1 Corinthians · Chapter 15

[ edit] Soþeli, briþeren, I make þe goſpel knowun to ȝou, þe which I haue prechid to ȝou, þe which and ȝe han takun, in which and ȝe ſtonden, by which and ȝe ben ſaued; by which reſoun I haue prechid to ȝou, if ȝe hoolden, if ȝe han not bileuyd ydeli.

Forſoþ I bitook to ȝou in þe firſte þat þing þat and I took; for Criſt was deed for oure ſynnes, vp þe ſcriptures; and for he was biried, and for he roos aȝen in þe þridde day, vp þe ſcripturis; and for he was ſeyn to Cephas, þat is, Petre, and aftir þis þing to enleuene; aftirward he was ſeyn to mo þan fyue hundrid briþeren to gidere, of þe whiche manye dwellen til to ȝit, forſoþe ſumme han ſlepte, or dyede; aftirward he was ſeyn to James, aftirward to alle apoſtlis. Forſoþ at þe laſte of alle, he was ſeyn and to me, as to a myſborn child. Forſoþ I am þe leeſte of apoſtlis, þat am not worþi for to be clepid apoſtle, for I purſuede þe chirche of God.

Forſoþe by þe grace of God, I am þat þing þat I am; and his grace was not voyde, or ydel, in me. But I trauelide more plenteuouſly þan alle þei; forſoþ not I, but þe grace of God wiþ me. Soþli wheþer I, wheþer þei, ſo we han prechid, and ſo ȝe han bileuyd. Forſoþ if Criſt is prechid, þat he roos aȝen fro deed ſpiritis, hou ſumme ſeyn in ȝou, for þe aȝen ryſinge of deed men is not? Forſoþ if þe aȝen ryſinge of deed men is not, neþer Criſt roos. Soþli if Criſt roos not, oure prechinge is veyn, oure feiþ is veyn. Forſoþ and we ben found fals witneſſis of God, for we han ſeyd witneſſynge aȝens God, þat he reyſide Criſt, whom he reiſide not, if deed men ryſen not aȝen.

Forwhy if deede men ryſen not aȝen, neþer Criſt roos aȝen; þat if Criſt roos not aȝen, oure feiþ is veyn; forſoþ ȝit ȝe ben in ȝoure ſynnes. Þerefore and þei þat ſlepten, or dyeden, in Criſt, han periſchid. If in þis lyf oonly we ben hopinge in Criſt, we ben more wrecchis þan alle men. Now forſoþ Criſt roos aȝen, fro deede men, þe firſte fruytis of ſlepynge men, or deyinge; for ſoþli bye a man deeþ, and bye a man aȝen ryſinge of deed men. And as in Adam alle men deyen, ſo and in Criſt alle men ſchulen be quykenyd.

Ech man forſoþe in his ordre; firſt fruytis, Criſt, aftirward þei þat ben of Criſt, þat bileueden in þe comynge of Criſt; aftirward an ende, whanne he ſchal bitake þe kyngdom to God and to þe fadir, whanne he ſchal auoyde al princehede, and power, and vertu. Soþli it bihoueþ him for to regne, til he putte alle his enemyes vndir his feet. Forſoþ at þe laſte, þe enemy deeþ ſchal be diſtroyed; forſoþ he haþ maad ſuget alle þingis vndir his feet. Forſoþ whanne he ſeiþ, alle þingis ben ſugetis to him, wiþouten doute out taken him þat ſugettide alle þingis to him.

Soþli whanne alle þingis ſchulen be ſuget to hym, þanne he þe ſone ſchal be ſuget to hym, þat ſugettide alle þingis to him, þat God be alle þingis in alle þingis. Ellis what ſchulen þei don, þat ben baptyſid for deede men, if in al manere deede men ryſen not aȝen? Wherto and we ben in perel euery hour? Ech day I deie for ȝoure glorie, briþeren, þe which glorie I haue in Criſt Jheſu oure Lord. If vp man I haue fouȝte to beeſtis at Epheci, what profitiþ it to me, if deede men ryſen not aȝen? Ete we, and drynke we, to morwe forſoþ we ſchulen deye. Nyle ȝe be diſſeyued; forſoþ yuele ſpechis corumpen, or diſtroyen, goode þewis, or vertues.

Awake ȝe, iuſte men, and nyle ȝe ſynne; forſoþe ſumme han ignoraunce of God, to reuerence I ſpeke to ȝou. But ſumman ſeiþ, How ſchulen deede men ryſe aȝen, or in what maner body ſchulen þei come? Vnwyſe man, þat þing þat þou ſowiſt, is not quykenyd, no but it deie firſt; and þat þing þat þou ſowiſt, not þe body þat is to come þou ſowiſt, but a nakid corn, as of whete, or of ſum of þe oþir; forſoþe God ȝyueþ to it a body as he wole, and to ech of ſeedis þe propre body. Not ech fleiſch þe ſame fleiſch, but forſoþe anoþir of men, anoþir ſoþli of beeſtis, anoþir forſoþe of briddis, anoþir of fiſchis.

And heuenly bodyes, and erþeli bodyes; but forſoþe anoþir glorie of heuenli bodies, anoþir forſoþ of erþeli. Anoþir clereneſſe of þe ſunne, anoþir clereneſſe of þe mone, and anoþir clereneſſe of þe ſterris; forſoþe a ſterre diuerſiþ fro a ſterre in clereneſſe. So and þe aȝen ryſinge of deede men. It is ſowun in corupcioun, it ſchal ryſe in vncorupcioun; it is ſowun in vnnobley, it ſchal ryſe in glorie; it is ſowun in infirmyte, it ſchal ryſe in vertu; it is ſowun a beeſtly body, it ſchal ryſe a ſpiritual body. If þere is a beeſtly body, þer is and a ſpiritual body; as it is writun, Þe firſte man Adam is maad in to a ſoule lyuynge, þe laſte Adam in to a ſpirit quykenynge.

But not firſt þat þat is ſpiritual, but þat þat is beeſtlich, aftirward þat þat is ſpiritual. Þe firſte man of erþe, erþeli; þe ſecunde man of heuene, heuenli. What maner þe erþeli man, ſuch þe erþeli men; and what maner þe heuenli man, ſuch þe heuenli men. Þerfore as we han born þe ymage of þe erþeli man, bere we and þe ymage of þe heuenly. Briþeren, I ſeye þis þing, for fleiſch and blood mown not welde þe kyngdom of God, neþir corupcioun ſchal weelde incorupcioun. Lo! I ſeye to ȝou myſterie, or priuyte, of hooly þingis.

Forſoþe alle we ſchulen ryſe aȝen, but not alle we ſchulen be inchaungid; in a moment, in þe ſmytinge of an yȝe, in þe laſte trumpe; forſoþ þe trumpe ſchal ſynge, and deede men þat ben in Criſt ſchulen ryſe aȝen, þe firſte incorupt, and we ſchulen be inchaungid. Forſoþ it byhoueþ þis coruptible þing cloþe incorupcioun, and þis deedly þing for to cloþe vndeedlyneſſe. Forſoþe whanne þis deedly þing ſchal cloþe vndeedlyneſſe, þanne ſchal be maad þe word þat is writun, Deeþ is ſopun vp in victorie. Deeþ, wher is þi victorie? Deeþ, wher is þi pricke? Forſoþ þe pricke of deeþ is ſynne; forſoþ þe vertu of ſynne is lawe.

Forſoþ þankingis to God, þat ȝaf to vs victorie by oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, þat was deed for vs. And ſo, my dereworþe briþeren, be ȝe ſtidefaſt and vnmouable, beynge plentenous in work of þe Lord, euermore witynge þat ȝoure trauel is not ydel in þe Lord.