1 Corinthians 15 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The gospel handed on — died, buried, raised, appeared 15:1–11

vv. 1–2 — the gospel recalled: preached, received, stood in, saving

Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospelindependent — disclosure formula — reminding, not revealing

which I preached to you,relative — the relative train opens — preached

which also you received,relative — παραλαμβάνω — the tradition-word (cf. v. 3)

in which also you stand,relative — perfect — the ground they stand on

through which also you are being saved,relative — present passive — salvation still in progress

if you hold fast the word with which I preached it to you —conditional — backward protasis on σῴζεσθε — τίνι λόγῳ fronted by prolepsis into the εἰ-clause

unless you believed in vain.conditional — ἐκτὸς εἰ μή — the grim double-conditional exception

vv. 3–7 — the creed handed on, with its witness list

For I handed on to you among the first thingsindependent — παραδίδωμι — technical term for transmitting fixed tradition

what I also received:relative — the chain of tradition — received before delivered

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,content — the creed, line 1 — died ὑπέρ, with the first γραφάς refrain

and that he was buried,content — line 2 — the burial seals the death

and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,content — line 3 — perfect ἐγήγερται: raised and still risen; the refrain again

and that he appeared to Cephas,content — line 4 — the witness list opens

then to the Twelve;phrase modifier — elliptical — ὤφθη carried forward

then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once,independent — the list continues in Paul's own voice

of whom the majority remain until now,relative — living witnesses — an implicit invitation to verify

but some have fallen asleep;relative — the relative continued — κοιμάομαι anticipates vv. 18, 20

then he appeared to James,independent — the Lord's brother

then to all the apostles;phrase modifier — elliptical — ὤφθη supplied

vv. 8–11 — last of all, to me: grace not in vain

and last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.independent — ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι — the abnormal, late-born apostle

For I am the least of the apostles,cause — why 'untimely born' — the digression on grace opens

who am not fit to be called an apostle,relative — first person retained inside the relative

because I persecuted the church of God;cause — the disqualifying past

but by the grace of God I am what I am,independent — the pivot — χάριτι fronted

and his grace toward me was not in vain,independent — κενή — the chapter's key word (cf. vv. 14, 58)

but I labored more than all of them —independent — grace proved in toil

yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me.phrase modifier — the boast corrected mid-sentence

Whether then it was I or they,conditional — εἴτε … εἴτε — the messenger indifferent; leans on the clause below

so we preachindependent — one message from every witness

and so you believed.independent — the common ground the argument stands on

If Christ is not raised — the reductio 15:12–19

vv. 12–15 — deny the resurrection, and Christ is not raised

Now if Christ is preachedconditional — protasis — leans on the question below

that he has been raised from the dead,content — the content of the preaching

how do some among you sayindependent — the diatribe question — the deniers named

that there is no resurrection of the dead?content — the denial quoted

But if there is no resurrection of the dead,conditional — protasis — the denial assumed for argument

then not even Christ has been raised;independent — apodosis — the categories stand or fall together

and if Christ has not been raised,conditional — protasis — the cascade continues

then our preaching is empty,independent — verdict — κενόν, hollow of content

and your faith also is empty.independent — the verdict doubled — κενή echoes v. 10

Moreover we are found to be false witnesses of God,independent — the apostles indicted — perjurers against God

because we testified against Godcause — ὅτι-causal — κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, testimony against him

that he raised Christ —content — the testimony's content

whom he did not raise,relative — the relative that retracts — on the deniers' premise

if indeed the dead are not raised.conditional — εἴπερ — backward conditional, hanging on the retraction

vv. 16–19 — the toll: futile faith, sins retained, the dead lost

For if the dead are not raised,conditional — protasis — v. 13 restated to fix the premise

then not even Christ has been raised;independent — apodosis — the refrain returns

and if Christ has not been raised,conditional — protasis — the last and deadliest round

your faith is futile;independent — ματαία — futile, achieving nothing

you are still in your sins.independent — the atonement unratified

Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.independent — ἄρα — 'fallen asleep' becomes 'perished'

If in this life only we have hoped in Christ,conditional — protasis — μόνον read with the whole clause

we are of all people most to be pitied.independent — the reductio's floor — comparative ἐλεεινότεροι

But Christ has been raised — firstfruits and the final reign 15:20–28

vv. 20–23 — firstfruits: Adam's death undone in Christ, each in order

But now Christ has been raised from the dead,independent — Νυνὶ δέ — the hypothetical world dismissed for the actual

the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.phrase modifier — apposition — the first sheaf pledges the harvest

For since through a man came death,cause — fronted ἐπειδή — verbless; leans on the clause below

through a man also came the resurrection of the dead.independent — the matching verbless half — δι' ἀνθρώπου both times

For as in Adam all die,comparative — fronted comparative — the Adam solidarity

so also in Christ all will be made alive.independent — the Christ solidarity — future ζῳοποιηθήσονται

But each in his own order:independent — τάγμα — rank by rank, a military ordering

Christ the firstfruits,phrase modifier — rank one — the firstfruits

then at his coming those who belong to Christ;phrase modifier — rank two — his own, at the parousia

vv. 24–28 — the end: the kingdom handed over, death destroyed, God all in all

then the end,independent — τὸ τέλος — the consummation, verbless

when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father,conditional — temporal ὅταν — the handover defines the end

when he has abolished every rule and every authority and power.conditional — temporal ὅταν — aorist subjunctive: abolition precedes handover

For he must reigncause — the divine δεῖ — Ps 110:1 behind the necessity

until he has put all his enemies under his feet.relative — ἄχρι οὗ — temporal relative; the psalm's footstool

The last enemy to be abolished is death.independent — the supreme enemy named — the present of certainty

For "he has put all things in subjection under his feet."cause — Ps 8:6 — the warrant, unmarked citation

But when it saysconditional — fronted ὅταν — leans on δῆλον below

that all things are subjected,content — the psalm's 'all' quoted back

it is clear that this excludes the one who subjected all things to him.independent — the exception — the Subjector not among the subjected

And when all things are subjected to him,conditional — fronted ὅταν — leans on the clause below

then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him,independent — the Son's own subjection — functional, not ontological demotion

that God may be all in all.purpose — the goal of history — πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν

Ad hominem — living as if the dead rise 15:29–34

vv. 29–32 — if the dead are not raised, why baptism, why peril?

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized on behalf of the dead?independent — the crux — a Corinthian practice reported, not endorsed

If the dead are not raised at all,conditional — protasis — ὅλως, 'at all'; leans on the question below

why then are they baptized on their behalf?independent — the practice self-refuting on the deniers' premise

And why are we in danger every hour?independent — the argument turns to Paul's own life

I die every day —independent — the daily dying — hyperbole earned at Ephesus

I affirm it by my boasting in you, brothers,phrase modifier — νή + accusative — the oath formula, unique in Paul

which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.relative — the boast located in Christ

If, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus,conditional — protasis — κατὰ ἄνθρωπον: likely figurative beasts

what do I gain?independent — verbless — the profit question

If the dead are not raised,conditional — protasis — leans on the slogan below

"Let us eat and drink,content — Isa 22:13 — the hedonist's creed, quoted as the logical fallout

for tomorrow we die."cause — the slogan's own logic — death final, so indulge

vv. 33–34 — sober up: bad company corrupts

Do not be deceived:independent — the warning formula

"Bad company corrupts good morals."content — Menander, Thais — a proverb turned pastoral

Sober up righteouslyindependent — ἐκνήφω — out of the stupor of error

and do not sin,independent — present imperative — stop sinning

for some have no knowledge of God.cause — the denial unmasked as ἀγνωσία θεοῦ

I say this to your shame.independent — deliberate shaming — cf. 6:5

The resurrection body — sown perishable, raised glorious 15:35–49

vv. 35–38 — the objector's question and the seed

But someone will say,independent — the diatribe objector introduced

"How are the dead raised?content — the quoted question — the mechanism

And with what kind of body do they come?"content — the quoted question — the kind of body; answered first

Fool!independent — the one-word rebuke — psalmic ἄφρων

What you sow does not come to lifeindependent — σύ pendent with its relative — your own sowing answers you

unless it dies.conditional — backward protasis — death the threshold of life

And what you sow —relative — fronted pendent relative — leans on the clause below

you do not sow the body that is to be,independent — continuity without identity of form

but a bare grain —independent — elliptical — σπείρεις supplied; γυμνός anticipates 2 Cor 5:3

perhaps of wheat or of some other kind;conditional — εἰ τύχοι — the idiom 'as it may chance'

But God gives it a bodyindependent — the decisive agent — the body is God's gift

as he has willed,comparative — aorist — the settled creative will

and to each kind of seed its own body.independent — elliptical — δίδωσιν supplied; ἴδιον, fitting each

vv. 39–41 — kinds of flesh, grades of glory

Not all flesh is the same flesh,independent — the catalogue of flesh opens — verbless throughout

but there is one kind for humans,phrase modifier — μέν — the list begins with humanity

another flesh for animals,phrase modifier — the beasts

another flesh for birds,phrase modifier — the birds

and another for fish.phrase modifier — the fish — σάρξ now fully elided

There are also heavenly bodiesindependent — from flesh to bodies — the sky enters the argument

and earthly bodies,independent — the terrestrial counterpart

but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind,independent — ἑτέρα — glory differs in kind

and the glory of the earthly is of another.independent — the earthly glory — real, but other

There is one glory of the sun,independent — the gradation within heaven begins

another glory of the moon,independent — the moon

and another glory of the stars;independent — the stars

for star differs from star in glory.cause — even star from star — glory endlessly graded

vv. 42–44 — sown / raised: the four antitheses

So also is the resurrection of the dead.independent — the analogies land — verbless application

It is sown in corruption;independent — antithesis 1 — sown: the burial as sowing

it is raised in incorruption.independent — antithesis 1 — raised

It is sown in dishonor;independent — antithesis 2 — sown

it is raised in glory.independent — antithesis 2 — raised

It is sown in weakness;independent — antithesis 3 — sown

it is raised in power.independent — antithesis 3 — raised

It is sown a natural body;independent — antithesis 4 — sown: ψυχικόν, animated by soul

it is raised a spiritual body.independent — antithesis 4 — raised: πνευματικόν, animated by the Spirit

If there is a natural body,conditional — protasis — leans on the inference below

there is also a spiritual one.independent — the inference — the one kind implies the other

vv. 45–49 — the two Adams: dust and heaven

So also it is written:independent — the warrant — Gen 2:7

"The first man Adam became a living soul";content — Gen 2:7 — with 'first' and 'Adam' added by Paul

the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.content — Paul's antiphon to the citation — ἐγένετο elided; giver, not merely bearer, of life

But it is not the spiritual that is first,independent — the ordering correction — verbless

but the natural,independent — the natural first

and then the spiritual.independent — sequence, not denial of the body

The first man was from the earth, made of dust;independent — χοϊκός — of the dust of Gen 2:7

the second man is from heaven.independent — origin determines the life each transmits

As was the man of dust,comparative — fronted correlative — leans on the clause below

so also are those who are of the dust;independent — solidarity with the first head

and as is the man of heaven,comparative — fronted correlative — leans on the clause below

so also are those who are of heaven.independent — solidarity with the second head

And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,comparative — fronted comparative — the image already worn

we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.independent — future indicative φορέσομεν read (the hortatory φορέσωμεν is better attested but this text prints the promise)

The mystery and the victory 15:50–58

vv. 50–53 — the mystery: not all sleep, all changed

Now this I say, brothers:independent — the solemn declaration formula

flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,content — the thesis of the movement — mortality as it stands cannot enter

nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.content — the thesis restated in the sowing vocabulary of v. 42

Behold! I tell you a mystery:independent — ἰδού — apocalyptic disclosure

we shall not all sleep,content — the mystery's first limb — πάντες οὐ, the text as printed; the verse's word order is an old crux

but we shall all be changed —content — the second limb — the change, not death, is universal

in a moment,phrase modifier — ἄτομος — the indivisible instant

in the twinkling of an eye,phrase modifier — the eye's flicker

at the last trumpet.phrase modifier — the eschatological signal (cf. 1 Thess 4:16)

For the trumpet will sound,independent — impersonal σαλπίσει — 'it will trumpet'

and the dead will be raised imperishable,independent — the dead first — raised already imperishable

and we shall be changed.independent — the living changed — Paul among them

For this perishable must put on the imperishable,cause — the divine δεῖ — the clothing metaphor, identity kept through change

and this mortal must put on immortality.cause — the pair completed — τοῦτο, this very body

vv. 54–58 — death swallowed up: the taunt, the thanksgiving, the charge

When the perishable puts on the imperishable,conditional — fronted ὅταν — leans on the fulfillment below

and the mortal puts on immortality,conditional — the coordinate ὅταν-limb

then shall come to pass the word that is written:independent — prophecy becomes event — γενήσεται

"Death is swallowed up in victory."content — Isa 25:8 — the aorist of the accomplished swallowing

"O death, where is your victory?content — Hos 13:14 — the taunt, joined to Isaiah in one catena

O death, where is your sting?"content — Hos 13:14 — θάνατε twice, where the LXX has ᾅδη once

The sting of death is sin,independent — the gloss on the taunt — sin arms death

and the power of sin is the law;independent — the Romans 5–7 nexus in one verbless line

but thanks be to God,independent — the doxological turn — verbless χάρις

who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.participial — attributive participle — present διδόντι: the victory already being given

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,independent — the chapter's Ὥστε — doctrine issuing in stability

always abounding in the work of the Lord,participial — manner — steadfastness that overflows

knowingparticipial — causal participle — the ground of the abounding

that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.content — κενός redeemed — the reductio's 'empty' answered at the last

Analysis. The chapter's argument is visible before it is read. Verses 1–11 hang the creed from a single verb: παρέδωκα carries a column of ὅτι-lines — died, buried, raised, appeared — with the κατὰ τὰς γραφάς refrain twice over, and the appearance list trails off into Paul's own case, where the grace-digression of vv. 9–10 steps down and climbs back out (least of the apostles → χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ → not I but the grace). Verses 12–19 are the reductio, and the shape is a drumbeat of olive protases leaning forward on their apodoses — εἰ … οὐκ ἔστιν / οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται, five rounds of it — each verdict flush left and often verbless (κενόν, κενή, ματαία): deny the category and everything empties. Verses 20–28 turn on Νυνὶ δέ and run to the ὅταν-clauses of the end, Ps 110:1 and Ps 8:6 doing the load-bearing, with the careful δῆλον-exception guarding the Father before the ἵνα of God all in all. In vv. 35–49 the objector's two quoted questions hang under ἐρεῖ; the seed answer scatters into the verbless catalogues of flesh and glory; then the σπείρεται/ἐγείρεται quartet beats out four antitheses in paired flush-left lines before Gen 2:7 (quoted, then answered by Paul's own ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ line under the same γέγραπται) sets the two Adams in verbless opposition. Verses 50–58 disclose the mystery, fuse Isa 25:8 and Hos 13:14 into one quotation column under ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος, gloss the taunt in two verbless equations (sting = sin, sin's power = law), and end with the Ὥστε charge whose last line redeems the reductio's keyword: your labor is not κενός. Cruxes the layout takes a side on, named honestly: v. 29's baptism ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν is laid out as a real Corinthian practice cited ad hominem — reported by Paul without endorsement, and this layout does not decide what the rite was; v. 32's ἐθηριομάχησα is tagged as likely figurative; v. 49 prints φορέσομεν (future promise) where the better-attested reading is hortatory φορέσωμεν, following the chapter data; and v. 51 prints πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, whose word order (and ancient variants) is an old crux — the lines render it 'we shall not all sleep,' the change universal, the sleeping not.