1 Corinthians 15:19 kjv
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1 Corinthians 15:19 nkjv
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:19 niv
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:19 esv
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:19 nlt
And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
1 Corinthians 15 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:12 | If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless… | Foundation of resurrection |
| Rom 8:17 | If children, then heirs; heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ... | Inheriting with Christ |
| Gal 6:10 | Let us do good to all people, especially to those of the family of faith. | Doing good within the faith |
| Col 1:27 | Christ in you, the hope of glory. | Christ as the hope |
| Titus 2:13 | waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. | Blessed hope of Christ's return |
| Heb 11:1 | faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. | Definition of faith and hope |
| 1 Pet 1:3 | blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, | Living hope in resurrection |
| 1 Pet 1:13 | Therefore, preparing your minds for action, be sober-minded, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. | Hope set on Christ's revelation |
| Rev 21:4 | He will wipe away every tear from their eyes… | Future end to suffering |
| Matt 6:20 | But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… | Heavenly treasures |
| Luke 14:14 | you will be blessed. For they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. | Reward at resurrection |
| Acts 2:24 | But God raised him up… | Resurrection as divine act |
| Acts 17:31 | God has fixed a day on which he will judge the whole world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. Providing proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. | Resurrection and judgment |
| Rom 4:25 | who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. | Resurrection for justification |
| 1 Cor 6:14 | God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. | Resurrection by God's power |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | Christ died for our sins… was buried… raised on the third day… according to the Scriptures | Core of the gospel |
| John 11:25-26 | I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. | Christ's power over death |
| 2 Cor 4:16-18 | Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. | Future glory over present suffering |
| Phil 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body… | Heavenly citizenship and transformation |
| Heb 12:2 | looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… | Jesus as founder and perfecter |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 19 Meaning
If in this life only Christ we have hoped, then we are more to be pitied. This verse states that if the Christian hope is limited solely to this earthly existence, then believers are the most pitiable of all people. It highlights the exclusive and ultimate nature of the Christian resurrection hope, extending beyond the present life.
1 Corinthians 15 19 Context
First Corinthians chapter 15 addresses the resurrection of believers. There were evidently some in Corinth who denied the resurrection of the dead, or at least its importance, possibly influenced by Greek philosophical ideas that considered the body a prison and its dissolution a liberation. Paul is systematically defending the resurrection, emphasizing its centrality to the Christian faith and its implications for life now and in the future. This verse directly follows the assertion that Christ's resurrection is the basis of the gospel and the foundation of Christian hope. If Christ did not rise, then the gospel is false, and any hope based upon it is empty and even absurd in the face of death.
1 Corinthians 15 19 Word Analysis
- εἰ (ei) - If. Conditional particle. Introduces a hypothetical condition.
- -ży (zō) - in (life). Refers to the present, earthly existence.
- τῇ (tē) - the (feminine dative singular).
- μόνῃ (monē) - only, alone. Emphasizes exclusivity.
- ἐλπίδα (elpida) - hope (accusative singular of ἐλπίς - elpis). A confident expectation, a firm trust in the future.
- ἔχομεν (echomen) - we have (present active indicative, 1st person plural of ἔχω - echō).
- ἐν (en) - in.
- τῷ (tō) - the (masculine dative singular).
- Χριστῷ (Christō) - Christ (dative singular of Χριστός - Christos). The Messiah.
- Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) - Jesus (genitive singular of Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous). The historical name.
- Χριστῷ (Christō) - Christ (dative singular of Χριστός - Christos).
Word Group Analysis:
- "εἰ ἐν τῇ μόνῃ ζωῇ ταύτῃ" (ei en tē monē zōē tautē): "If in this life only." This phrase establishes a crucial condition. The emphasis on "only" (μόνῃ - monē) directly challenges any belief system that finds ultimate meaning or fulfillment solely within the temporal realm.
- "τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐλπίδα ἔχομεν" (tēn en Christō Iēsou elpida echomen): "we have hope in Christ Jesus." This asserts that the object of the Christian hope is specifically and exclusively Christ Jesus. The preposition "in" (ἐν - en) denotes a deep, inherent connection and union with Christ.
1 Corinthians 15 19 Bonus Section
The emphasis on "pitiable" (κατηργήθημεν - kētēgēthēmen, a word with implications of being rendered useless or destitute) suggests that a life without a future resurrection hope would indeed be tragically empty. It implies a loss of purpose and a profound inability to cope with suffering and death. This verse also acts as an apologetic statement, showcasing the reasonableness of the Christian faith to an often skeptical world. It posits that the resurrection is not a minor point but the very crux of Christianity; without it, the entire edifice collapses. The "hope in Christ Jesus" is singular and all-encompassing, a future guarantee that radically reorients present living and thinking.
1 Corinthians 15 19 Commentary
Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15 is built on the foundational truth of Christ's resurrection. If Jesus did not truly rise from the dead, then the Christian message loses its power and efficacy. The hope of Christians is not for mere worldly success or personal comfort in this life. Instead, it is a resurrection hope – a hope rooted in Christ’s victory over death, guaranteeing their own future resurrection and eternal life. To confine this hope to the present age would be to build upon a lie, rendering believers the most deluded of all. True Christian hope looks beyond the present circumstances, finding its ultimate certainty and fulfillment in the Risen Christ, and is therefore a well-founded hope, not a foolish one.