1 Corinthians 15:55 (KJV)

Passage

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "death", "where", "sting", "grave", and "victory". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "death" and "where", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 54's "So when this corruptible shall have put..." into verse 56's "The sting of death is sin and...", so "death" and "where" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "death" and "where" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.