1Now I make known to you, brothers, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, [15:2] through which you are also being saved — if you hold fast the word I proclaimed to you, unless in vain you believed. [15:3] For I delivered to you in the foremost what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [15:4] and that he was buried, and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, [15:5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. [15:6] Thereafter he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. [15:7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [15:8] Last of all, as to an untimely birth, he appeared also to me. [15:9] For I myself am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [15:10] By the grace of God, however, I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been void — rather, more excessively than them all I toiled; yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [15:11] Whether therefore I or they, thus we preach, and thus you believed.
1CO 15:1-11
The Resurrection of Christ
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Corinth, the proclamation of the gospel would have been understood as a public announcement of good news, akin to imperial proclamations of victory or benefaction. For Paul, this gospel centers on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, events he grounds in the Jewish Scriptures , which were authoritative for his Jewish audience but also carried weight for Gentile converts familiar with Jewish traditions. The resurrection appearances to Cephas, the Twelve, and over 500 brothers would have been heard as evidence of Christ’s victory over death, a claim that challenged both Jewish skepticism of resurrection and Greco-Roman philosophical dismissals of bodily afterlife. Paul’s reference to himself as an 'untimely birth' would have evoked shame, underscoring his unworthiness and God’s grace in transforming him into an apostle. For the Corinthian audience, this passage reaffirmed the communal and historical grounding of their faith in the face of competing claims and doubts.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
1CO 15:1
- KJV
- Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
- BSB
- Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.
- Koinōnos
- Now I make known to you, brothers, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you also received, in which you also stand,
1CO 15:2
- KJV
- By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
- BSB
- By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
- Koinōnos
- through which you are also being saved — if you hold fast the word I proclaimed to you, unless in vain you believed.
1CO 15:3
- KJV
- For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
- BSB
- For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
- Koinōnos
- For I delivered to you in the foremost what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
1CO 15:4
- KJV
- And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
- BSB
- that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
- Koinōnos
- and that he was buried, and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1CO 15:5
- KJV
- And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
- BSB
- and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.
- Koinōnos
- and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
1CO 15:6
- KJV
- After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
- BSB
- After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
- Koinōnos
- Thereafter he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.
1CO 15:7
- KJV
- After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
- BSB
- Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
- Koinōnos
- Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
1CO 15:8
- KJV
- And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
- BSB
- And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.
- Koinōnos
- Last of all, as to an untimely birth, he appeared also to me.
1CO 15:9
- KJV
- For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- BSB
- For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Koinōnos
- For I myself am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1CO 15:10
- KJV
- But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
- BSB
- But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
- Koinōnos
- By the grace of God, however, I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been void — rather, more excessively than them all I toiled; yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
1CO 15:11
- KJV
- Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
- BSB
- Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
- Koinōnos
- Whether therefore I or they, thus we preach, and thus you believed.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day”
Cited to ground: Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection
Translator's notes
1CO 15:1
- gospel:The word translated 'gospel' literally meant 'good news' or 'glad tidings.' In the ancient world, it was often used for announcements of military victories or the birth of an emperor, carrying a sense of world-changing significance.
1CO 15:2
- you are being saved,:The term translated 'you are being saved' implies a continuous process, not a one-time event. It suggests an ongoing experience of deliverance and preservation.
1CO 15:3
- Scriptures:The word translated 'Scriptures' refers specifically to the sacred writings of the Old Testament, which were considered authoritative and divinely inspired.
1CO 15:8
- untimely birth:The word translated 'untimely birth' was a strong and somewhat derogatory term, referring to an abortion or a prematurely born, unformed fetus, often implying something abnormal or contemptible.