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Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
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by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
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For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
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and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
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and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
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After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
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After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
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Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
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For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
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But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
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Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
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Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
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But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
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And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
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Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise.
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For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
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And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
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Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
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If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
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But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
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For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
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For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
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But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
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Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
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For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
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The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.