1 Corinthians 15:19 (YLT)

Passage

if in this life we have hope in Christ only, of all men we are most to be pitied.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:17 and if Christ hath not risen, vain is your faith, ye are yet in your sins;

1 Corinthians 15:18 then, also, those having fallen asleep in Christ did perish;

1 Corinthians 15:19 if in this life we have hope in Christ only, of all men we are most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:20 And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead--the first-fruits of those sleeping he became,

1 Corinthians 15:21 for since through man <FI>is<Fi> the death, also through man <FI>is<Fi> a rising again of the dead,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "life", "hope", "christ", "only", "most", and "pitied". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "life" and "hope", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "then also those having fallen asleep in..." into verse 20's "And now Christ hath risen out of...", so "life" and "hope" 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 "life" and "hope" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.