Letters to the Churches

and God doth give to it a body according as He willed, and to each of the seeds its proper body.

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds;

and there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but one is the glory of the heavenly, and another that of the earthly;

one glory of sun, and another glory of moon, and another glory of stars, for star from star doth differ in glory.

So also is the rising again of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption;

it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body;

so also it hath been written, `The first man Adam became a living creature,' the last Adam is for a life-giving spirit,

but that which is spiritual is not first, but that which was natural, afterwards that which is spiritual.

The first man is out of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord out of heaven;

as is the earthy, such are also the earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are also the heavenly;

and, according as we did bear the image of the earthy, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly.

And this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood the reign of God is not able to inherit, nor doth the corruption inherit the incorruption;

lo, I tell you a secret; we indeed shall not all sleep, and we all shall be changed;

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we--we shall be changed:

for it behoveth this corruptible to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality;

and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written, `The Death was swallowed up--to victory;

where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?'

and the sting of the death is the sin, and the power of the sin the law;

and to God--thanks, to Him who is giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;

so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.

And concerning the collection that is for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye--do ye;

on every first day of the week, let each one of you lay by him, treasuring up whatever he may have prospered, that when I may come then collections may not be made;

and whenever I may come, whomsoever ye may approve, through letters, these I will send to carry your favour to Jerusalem;

and if it be meet for me also to go, with me they shall go.