1 Corinthians 15-16 (The Daily Walk Bible).

The doctrine of the resurrection is under attack:

 — The enemies of the gospel deny it!

 — If there is no resurrection, one must be forced to accept the following horrible conclusions:

      1. The Easter story is a lie.

      2.  Preaching the gospel is useless.

      3.  Preachers are all liars.

      4.  Believers:

         a. Our trust in God is empty, worthless, and hopeless (15:14b).

         b. We are still in our sin (15:17).

         c. We are the most miserable of all creatures (15:19).

         d. Those who live, suffer, and die for Christ are fools (15:29–31).

      5.  Departed believers are forever dead, never to rise again.

      6.   In regard to this present life — we should live it up, for tomorrow we may die (15:32)!

— Paul rebukes Christians who have been listening to the lies of unbelievers about the resurrection. 

We are going to be resurrected, and what a difference it makes:

— Our old bodies:

      1. Are perishable.

      2. Are sown in dishonor.

      3. Are sown in weakness.

      4. Are sown as natural body’s.

      5. Are sown bearing the likeness of the first Adam.

 — Our new bodies:

      1. Will be raised imperishable.

      2. Will be raised in glory.

      3. Will be raised in power.

      4. Will be raised a spiritual body.

      5. Will be raised bearing the likeness of Christ.

 But some of us will be alive when Jesus comes back:

— Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s Kingdom (15:50).

— All believers alive at Christ’s coming will go to heaven without dying (15:51).

— This will occur in the amount of time it takes to blink an eye (15:52).

 — The last trumpet will signify the fulfillment of this promise (15:52).

— Departed believers will exchange their corrupted bodies for incorruptible ones (15:52c).

— Living believers will exchange their mortal bodies for immortal ones (15:53).

 — Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Hosea predicted this (Isa. 25:8; Hos. 13:14).

And he gives us a wonderful promise to remind us to keep working while we wait:

— Because of the resurrection, no labor done for the Lord is in vain (15:58)

*Paul has already talked about the rewards that come to believers (3:10-15)!