The Resurrection of Christ
1 And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. 2 That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it—unless it was for nothing that you believed.
3 I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; 4 that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles.
8 Last of all he appeared also to me—even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles—I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. 10 But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me. 11 So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe.
Our Resurrection
12 Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? 13 If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. 15 More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. 18 It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. 19 If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.
20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 21 For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. 22 For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ. 23 But each one will be raised in proper order: Christ, first of all; then, at the time of his coming, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come; Christ will overcome all spiritual rulers, authorities, and powers, and will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. 25 For Christ must rule until God defeats all enemies and puts them under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be defeated will be death. 27 For the scripture says, “God put all things under his feet.” It is clear, of course, that the words “all things” do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ. 28 But when all things have been placed under Christ's rule, then he himself, the Son, will place himself under God, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.
29 Now, what about those people who are baptized for the dead? What do they hope to accomplish? If it is true, as some claim, that the dead are not raised to life, why are those people being baptized for the dead? 30 And as for us—why would we run the risk of danger every hour? 31 My friends, I face death every day! The pride I have in you, in our life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord, makes me declare this. 32 If I have, as it were, fought “wild beasts” here in Ephesus simply from human motives, what have I gained? But if the dead are not raised to life, then, as the saying goes, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”
33 Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character.” 34 Come back to your right senses and stop your sinful ways. I declare to your shame that some of you do not know God.
The Resurrection Body
35 Someone will ask, “How can the dead be raised to life? What kind of body will they have?” 36 You fool! When you plant a seed in the ground, it does not sprout to life unless it dies. 37 And what you plant is a bare seed, perhaps a grain of wheat or some other grain, not the full-bodied plant that will later grow up. 38 God provides that seed with the body he wishes; he gives each seed its own proper body.
39 And the flesh of living beings is not all the same kind of flesh; human beings have one kind of flesh, animals another, birds another, and fish another.
40 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; the beauty that belongs to heavenly bodies is different from the beauty that belongs to earthly bodies. 41 The sun has its own beauty, the moon another beauty, and the stars a different beauty; and even among stars there are different kinds of beauty.
42 This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried, it is mortal; when raised, it will be immortal. 43 When buried, it is ugly and weak; when raised, it will be beautiful and strong. 44 When buried, it is a physical body; when raised, it will be a spiritual body. There is, of course, a physical body, so there has to be a spiritual body. 45 For the scripture says, “The first man, Adam, was created a living being”; but the last Adam is the life-giving Spirit. 46 It is not the spiritual that comes first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam came from heaven. 48 Those who belong to the earth are like the one who was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came from heaven. 49 Just as we wear the likeness of the man made of earth, so we will wear the likeness of the Man from heaven.
50 What I mean, friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God's Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality.
51-52 Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed. 53 For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die. 54 So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: “Death is destroyed; victory is complete!”
55 “Where, Death, is your victory?
Where, Death, is your power to hurt?”
56 Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. 57 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.
Kristus augšāmcelšanās
1 Brāļi, daru jums zināmu evaņģēliju, ko jums pasludināju un ko jūs arī pieņēmāt un kurā pastāvat. 2 Caur to jūs arī tiekat glābti, ja vien stingri turaties pie tā, ko esmu jums pasludinājis. Citādi velti esat sākuši ticēt. 3 Vispirms es jums nodevu to, ko pats esmu saņēmis: Kristus mira par mūsu grēkiem, pēc Rakstiem, 4 un tika guldīts kapā un trešajā dienā augšāmcēlās, pēc Rakstiem, 5 un parādījās Kēfam, pēc tam tiem divpadsmit, 6 pēc tam parādījās vienlaikus vairāk nekā piecsimt brāļiem, no kuriem lielākā daļa vēl ir dzīvi, bet daži jau aizmiguši, 7 pēc tam parādījās Jēkabam, pēc tam visiem apustuļiem, 8 un kā vispēdējam viņš pārādījās man kā tādam priekšlaicīgi dzimušam. 9 Jo es taču esmu vismazākais no apustuļiem un neesmu cienīgs saukties par apustuli, tādēļ ka reiz es vajāju Dieva draudzi. 10 Bet no Dieva žēlastības esmu tas, kas esmu, un viņa žēlastība manī nav bijusi veltīga. Es esmu vairāk par viņiem visiem pūlējies, taču ne es, bet Dieva žēlastība, kas ar mani. 11 Mēs tā visi sludinām – vai nu es, vai tie citi –, un tā jūs esat sākuši ticēt.
Mirušo augšāmcelšanās
12 Bet, ja par Kristu sludina, ka viņš ir augšāmcēlies no mirušajiem, kādēļ tad daži starp jums runā, ka nav mirušo augšāmcelšanās. 13 Ja jau nav mirušo augšāmcelšanās, tad arī Kristus nav augšāmcēlies. 14 Bet, ja Kristus nav augšāmcēlies, tad jau veltīga ir mūsu sludināšana un veltīga jūsu ticība. 15 Tad jau mēs esam Dieva viltus liecinieki, jo esam liecinājuši pret Dievu, it kā viņš Kristu būtu augšāmcēlis, ko viņš nemaz nav augšāmcēlis, ja jau nav mirušo augšāmcelšanās. 16 Jo, ja jau mirušie netiek augšāmcelti, tad arī Kristus nav augšāmcēlies. 17 Bet, ja Kristus nav augšāmcēlies, tad veltīga ir jūsu ticība un jūs vēl esat savos grēkos. 18 Tad jau pazušanā gājuši ir arī Kristū aizmigušie. 19 Ja mēs vienīgi šajā dzīvē ceram uz Kristu, tad esam visnožēlojamākie cilvēki. 20 Bet nu Kristus ir augšāmcēlies no mirušajiem, pirmais no aizmigušajiem. 21 Tādēļ ka nāve ir caur cilvēku un caur cilvēku ir arī mirušo augšāmcelšanās. 22 Jo, kā visi mirst Ādamā, tā Kristū visi tiks darīti dzīvi. 23 Bet ikviens savā reizē, pirmais – Kristus, pēc tam Kristum piederīgie, kad viņš nāks. 24 Un gals būs tad, kad Valstību viņš nodos Dievam un Tēvam, kad viņš atcels visas valdības un visas varas, un visus spēkus. 25 Jo viņam ir jāvalda tik ilgi, līdz viņš noliks visus ienaidniekus zem savām kājām. 26 Pēdējais ienaidnieks, kas tiks iznīcināts, būs nāve. 27 Jo Dievs ir pakļāvis visu zem viņa kājām. Un, ja Dievs ir teicis, ka viss ir pakļauts, tad skaidrs – izņemot pašu pakļāvēju. 28 Un, kad Dēlam viss būs pakļauts, tad arī viņš pats tiks pakļauts Dievam, kas visu nolika viņa pakļautībā, lai Dievs būtu viss visā. 29 Ko tad darīs, kas pieņem kristību mirušo labā? Ja mirušie vispār netiek augšāmcelti, kādēļ tad tie viņu dēļ tiek kristīti? 30 Kādēļ tad mēs bez mitas sevi pakļaujam briesmām? 31 Es mirstu ik dienas, patiesi, kā jūs, brāļi, esat mans lepnums Jēzū Kristū, mūsu Kungā! 32 Ja es kāda cilvēciska iemesla dēļ būtu cīnījies ar zvēriem Efesā, kāds labums man tad būtu? Ja mirušie netiek augšāmcelti, tad jau tik ēdīsim un dzersim, jo rīt mums jāmirst. 33 Nepievilieties: ļauna sabiedrība samaitā krietnus tikumus. 34 Nāciet pie skaidra prāta, kā piederas, un negrēkojiet, jo daži starp jums ir pilnīgā neziņā par Dievu, to saku jums par kaunu.
Miesas augšāmcelšanās
35 Varbūt kāds jautās: kā var mirušie augšāmcelties? Kādā miesā viņi nāks? 36 Bezprātīgais, ko tu sēj, tas netop dzīvs, pirms tas nemirst. 37 Ko tu iesēj, nav tā miesa, kas būs, bet ir tikai sēkliņa, vai nu tas būtu labības grauds, vai kas cits. 38 Bet Dievs piešķir tai miesu pēc savas gribas, dodot katrai sēklai tai piederīgo miesu. 39 Ne visiem tāda pati miesa, citāda ir cilvēkam, citāda – dzīvniekiem, citāda – putniem, citāda – zivīm. 40 Ir gan debess ķermeņi, gan zemes ķermeņi, un citāda godība ir debess ķermeņiem un citāda – zemes ķermeņiem. 41 Citāds spožums ir saulei un citāds – mēnesim, un citāds spožums ir zvaigznēm, jo zvaigzne no zvaigznes atšķiras pēc spožuma. 42 Tāpat arī mirušo augšāmcelšanās – sēts top iznīcībā, bet augšāmceļas neiznīcībā. 43 Sēts top negodā, bet augšāmceļas godībā. Sēts top nespēkā, bet augšāmceļas spēkā. 44 Sēta top dabīga miesa, bet augšāmceļas garīga miesa. Jo kā ir dabīga miesa, ir arī garīga miesa. 45 Tā ir arī rakstīts: pirmais cilvēks Ādams tapa par dzīvu būtni, pēdējais Ādams tapa par Garu, kas dara dzīvu. 46 Taču pirmais nav garīgais, bet dabīgais – garīgais ir pēc tam. 47 Pirmais cilvēks ir no zemes pīšļiem, otrs cilvēks – no debesīm. 48 Kāds ir šis cilvēks, kas no zemes, tādi paši ir tie cilvēki, kas no zemes. Kāds ir cilvēks, kas no debesīm, tādi paši būs tie cilvēki, kas no debesīm. 49 Tāpat kā mēs valkājam zemes cilvēka izskatu, tā mēs arī valkāsim debess cilvēka izskatu. 50 Brāļi, to es jums saku: Dieva valstību nevar iemantot miesa un asinis, tāpat kā iznīcīgais neiemanto neiznīcīgo. 51 Redzi, es jums atklāju noslēpumu: ne visi mēs aizmigsim, bet visi mēs tapsim pārvērsti – 52 pēkšņi, vienā acumirklī, pēdējai taurei skanot. Tad atskanēs taure, un mirušie augšāmcelsies neiznīcībā, un mēs tapsim pārvērsti, 53 jo iznīcīgajam ir jātērpjas neiznīcīgajā un mirstīgajam ir jātērpjas nemirstīgajā. 54 Kad iznīcīgais ietērpsies neiznīcīgajā un mirstīgais ietērpsies nemirstīgajā, tad piepildīsies rakstītais vārds: nāve ir aprīta uzvarā. 55 Kur, nāve, tava uzvara? Kur, nāve, tavs dzelonis? 56 Nāves dzelonis ir grēks, un grēka spēks ir bauslība. 57 Bet pateicība Dievam, kas mums dod uzvaru caur mūsu Kungu Jēzu Kristu. 58 Tad nu, mani mīļotie brāļi, esiet noturīgi un nelokāmi, vienmēr dedzības pilni Kunga darbā, zinādami, ka jūsu pūles nav veltīgas Kungā.
