1 Corinthians 15 in the early church

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.

After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.

For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.

In that case, we are also exposed as false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.

For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.

Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.