This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for 1 Corinthians 15, Paul’s great chapter on the resurrection of Jesus and of all who belong to him. It is written for small groups, Sunday school classes, and anyone studying the chapter on their own. Each question comes with a leader’s note so you can guide a discussion without preparing a separate summary.
1 Corinthians 15 at a Glance
Paul opens by reminding the Corinthians of the gospel they already received and stand upon. He lays out the historical witnesses to Jesus’s resurrection, then argues that denying the resurrection of the dead would empty the gospel of its power. The middle of the chapter explores what a resurrection body is like, using the picture of a seed that must die before it grows.
The chapter closes with a triumphant song over death and a call to steadfast work. Paul’s goal is not only to win an argument but to strengthen believers who need confidence that their labor and their future are secure in Christ.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion about what the chapter means. Ask the group to point to the exact words and verse numbers. Keep the discussion anchored in the text so everyone shares the same starting point.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…
(WEB)
Reading the summary of the gospel first grounds the whole discussion in what Paul says he “delivered” to the church. It reminds the group that the resurrection is a core message, not an optional add-on to the faith.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
(WEB)
This passage holds the firstfruits image alongside the Adam and Christ contrast. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the sweep of God’s plan in just three verses.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.
(WEB)
The paired contrasts of sown and raised bodies are easy to miss on silent reading. Hearing them aloud makes the rhythm of Paul’s argument clear and gives the group a shared picture to discuss.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(WEB)
Paul names this a mystery and speaks of a sudden change at the last trumpet. Reading it slowly lets the group notice both the wonder and the certainty in his words.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(WEB)
Ending with these verses sends the group out with thanksgiving and a call to steadfast work. It makes a strong closing moment before the prayer.
Memory Verse for 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(WEB)
This verse is short enough to carry through a busy week and speaks directly to discouragement. Encourage each person to repeat it in the morning or before a hard task as a reminder that the work is not wasted.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that Christ has been raised from the dead and that he is the firstfruits of a harvest that is still coming. Thank you for the witnesses who saw him and for the Scriptures that tell us the story. Forgive us for the times we have lived as if this life were the only one, and help us to wake up and walk in righteousness. Where we have grown weary in your work, remind us that our labor is not in vain in you. Give us steady hope as we face loss, fear, and the ordinary struggles of each day. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who has defeated death. Amen.
