The Good News About Christ

15 ¹Now, brothers [and sisters], I want you to remember the Good News* I told you about. You received this message, and you continue strong in it. ²You are saved by this message. But you must continue believing the things I told you. If you don't do that, then you believed for nothing. ³I gave you the message that I received. I told you the most important things: that Christ died for our sins, like the Scriptures* say; ⁴that Christ was buried and was raised to life on the third day, like the Scriptures say; ⁵and that Christ showed himself to Peter and then to the twelve [apostles* together]. ⁶After that, Christ showed himself to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time. Most of these brothers are still living today. But some have died. ⁷Then Christ showed himself to James and later to all the apostles [again]. ⁸Last of all, Christ showed himself to me. [I was different], like a baby that is born before the normal time. ⁹All the other apostles are greater than I am. This is because I persecuted* the church of God. That is why I am not even good enough to be called an apostle. ¹⁰But, because of God's grace (gift), that is what I am. And his grace that he gave me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God's grace that was with me.) ¹¹So then [it is not important] if I [told you God's message] or if it was the other apostles [that told you]--we all tell people the same message, and this is what you believed.

We Will Be Raised from Death

¹²We tell everyone that Christ was raised from death. So why do some of you say that people will not be raised from death? ¹³If people will never be raised from death, then Christ has never been raised from death. ¹⁴And if Christ has never been raised, then the message we tell people is worth nothing. And your faith is worth nothing. ¹⁵And also we will be guilty of lying about God. Why? Because we have told people about God, saying that he raised Christ from death. And if people are not raised from death, then God never raised Christ from death. ¹⁶If dead people are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised from death, then your faith is for nothing; you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸And those people in Christ who have already died are lost. ¹⁹If our hope in Christ is only for this life [here on earth], then people should feel more sorry for us than for anyone else. ²⁰But Christ has truly been raised from death--the first one of all those [believers] who are asleep in death. ²¹Death happens to people because of what one man (Adam) did. But the rising from death also happens because of one man (Christ). ²²In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again. ²³But every man will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. Then when Christ comes again, the people who belong to Christ will be raised to life. ²⁴Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers. Then Christ will give the kingdom to God the Father. ²⁵Christ must rule until God puts all enemies under Christ's control.* ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. ²⁷[The Scripture* says], "God put all things under his control."* When it says that "all things" are put under him (Christ), it is clear that this does not include God himself. God is the one putting everything under Christ's control. ²⁸After everything has been put under Christ, then the Son (Christ) himself will be put under God. God is the One who put all things under Christ. Christ will be put under God, so that God will be the complete ruler over everything. ²⁹If people will never be raised from death, then what will people do who are baptized* for those who have died? If dead people are never raised, then why are people baptized for them? ³⁰And what about us? Why do we put ourselves in danger every hour? ³¹I die every day. That is true, brothers, the same as it is true that I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²I fought wild animals in Ephesus. If I did that only for human reasons, to satisfy my own pride, then I have gained nothing. If people are not raised from death then, "Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we die."* ³³Don't be fooled: "Bad friends will ruin good habits." ³⁴Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning. Some of you don't know God. I say this to shame you.

Good News, message The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament. apostles The men Jesus chose to represent him in a special way. persecuted To hurt, bother, or do bad things to. control Literally, "feet." Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament. "God put ... control" Quote from Ps. 8:6. baptized A Greek word meaning to be immersed, dipped, or buried briefly under water. "Let us ... die" Quote from Isa. 22:13; 56:12.