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1 Corinthians 15:15
ESV We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
NIV More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
NASB Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
CSB Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ--whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised.
NLT And we apostles would all be lying about God — for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.
KJV Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

What does 1 Corinthians 15:15 mean?

Paul's chain of logic is leading to devastating conclusions. If there is no physical, bodily resurrection from the dead for Christians, then, logically, Christ himself was not raised from the dead. Since, as Paul already established, faith in Christ's resurrection is an essential part of the gospel message, then his preaching of the gospel was worthless. In the same way, the faith of the Corinthians in the gospel was also worthless.

Now it gets worse. Paul's point here is not merely theoretical; it's practical. If Christ was not raised from the dead, Paul and the other apostles are liars. Not just liars, but they have been lying about God Himself, the worst possible kind of lie. After all, they had preached that God raised Christ from the dead. If Christ was not raised from the dead, then God did not do that, and everyone who has told them so is guilty of a kind of blasphemy.

In this way, Paul's letter proves that the Christian ideal is not "blind faith," or a purely philosophy-based worldview. The gospel is innately tied to real-world events, and the truths of history.
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