We’ve Got Witnesses: Jesus Rose from the Dead
1I want to remind you of something, dear family. I’m talking about the good news I told you about earlier. It’s a message you believed when you heard it. It’s a message you’re living now. 2It’s the message that’s going to save you, if you keep believing it. But it’s not going to do anything for you if you don’t hang on to your faith. [1] 3I told you the most important part of the story, exactly as it was told to me.
“The Messiah died because of our sins, which is what the Bible said he would do. [2]
5Peter [4] saw him. So did the rest of the Twelve.” [5] 6After that, more than 500 of his followers saw him at the same time. Most of those folks are still alive, though some have died. 7Then James saw him, and later the rest of the apostles saw him too. [6] 8He appeared to me last. That’s because I was born at the wrong time in history. [7]
9If you line apostles up in order of their importance, put me at the back of the line. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle. After all, I persecuted the church. 10But I am an apostle, thanks to the kindness of God. He didn’t waste his kindness [8] on me. No sir. I worked harder than any of the others. Yet the results aren’t because of my work, they’re because of God’s kindness. 11Whether it’s because of the other apostles or because of me—it doesn’t matter which—we preached and you believed what you heard. That’s what counts.
Stop Saying the Dead Don’t Rise
12We’ve been preaching that the Messiah is alive, raised from the dead. So tell me this. Why are some of you saying there’s no such thing as resurrection from the dead?13If there’s no such thing as resurrection from the dead, then it’s pretty doggone obvious that the Messiah couldn’t have been raised from the dead. 14If Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, then our preaching is a lie and your faith is a joke. 15If that’s true, that makes us liars about God. We told everyone that God raised the Messiah from the dead. But God could not have done that if there’s no such thing as resurrection from the dead.
16So I’m telling you, if there’s no such thing as resurrection of the dead, the Messiah hasn’t been raised from the dead, either. 17If Christ hasn’t been raised from the dead, your faith is good for nothing—and you’re still sinners, guilty as sin. 18It also means that dead believers of the Messiah are just that—dead and gone.
19If our faith in the Messiah is good for nothing more than our life here, pity us more than anyone has ever pitied the pitiful.
It’s a Fact, Jesus Rose from the Dead
20Listen up. The Messiah was raised from the dead. He was the first of a huge crowd of souls that will rise. 21People die because of one man. [9] People will rise from the dead because of one man. [10] 22Adam brought death; we all die because of him. [11] Christ brought life; we will all live again because of him. [12]End-time Schedule
23There’s a schedule for raising the dead. The Messiah was resurrected first. His people will get resurrected next, when he comes back. 24After that, it’s all over—life as we used to know it. The Messiah will defeat all the rulers, officials, and powers hostile to God. Then he’ll present the kingdom of God to the Father. [13] 25Meanwhile, the Messiah will rule until he has finished overpowering all of his enemies.26Death is the last enemy he’ll defeat. 27The Bible talks about this. “You (God) have made him boss over everything.” [14] Let me make it clear that “everything” doesn’t include God. After all, it was God who put the Messiah in charge.
28Everyone eventually gives way to God’s Son, submitting to his authority. The Son, too, submits to the authority of God, the one who will make sure everyone submits to the Son. In time, everyone will embrace God as the ruler who means everything to them.
Getting Baptized for the Dead
29If there’s no resurrection of the dead, what good is it for people to get baptized on behalf of the dead? [15] If the dead stay dead, why bother getting wet? 30And why on earth are we risking our lives every hour of the day?31I risk death every day! That’s the truth. I swear it. It’s as true as the fact that I brag about you, because of the Messiah Jesus, our leader. 32In Ephesus, I was a mere man fighting wild animals. [16] Why would I do that? What would I have to gain? If the dead stay dead,
“Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we kick the bucket.” [17]
33Don’t kid yourself. “Hang out with bad company, hang up your good character.” [18]34Get serious. Stop sinning. Some of you don’t know a single thing about God. I’m telling you this because you need to be ashamed of yourself.
What a Resurrected Body Looks Like
35Some folks are going to ask, “How on earth are people raised from the dead? And what kind of body will they carry around with them?”36Don’t be absurd. It’s as simple as this. When you plant a seed, it has to die before it comes to life. 37The body of any seed you plant—whether it’s wheat or something else—isn’t the same body you get when it comes to life. 38God gives each kind of seed whatever body he wants to give it.
39Not all living creatures are the same. There are humans, animals, birds, and fish. 40There are also bodies made for heaven and bodies made for earth. Each kind of body is wonderful in its own unique ways. 41The sun has its own brand of splendor. So do the moon and the stars—in fact, each star has its own unique splendor.
42It’s the same way when it comes to the resurrection of the dead. The body is buried dead. But it is raised never to die again. 43It is buried in humility. It rises in majesty. It is buried limp. It rises strong. 44It is buried as a physical body. It rises as a spiritual body. Both exist. Just as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies.
45The Bible says, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” [19] Well, I’d like you to know that the last Adam [20] became a life-giving Spirit. 46But notice the sequence. The Spiritual One didn’t come first. The physical one came first, and the Spiritual One came afterward. 47The first man comes from the earth and was made of dust. The Second Man comes from heaven.
48Everyone on earth has a physical body, just as the man of dust did. Everyone in heaven has a heavenly body, just as the Man of Heaven does. 49Right now we resemble the man of dust. One day we’ll resemble the Man of Heaven.
A Secret about the Resurrection
50I’m telling you, dear family, this flesh-and-blood body of ours will not make it into the kingdom of God. Nothing that decays is fit for immortality.51Listen up. I’m going to tell you a secret. We’re not all going to die. But we’re all going to be changed. 52It’s going to happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye. The final trumpet will blow, the dead will rise as immortals, and we’ll never be the same again. [21]
53This temporary body of ours needs a makeover. We’re mortal now, but we need to dress for immortality. 54When that happens—when this mortal body gets a permanent upgrade to immortality, the Bible prophecies will be fulfilled:
“Death got chewed up and spit out. [22]
Hey, Death, you sting like a butterfly.” [23] 56Sin gives death its sting. The Jewish law gives sin its power.
57But, thank God, we win. We get to celebrate the victory over sin and death. And it’s all because of our leader, Jesus the Messiah! 58So here’s what I want you to do, dear family. Hold on. Don’t let anyone shake you loose from your faith. Put all of your energy and passion into everything you do for the Lord. Nothing you do for the Lord is wasted.
