King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.
Complete Jewish Bible:
and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain;
Berean Standard Bible:
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith.
American Standard Version:
and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And{G1161} if{G1487} Christ{G5547} be{G1453} not{G3756} risen{G1453}, then{G686} is our{G2257} preaching{G2782} vain{G2756}, and{G2532} your{G5216} faith{G4102} is{G1161} also{G2532} vain{G2756}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Corinthians 15:17
- And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1 Thessalonians 4:14
- For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Matthew 15:9
- But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
Acts 17:31
- Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.
James 2:20
- But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Galatians 2:2
- And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Isaiah 49:4
- Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [yet] surely my judgment [is] with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 1 Corinthians 15:14
1 Corinthians 15:14 is a pivotal verse in the New Testament, situated within a larger chapter that deals extensively with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church, addressing various issues and questions that had arisen within the community. In the broader context of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is responding to some in Corinth who were skeptical about the concept of resurrection.
The verse succinctly encapsulates the foundational importance of Jesus' resurrection to Christian faith and doctrine. Paul asserts that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then the preaching of the gospel—the core message proclaimed by the apostles and early Christians—is empty and without effect. The term "vain" suggests that without the resurrection, the message they preach lacks substance, truth, and power.
Furthermore, Paul connects the resurrection of Christ to the faith of the believers. He argues that if the resurrection did not occur, then the faith of Christians is equally "vain," meaning it is unfounded, misplaced, and futile. The resurrection serves as the cornerstone of Christian hope and the assurance of salvation. Without it, the promise of eternal life and the defeat of sin and death would be nullified, leaving believers without a solid foundation for their trust in God.
Historically, this verse reflects the early Christian belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus, which was central to their theology and experience. It also highlights the opposition and skepticism that the early Church faced regarding this core tenet of their faith. Paul's argument in this verse and the surrounding passage serves to reinforce the historical event of Jesus' resurrection and its implications for the faith and practice of the Corinthian believers, as well as for all subsequent Christian tradition.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: G1161
There are 2556 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: δέ
Transliteration: dé
Pronunciation: deh
Description: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English). - Strong's Number: G1487
There are 271 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: εἰ
Transliteration: ei
Pronunciation: i
Description: a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether. Often used in connection or composition with other particles, especially as in εἴγε, εἰ δὲ μή(γε), εἰ καί, εἰ μή, εἰ μή τι, εἴ περ, εἴ πως, εἴ τις, ἐκ. See also ἐάν. - Strong's Number: G5547
There are 530 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: Χριστός
Transliteration: Christós
Pronunciation: khris-tos'
Description: from χρίω; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ. - Strong's Number: G1453
There are 135 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἐγείρω
Transliteration: egeírō
Pronunciation: eg-i'-ro
Description: probably akin to the base of ἀγορά (through the idea of collecting one's faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):--awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-)rise (again, up), stand, take up. - Strong's Number: G3756
There are 1328 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: οὐ
Transliteration: ou
Pronunciation: ookh
Description: a primary word; the absolute negative (compare μή) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but. See also οὐ μή, μῆκος. - Strong's Number: G686
There are 51 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἄρα
Transliteration: ára
Pronunciation: ar'-ah
Description: probably from αἴρω (through the idea of drawing a conclusion); a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows):--haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Often used in connection with other particles, especially γέ or οὖν (after) or εἰ (before). Compare also ἆρα. - Strong's Number: G2257
There are 365 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἡμῶν
Transliteration: hēmōn
Pronunciation: hay-mone'
Description: genitive case plural of ἐγώ; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we. - Strong's Number: G2782
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: κήρυγμα
Transliteration: kḗrygma
Pronunciation: kay'-roog-mah
Description: from κηρύσσω; a proclamation (especially of the gospel; by implication, the gospel itself):--preaching. - Strong's Number: G2756
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: κενός
Transliteration: kenós
Pronunciation: ken-os'
Description: apparently a primary word; empty (literally or figuratively):--empty, (in) vain. - Strong's Number: G2532
There are 5212 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: καί
Transliteration: kaí
Pronunciation: kahee
Description: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet. - Strong's Number: G5216
There are 503 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ὑμῶν
Transliteration: hymōn
Pronunciation: hoo-mone'
Description: genitive case of ὑμεῖς; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves). - Strong's Number: G4102
There are 228 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: πίστις
Transliteration: pístis
Pronunciation: pis'-tis
Description: from πείθω; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.