哥林多前书第十五章第1—18节,针对哥林多教会有人说耶稣没有复活的情况,保罗在这里对哥林多教会的弟兄们重新阐述了一遍福音。保罗说如果哥林多教会的弟兄们坚定的持守他先前所传的福音,就必站立和得救。保罗重述福音说,基督照旧约圣经所说的为我们的罪死了,埋葬了后又照旧约圣经所说的在第三天复活了。基督复活后,先是显给矶法看,然后显给十二使徒看,后来显给五百多弟兄看,又显给雅各看,再显给众使徒看,最后显给保罗看。保罗说 基督显给他看的时候就如同一个孩子出生在了错误的时间,这是因为保罗当时既不是使徒,也不是耶稣的门徒,而是一个迫害使徒或门徒的法利赛人。可见,保罗在这里用较多的文字强调了耶稣复活后的显现过程,目的是为耶稣的复活作见证,以反驳教会里某些人所谓耶稣没有复活的谣言。
保罗然后进一步作见证说,蒙神的恩他今日成了耶稣的使徒,并且也因着神的恩他传福音比其他使徒格外劳苦;保罗说基督若没有复活,信心便是徒然,门徒们就仍在罪里,因为耶稣复活是叫人称义。
林前15:1 弟兄们、我如今把先前所传给你们的福音、告诉你们知道、这福音你们也领受了、又靠着站立得住.
Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
林前15:2 并且你们若不是徒然相信、能以持守我所传给你们的、就必因这福音得救。
by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
林前15:3 我当日所领受又传给你们的、第一、就是基督照圣经所说、为我们的罪死了.
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
林前15:4 而且埋葬了.又照圣经所说、第三天复活了.
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
林前15:5 并且显给矶法看.然后显给十二使徒看.
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
林前15:6 后来一时显给五百多弟兄看、其中一大半到如今还在、却也有已经睡了的.
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
林前15:7 以后显给雅各看.再显给众使徒看.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
林前15:8 末了也显给我看.我如同未到产期而生的人一般。
and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
林前15:9 我原是使徒中最小的、不配称为使徒、因为我从前逼迫 神的教会。
For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
林前15:10 然而我今日成了何等人、是蒙 神的恩才成的.并且他所赐我的恩、不是徒然的.我比众使徒格外劳苦.这原不是我、乃是 神的恩与我同在。
But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
林前15:11 不拘是我是众使徒、我们如此传、你们也如此信了。
Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
林前15:12 既传基督是从死里复活了、怎么在你们中间、有人说没有死人复活的事呢。
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?
林前15:13 若没有死人复活的事、基督也就没有复活了。
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.
林前15:14 若基督没有复活、我们所传的便是枉然、你们所信的也是枉然。
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.
林前15:15 并且明显我们是为 神妄作见证的.因我们见证 神是叫基督复活了.若死人真不复活、 神也就没有叫基督复活了。
Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn't raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised.
林前15:16 因为死人若不复活、基督也就没有复活了。
For if the dead aren't raised, neither has Christ been raised.
林前15:17 基督若没有复活、你们的信便是徒然.你们仍在罪里。
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
林前15:18 就是在基督里睡了的人也灭亡了。
Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.