1 Corinthians 15:56 BSB

1 Corinthians 15:56

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:

KJV

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

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Commentary

1 voice

Cyril of Jerusalem

Catechetical Lecture 3:11-12 (386)

Baptism destroys the sting of death. For you descend into the water laden with your sins. But the invocation of grace causes your soul to receive this seal, and after that it does not lead you to be swallowed up by the dread dragon. You go down "deadly indeed in sin," and you come up "alive unto righteousness."

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The sting of death is sin - Without which it could have no power. But this sting none can resist by his own strength. And the strength of sin is the law - As is largely declared, Rom. vii, 7, &c.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

The sting of death is sin - The apostle explains himself particularly here: death could not have entered into the world if sin had not entered first; it was sin that not only introduced death, but has armed him with all his destroying force; the goad or dagger of death is sin; by this both body and soul are slain. The strength of sin is the law - The law of God forbids all transgression, and sentences those who commit it to temporal and eternal death. Sin has its controlling and binding power from the law.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

14 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	And	G1161 →
κέντρον	kentron	the sting	G2759 →
τοῦ	tou	<the>	G3588 →
θανάτου	thanatou	of death [is]	G2288 →
ἡ	hē	<the>	G3588 →
ἁμαρτία,	hamartia	sin,	G266 →
ἡ	hē	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	and	G1161 →
δύναμις	dunamis	the power	G1411 →
τῆς	tēs	<the>	G3588 →
ἁμαρτίας	hamartias	of sin	G266 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
νόμος.¶	nomos	law.	G3551 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
leads to
- John 3:36
  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
  Reached by 3 independent paths from here.
- Romans 5:12
  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- James 1:15
  Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- John 6:40
  For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Ezekiel 18:20
  The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of…
Through
Romans 4:15
because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
leads to
- Romans 5:13
  For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
- Galatians 3:10
  All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
Through
John 8:24
That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
leads to
- Mark 16:16
  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.