13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen;
14 And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded).
15 We are even discovered to be misrepresenting God, for we testified of Him that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise in case it is true that the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised;
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is mere delusion [futile, fruitless], and you are still in your sins [under the control and penalty of sin];
18 And further, those who have died in spiritual fellowship and union with] Christ have perished (are lost)!
19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. (AMP)
I think the apostle Pauls was preaching this
1 Now I make known to YOU , brothers, the good news which I declared to YOU , which YOU also received, in which YOU also stand, with the speech with which I declared the good news to YOU , if YOU are holding it fast, unless, in fact, YOU became believers to no purpose.
1 Now I make known to YOU , brothers, the good news which I declared to YOU , which YOU also received, in which YOU also stand, 2 through which YOU are also being saved, with the speech with which I declared the good news to YOU , if YOU are holding it fast, unless, in fact, YOU became believers to no purpose.
3 For I handed on to YOU , among the first things, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, yes, that he has been raised up the third day according to the Scriptures; 5 and that he appeared to Ce´phas, then to the twelve. 6 After that he appeared to upward of five hundred brothers at one time, the most of whom remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep [in death]. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 but last of all he appeared also to me as if to one born prematurely.
3 For I handed on to YOU , among the first things, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, yes, that he has been raised up the third day according to the Scriptures; 5 and that he appeared to Ce´phas, then to the twelve. 6 After that he appeared to upward of five hundred brothers at one time, the most of whom remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep [in death]. 7 After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 but last of all he appeared also to me as if to one born prematurely. (NWT)
Paul stated that " through which YOU are also being saved, with the speech with which I declared the good news to YOU , if YOU are holding it fast "(NWT)and if the resurrection did not happen
17 " And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is mere delusion [futile, fruitless], and you are still in your sins [under the control and penalty of sin];"(AMP)
Then he says this
19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. (AMP)
If what Paul was preaching was false then they were the most to be pitied as there was no hope, no salvation. They had suffered for nothing.In the book "Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand" on page 29 it says.
"After all that we have gone through since 1914, our generation would be, of all generations the "most to be pitied". Think of it, though! Worthy ones of this generation of mankind will be saved alive out of the rest of this world distress so as to survive the worst of it and enter into God's Messianic new system of things and not need a resurrection from the dead to life on earth! This is a valid hope well founded on what was said by Jesus Christ..."
When I was a JW and this book was published the understanding of the "generation" was those who were born before 1914 and could discern what happened happened in 1914.
This understanding of the generation no longer is believed by JW. Imagine if Paul had changed his view of the resurrection.
19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. (AMP)