1 Corinthians 15:14 kjv
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
1 Corinthians 15:14 nkjv
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
1 Corinthians 15:14 niv
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
1 Corinthians 15:14 esv
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:14 nlt
And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.
1 Corinthians 15 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:3 | For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins... | Fulfillment of gospel's core |
| 1 Cor 15:4 | ...that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; | Fulfillment of gospel's core |
| Acts 2:24 | But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible... | Old Testament prophecy fulfilled |
| Acts 17:31 | For he has set a day when he will judge the whole world with his righteous judgment by the man... | Assurance of future judgment |
| Rom 4:25 | He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. | Centrality of resurrection |
| Rom 10:9 | If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him... | Faith and confession |
| John 11:25-26 | Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even... | Jesus' claims about resurrection |
| Luke 24:34 | They said, "It is true! The Lord is risen and has appeared to Simon." | Eyewitness testimony |
| John 20:27 | Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it... | Evidence of resurrection |
| 1 Cor 6:14 | By his power God raised the Lord from the dead and will raise us also. | Our future resurrection |
| 2 Cor 4:14 | Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus and bring us... | Assurance of future resurrection |
| Phil 3:10-11 | I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings,... | Transformation through resurrection |
| 1 Thess 4:14 | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Jesus those who... | Hope in Christ's return |
| 1 Peter 1:3 | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us... | New birth through resurrection |
| Heb 12:2 | ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he... | Jesus as forerunner |
| Ps 16:10 | For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your faithful servant suffer decay. | Psalm anticipating resurrection |
| Isa 53:10 | Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his... | Suffering servant passage |
| Acts 2:27 | Because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. | Peter quotes Psalm 16 |
| Matt 12:40 | For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man... | Jesus uses Jonah sign |
| Acts 1:3 | After his suffering, he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing... | Appearances after resurrection |
| 1 Cor 15:17 | And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins; | Reiteration of the point |
| 1 Cor 15:12 | But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say... | Addressing Corinthian skepticism |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 14 Meaning
If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith.
1 Corinthians 15 14 Context
This verse is situated within 1 Corinthians chapter 15, which is entirely dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul is directly addressing a significant doctrinal error circulating within the Corinthian church: the denial of the resurrection of the dead, specifically the bodily resurrection of Christ. This denial was undermining the very foundation of the Christian faith. Paul argues forcefully that the resurrection of Christ is not a minor point, but the absolute bedrock upon which the entire Christian message and believers' hope rests. If Christ was not raised, then the apostles' preaching and the Corinthians' faith are devoid of truth and meaning.
1 Corinthians 15 14 Word Analysis
- Eiper (εἰπερ) - If. This is a conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical situation.
- Ēgerthē (ἐγήρθῃ) - He was raised. This is the passive subjunctive form of the Greek verb
egeirō(ἐγείρω), meaning to raise up, to waken. The subjunctive mood suggests the hypothetical nature of the condition. The passive voice emphasizes that Christ's resurrection was an act performed upon him by another power – God. - Christos (Χριστός) - Christ. The Anointed One, Messiah. This title emphasizes Jesus' divine commission and authority.
- ou (οὐ) - not. A strong negation.
- Ēgerthē (ἐγήρθῃ) - He was raised. Repeated for emphasis and to directly link the previous clause to the consequence.
- kenē (κενή) - empty, vain, useless, to no purpose. This adjective describes the state of the preaching and the faith if the resurrection is denied.
- estin (ἐστιν) - is. The present indicative form of
eimi(εἰμί), to be. - kērýxis (κήρυξις) - preaching, proclamation. Refers to the public declaration of the gospel message.
- hēmeis (ὑμεῖς) - you (plural). Directly addressing the recipients of the letter.
- hymōn (ὑμῶν) - your. Possessive pronoun.
- kai (καί) - and. Conjunction.
- mataios (μάταιος) - vain, empty, fruitless, futile, worthless. This adjective is applied to faith.
Word Group Analysis:
- Eiper ēgerthē Christos: "If Christ was raised." This sets up the entire argument as a conditional statement. The validity of everything else depends on this fact.
- kenē estin hēmeis kērýxis: "empty is our preaching." The core of the apostles' message (kērýxis) becomes worthless (kenē) if the central event – the resurrection – did not occur. Their efforts would be producing nothing of substance.
- kai mataios hymōn hē pistis: "and vain your faith." Correspondingly, the faith (pistis) of the believers is also rendered futile (mataios). Their trust and belief are placed in something that is not true, making their commitment meaningless.
1 Corinthians 15 14 Bonus Section
The Corinthians seem to have had a philosophical bias that was influential against the idea of bodily resurrection. This may have stemmed from various Greek philosophical schools that viewed the body as a prison, making resurrection undesirable or even impossible. Paul directly confronts this by asserting that if the resurrection is denied, the entire gospel message crumbles. He makes a direct, logical link: Resurrection proves Christ's victory over sin and death, and thus His atoning sacrifice is valid, and His future promises of new life are guaranteed. The term "kenē" and "mataios" are used to describe the emptiness and fruitlessness that would result from such a denial. Paul's emphasis here is not just on the intellectual acceptance of an event, but on the existential and practical implications of that event for all who believe.
1 Corinthians 15 14 Commentary
This verse underscores the absolute indispensability of Christ's resurrection for Christian theology and practice. Paul states unequivocally that if Christ was not raised, the apostles' preaching (the public declaration of the gospel) would be empty, having no real message or power. Furthermore, the faith of believers would be equally in vain, signifying a belief in a lie or an incomplete message. The resurrection is presented as the divine validation of Christ's claims, the demonstration of God's power over death, and the assurance of future resurrection for believers. Without it, there is no gospel, no salvation, and no hope.