Brethren as pertaining to the gospel which I preached unto you, which ye have also accepted, and in the which ye continue;

And last of all he was seen of me, as of one that was born out of due time.

But by the grace of God I am that I am. And his grace which is in me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me.

If Christ be preached, how that he rose from the dead: how say some that are among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead?

If there be no rising again of the dead: then is Christ not risen.

If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also in vain.

For if the dead rise not again, then is Christ not risen again.

If it be so that Christ rose not, then is your faith in vain, and yet are ye in your sins.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and is become the first fruits of them that slept.

For as by Adam all die; even so by Christ, shall all be made alive,

and every man in his own order: The first is Christ, then they that are Christ's at his coming.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

"For he hath put all things under his feet." But when he saith, "All things are put under him," it is manifest, that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

That I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not again? "Let us eat and drink, tomorrow we shall die."

Thou fool, that which thou sowest, is not quickened except it die.

All flesh is not one manner of flesh: but there is one manner flesh of men, another manner flesh of beasts, another manner flesh of fishes, and another of birds.

There are celestial bodies, and there are bodies terrestrial: But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There is one manner glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, an another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory.

So is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, and riseth in incorruption.

It is sown in dishonour, and riseth in honour. It is sown in weakness, and riseth in power.

It is sown a natural body, and riseth a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

As it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul," and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit:

Howbeit, that is not first which is spiritual: but that which is natural, and then that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, earthy: The second man is the Lord, from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy: And as is the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly.

And as we have born the image of the earthy, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly.

When this corruptible hath put on incorruptibility: and this mortal hath put on immortality: then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is consumed into victory."

"Death where is thy sting? Hell where is thy victory?"

The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be unto God, which hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable, always rich in the works of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know how that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Of the gathering for the saints, as I have ordained in the congregations of Galatia, even so do ye.

For a great door and a fruitful is opened unto me: and there are many adversaries.

If Timothy come, see that he be without fear with you. For he worketh the work of the Lord as I do.

The congregations of Asia salute you. Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, and so doeth the congregation that is in their house.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy. Unto the congregation of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

which comforteth us in all our tribulation, insomuch that we are able to comfort them which are troubled, in whatsoever tribulation it be, with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in us: even so is our consolation plenteous by Christ.

yet our hope is steadfast for you inasmuch as we know how, that as ye have your part in afflictions, so shall ye be partakers of consolation.

Brethren, I would not have you ignorant of our trouble, which happened unto us in Asia. For we were grieved out of measure passing strength, so greatly that we despaired even of life.

and which delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver - on whom we trust, that yet hereafter he will deliver us,

by the help of your prayer for us: That by the means of many occasions, thanks may be given of many on our behalf, for the grace given unto us.

Our rejoicing is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in singleness of heart and with godly pureness - and not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God - we have had our conversation in the world, and most of all to you-wards.

We write no other things unto you, than that ye read and also know. Yea, and I trust ye shall find us unto the end

even as ye have found us partly, for we are your rejoicing, even as ye are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

When I thus wise was minded: Did I use lightness? Or think I carnally those things which I think, that with me should be "yea, yea," and "nay, nay?"

God is faithful: For our preaching unto you, was not "yea" and "nay."

For God's son Jesus Christ which was preached among you by us - that is to say, by me and Silvanus and Timothy - was not "yea" and "nay": but in him it was "Yea."

For all the promises of God, in him are "Yea": and are in him "Amen," unto the laud of God through us.

For it is God which establisheth us and you in Christ, and hath anointed us,

which hath also sealed us, and hath given the earnest of the spirit into our hearts.

For if I make you sorry: who is it that should make me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this same epistle unto you, lest if I came, I should take heaviness of them, of whom I ought to rejoice. Certainly this confidence have I in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

It is sufficient unto the same man that he was rebuked of many.

lest Satan should prevent us. For his thoughts are not unknown unto us.

Thanks be unto God which always giveth us the victory in Christ, and openeth the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.

to the one part are we the savor of death unto death; and unto the other part are we the savor of life unto life. And who is mete unto these things?

For we are not as many are, which chop and change with the word of God: but even out of pureness, and by the power of God and in the sight of God, so speak we in Christ.

We begin to praise ourselves again. Need we, as some others, of epistles of recommendation unto you? Or letters of recommendation from you?

Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is understood and read of all men;

in that ye are known, how that ye are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us and written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as it were of ourselves; but our ableness cometh of God;

which hath made us able to minister the new testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

If the ministration of death through the letters figured in stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of countenance - which glory nevertheless is done away -

For no doubt that which was there glorified is not once glorified in respect of this exceeding glory.

Then if that which is destroyed was glorious, much more shall that which remaineth be glorious.

Seeing then that we have such trust, we use great boldness;

and do not as Moses - which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel should not see for what purpose that served, which is put away.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day remaineth the same covering, untaken away, in the old testament when they read it - which in Christ is put away:

But even unto this day, when Moses is read the veil hangeth before their hearts.

The Lord no doubt is a spirit. And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.