1 Corinthians – Chapter 15

New Testament58 Verses

Chapter Summary

"Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand." — so begins 1 Corinthians 15. The chapter centers on Adam and James. Across its 58 verses, two threads run through the text: resurrection and eternal life and faith and trust in God. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand.

2By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

3For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures:

4And that he was buried: and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures:

5And that he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven.

6Then was he seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep.

7After that, he was seen by James: then by all the apostles.

8And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due tine.

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 in me hath not been void: but I have laboured more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me:

11For whether I or they, so we preach: and so you have believed.

12Now if Christ be preached, that he arose again from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen again.

14And if Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain: and your faith is also vain.

15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God: because we have given testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ, whom he hath not raised up, if the dead rise not again.

16For if the dead rise not again, neither is Christ risen again.

17And if Christ be not risen again, your faith is vain: for you are yet in your sins.

18Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20But now Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep:

21For by a man came death: and by a man the resurrection of the dead.

22And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

23But every one in his own order: the firstfruits, Christ: then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming.

24Afterwards the end: when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father: when he shall have brought to nought all principality and power and virtue.

25For he must reign, until he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

26And the enemy, death, shall be destroyed last: For he hath put all things under his feet. And whereas he saith:

27All things are put under him; undoubtedly, he is excepted, who put all things under him.

28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then the Son also himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

29Otherwise, what shall they do that are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not again at all? Why are they then baptized for them?

30Why also are we in danger every hour?

31I die daily, I protest by your glory, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32If (according to man) I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me, if the dead rise not again? Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die.

33Be not seduced: Evil communications corrupt good manners.

34Awake, ye just, and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak it to your shame.

35But some man will say: How do the dead rise again? Or with what manner of body shall they come?

36Senseless man, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die first.

37And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that shall be: but bare grain, as of wheat, or of some of the rest.

38But God giveth it a body as he will: and to every seed its proper body.

39All flesh is not the same flesh: but one is the flesh of men, another of beasts, other of birds, another of fishes.

40And there are bodies celestial and bodies terrestrial: but, one is the glory of the celestial, and another of the terrestrial.

41One is the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars. For star differeth from star in glory.

42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption: it shall rise in incorruption.

43It is sown in dishonour: it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weakness: it shall rise in power.

44It is sown a natural body: it shall rise a spiritual body. If there be a natural body, there is also a spiritual body, as it is written:

45The first man Adam was made into a living soul; the last Adam into a quickening spirit.

46Yet that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural: afterwards that which is spiritual.

47The first man was of the earth, earthly: the second man, from heaven, heavenly.

48Such as is the earthly, such also are the earthly: and such as is the heavenly, such also are they that are heavenly.

49Therefore, as we have borne the image of the earthly, let us bear also the image of the heavenly.

50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption.

51Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed.

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible. And we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality.

54And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?

56Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable: always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Important Verses in 1 Corinthians 15

But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me hath not been void: but I have laboured more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me:

1 Corinthians 15:10

Afterwards the end: when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father: when he shall have brought to nought all principality and power and virtue.

1 Corinthians 15:24

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption.

1 Corinthians 15:50

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable: always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Historical Context

1 Corinthians belongs to the New Testament and was composed for the divided church of Corinth, called back to unity and holiness. Chapter 15 of 16 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a apostolic teaching addressed to a Christian community with 58 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Adam and James, the principal figures named in this chapter. The chapter begins: "Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you…" It concludes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable: always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that…" Read against its original backdrop, Corinth was a wealthy, cosmopolitan port city, and its young church mirrored its problems: factions, lawsuits, immorality, and confusion about worship. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: About AD 56, from Ephesus.

Who Wrote It

The Apostle Paul

When It Was Written

About AD 56, from Ephesus

Catholic Commentary

The letter combines theological exposition with pastoral exhortation for believers. A pivotal line is verse 10: "But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me hath not been void: but I have laboured more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of…" The passage repeatedly touches on resurrection and eternal life.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 2559). Here, Paul's teaching on the Eucharist and the body of Christ (CIC 1329, 791). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize resurrection and eternal life as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith and the promise of our own resurrection.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith and the promise of our own resurrection.
  • Faith is a gift and a decision: entrusting ourselves entirely to God and to His promises.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

People in This Chapter

Adam3 mentionsJames1 mention

Reflection for Today

1 Corinthians Chapter 15 presents Paul's teaching on the Resurrection, which Catholic theology affirms as essential to Christian faith. The Catechism teaches that "the Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ" (CIC 638). Paul's declaration—"if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile"—establishes the Resurrection as the foundation of Christianity.

The teaching on the resurrection of the body is central to Catholic eschatology. The Catechism affirms that "we believe in the true resurrection of this flesh that we now possess" (CIC 1017). Against both ancient and modern denials of bodily resurrection, the Church maintains that our bodies will be raised and transformed, like Christ's glorified body.

Paul's image of the seed that dies to produce new life illuminates the mystery of resurrection. The Catechism uses this analogy to explain how our mortal bodies will be transformed into spiritual bodies (CIC 999). This chapter grounds Catholic hope in eternal life—not merely the survival of the soul but the resurrection of the whole person, body and soul, to share in Christ's glory.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 1 Corinthians Chapter 15 about?

1 Corinthians 15 contains 58 verses. It opens with "Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you…" and closes with "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable: always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that…". The book as a whole is epistle.

What is a key verse in 1 Corinthians 15?

One of the most significant verses is verse 10: "But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me hath not been void: but I have laboured more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15?

This chapter mentions Adam, James.

Who wrote 1 Corinthians and when?

The Apostle Paul. About AD 56, from Ephesus.

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