1 Corinthians 15:12-26: "12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
"20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
Job 19:25: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth."
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Each verse of the hymn follows the structure and content of the text from 1 Corinthians; the first four lines are drawn from verses 12-19, and the last four lines are drawn from verses 20-26. Each hymn verse starts with an "if" statement - "If Christ had not been raised from death..." "If Christ still lay within the tomb..." and "If Christ had not been truly raised...." Following these are hopeless descriptions, paraphrasing and expanding upon verse 14: "our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." Halfway through each verse, however, there's shift, and - like verse 20 - the Lord's resurrection is affirmed and emphasized: "But now the Lord is ris'n indeed," "But now the Savior is raised up," and "But now our great Redeemer lives."
Job 19:25 appears at the tonal shift in the third verse: "But now our great Redeemer lives."
Job 19:25 appears at the tonal shift in the third verse: "But now our great Redeemer lives."
