1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Without the resurrection, the gospel and Christian hope are empty.
12 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?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.
14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.
15 Yes, we are also 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.
16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.
17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
Without the resurrection, the gospel and Christian hope are empty.
Paul confronts the claim that there is no resurrection of the dead by demonstrating that denying resurrection undermines the entire gospel.
Christ Is Risen, the Dead Will Be Raised, and Death Will Be Destroyed
Because Christ has been bodily raised from the dead as the firstfruits of his people, believers will also be raised, death itself will be defeated, and therefore Christian faith, holiness, suffering, and labor are meaningful and steadfast in the Lord.