1 Corinthians 15:16 (WEB)

Passage

For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:15 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.

1 Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.

1 Corinthians 15:17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:18 Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dead", "aren", "raised", "neither", "christ", and "been". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dead" and "aren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Yes we are also found false witnesses..." into verse 17's "If Christ has not been raised your...", so "dead" and "aren" 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 "dead" and "aren" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.