… 

“let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 8

33Do not be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” 34Wake up righteously, and do not sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 

35But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and, “With what kind of body do they come?” 36You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37That which you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind. 38But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own. 39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial. 41There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 

42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. 43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

45So also it is written that the first man

“Adam became a living soul.” 9

The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46However that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. 48As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly. 50Now I say this, brothers,10 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

51Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 11

55“Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?” 12

56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.13 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord ‘ISA AL-MASIH. 58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

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  1. 15:1 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to, 
    1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books, 
    2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
    3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH. ↩︎
  2. 15:3 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  3. 15:3,4 Al-Kitab, is an Arabic-derived term for “the Scriptures.” It is related to the Aramaic ketab and Hebrew terms ketab, miktab, and ktb. The same meaning of “the Scriptures” is expressed in Greek by graphe. In this verse, Al-Kitab refers to the Hebrew scriptures, including the Taurat, the Zabur, and the writings of the Prophets. ↩︎
  4. 15:5 Cephas, that is, the Apostle Peter. ↩︎
  5. 15:10 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  6. 15:27 Quoting the Zabur 8:6 which says: “You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” ↩︎
  7. 15:31 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  8. 15:32 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 22:13 which says: “and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'” ↩︎
  9. 15:45 Quotation from the Taurat, Genesis 2:7 which says: “YAHWEH God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Adam became a living soul.” ↩︎
  10. 15:50 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” ↩︎
  11. 15:54 Citing the theme of Taurat, Shaya 25:8 which says: “He has swallowed up death forever; and the Lord YAHWEH will wipe away every tear from their faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for YAHWEH has spoken it.” ↩︎
  12. 15:55 Quoting the Taurat, Hosea 13:14 which says: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues?
    Grave, where is your destruction?     Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.” ↩︎
  13. 15:56 law, that is, the Law contained in the Taurat. ↩︎