Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 15:51
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses Corinthian believers immediately after stating that perishable flesh and blood cannot inherit God's kingdom. He introduces this revelation at the transition between the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of the living at the last trumpet.
The words — mustērion (mystery) marks a divine reality now disclosed, while koimēthēsometha (we will sleep) uses death as a temporary state. The text explicitly declares that not all believers will die before undergoing a universal change.
The thread — This sequence runs through 1 Thessalonians 4:14, which ties Jesus' resurrection to those who have fallen asleep, and Philippians 3:21, which describes the power that will transform lowly bodies. It aligns with 1 Corinthians 15:20, where Christ is named the firstfruits of those who have died.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to accept that physical death is not the final boundary for believers, as a guaranteed change precedes the inheritance of the imperishable. It demands a shift from fearing decay to expecting a divinely orchestrated transformation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Cross-references
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
- Philippians 3:21 who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- Ephesians 1:9 And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
- 1 Corinthians 4:1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7 No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
- 1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
- Ephesians 3:3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
- Ephesians 5:32 This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.