²⁴ But ^(A)I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may ^(B)finish my course and ^(C)the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to ^(D)testify solemnly of the gospel of ^(E)God’s grace.

⁹ For I think, God has exhibited us, the apostles, last of all as men ^(A)condemned to death, because we ^(B)have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to mankind.

³⁰ Why are we also ^(A)in danger every hour? ³¹ I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that ^(B)I die daily. ³² If ^[a]from human motives I ^(C)fought with wild beasts at ^(D)Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, ^(E)let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^33 (F)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^34 (G)Sober up ^[b]morally and stop sinning, for some have ^(H)no knowledge of God. ^(I)I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But ^(J)someone will say, “How are ^(K)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” ^36 (L)You fool! That which you ^(M)sow does not come to life unless it dies; ³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^[c]something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(N)to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (O)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^[d](P)a perishable body, it is raised ^[e](Q)an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(R)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(S)natural body, it is raised a ^(T)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written: “The first ^(U)man, Adam, became a living ^[f]person.” The ^(V)last Adam was a ^(W)life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is ^(X)from the earth, ^[g](Y)earthy; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, ^(Z)so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ Just as we have ^(AA)borne the image of the earthy, ^[h]we ^(AB)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that ^(AC)flesh and blood cannot ^(AD)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[i]the perishable inherit ^[j](AE)the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a ^[k](AF)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(AG)changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(AH)the trumpet will sound, and ^(AI)the dead will be raised ^[l]imperishable, and ^(AJ)we will be changed. ⁵³ For this ^[m]perishable must put on ^[n](AK)the imperishable, and this ^(AL)mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this ^[o]perishable puts on ^[p]the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “^(AM)Death has been swallowed up in victory. ^55 (AN)Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of ^(AO)death is sin, and ^(AP)the power of sin is the Law; ⁵⁷ but ^(AQ)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(AR)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (AS)Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in ^(AT)the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

^9 [a]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

^10 (A)always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that ^(B)the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death works in us, but life in you.

¹³ But having the same ^(C)spirit of faith, according to what is written: “^(D)I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that He who ^(E)raised the Lord Jesus ^(F)will also raise us with Jesus, and will ^(G)present us with you. ¹⁵ For all things are ^(H)for your sakes, so that grace, having ^[a](I)spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we ^(J)do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our ^(K)inner person is ^(L)being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary, ^(M)light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ while we ^(N)look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

⁹ as unknown and yet well known, as ^(A)dying and yet behold, ^(B)we are alive; as ^[a]punished and yet not put to death,

²³ Are they ^(A)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in ^(B)far more labors, in ^(C)far more imprisonments, ^[a](D)beaten times without number, often in danger of ^(E)death.