1 Corinthians 15:2

Verse

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

American Standard Version (1901)

by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.

By which you have salvation; that is to say, the form in which it was given to you, if it is fixed in your minds, and if your faith in it is not without effect.

Douay-Rheims 1899

By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

Free Bible Version

It is through this good news that you are saved if you hold on to the message that I gave you. Otherwise you trusted for nothing!

Geneva Bible 1599

And whereby ye are saued, if ye keepe in memorie, after what maner I preached it vnto you, except ye haue beleeued in vaine.

King James (Authorized) Version

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Plain English Version

And if you keep on believing that good news, God will save you. If you don’t keep on believing it, I reckon you didn’t believe it properly in the first place.

Translation for Translators

If you keep on firmly believing this message that I preached to you, you will be saved {God will save you}. If you do not continue to believe it, your believing in Christ was ◄all for nothing/useless►!

Unlocked Literal Bible

It is by this gospel that you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

Noah Webster Bible

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached to you, unless ye have believed in vain.

World English Bible

by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Young's Literal Translation

through which also ye are being saved, in what words I proclaimed good news to you, if ye hold fast, except ye did believe in vain,

Context

The Resurrection of Christ

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Sermons

The Christian's Assurance

A.W. Pink

Summary

In this verse, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel message they received and on which they have taken their stand. He emphasizes the importance of holding firmly to this message, which is the foundation of their faith and salvation. By continuing to believe in the gospel's truth, they are assured of their future redemption and eternal life in Christ. This verse encourages believers to remain steadfast in their faith, grounded in the hope and promises of the resurrection through Jesus Christ.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

By which also ye are saved - That is, ye are now in a salvable state; and are saved from your Gentilism, and from your former sins. If ye keep in memory - Your future salvation, or being brought finally to glory, will now depend on your faithfulness to the grace that ye have received.

John Gill Bible Commentary

By which also ye are saved,.... It was the means of their salvation, and had been made the power of God unto salvation to them. Salvation is inseparably connected with true faith in Christ as a Saviour, and with a hearty belief of his resurrection from the dead, which is the earnest and pledge of the resurrection of the saints; and because of the certainty of it in the promise of God, through the obedience and death of Christ, and in the faith and hope of believers, which are sure and certain things, they are said to be saved already. To which the apostle puts in the following provisos and exceptions; the one is, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you; or rather, "if ye hold fast, or retain"; that is, by faith, the doctrine preached to you, and received by you, particularly the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead; for the salvation that is connected with it does not depend upon the strength of the memory, but upon the truth and steadfastness of faith: it is the man that perseveres in the faith and doctrine of Christ that shall be saved; and everyone that has truly believed in Christ, and cordially embraced his Gospel, shall hold on, and out to the end; though the faith of nominal believers may be overthrown by such men, as Hymenaeus and Philetus, who asserted, that the resurrection was past already; but so shall not the faith of real believers, because the foundation on which they are built stands sure, and the Lord has perfect knowledge of them, and will keep and save them. The other exception is, unless ye have believed in vain: not that true faith can be in vain; for that is the faith of God's elect, the gift of his grace, the operation of his Spirit; Christ is the author and finisher of it, and will never suffer it to fail; it will certainly issue in everlasting salvation: but then as the word may be heard in vain, as it is by such who are compared to the wayside, and to the thorny and rocky ground; and as the Gospel of the grace of God may be received in vain; so a mere historical faith may be in vain; this a man may have, and not the grace of God, and so be nothing; with this he may believe for a while, and then drop it: and since each of these might possibly be the case of some in this church, the apostle puts in these exceptions, in order to awaken the attention of them all to this important doctrine he was reminding them of.