T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 327 We owe it to God; we owe it to our churches; we owe it to our chil d r e n we owe it to ourselves, that we shall not fail to stand definitely, in these apostate days, in defense of the whole truth. T. C. H. gSUs §& gte> NEW RESURRECTION DEFINITIONS These are the days of “ new definitions” for old truths. “ Do you believe in the resurrection of JesUs Christ?” we ask one. ox the theologians of the modern school. “ Why, certainly I do,” he^replies. But it is no longer safe to drop the matter there if you really wish to know where he stands. You must ask him what he means by resurrection, and then you will begin to get the “ new definitions,” oh, so different from the conceptions one would gather from the Bible itself. Bet us look at some o± these definitions. . .. ■ , Here is one: ‘.‘ Either we are thrown on the traditional orthodox taitn in the empty tomb, or on what may be called the objective vision hypothesis, which on doctrinal grounds commends itself to. modern minds: . ■ • Now what is this man driving at? What does he mean by objective vision hypothesis?” ; A quotation from another writer will help. He says: “ The crucial point is the definition we give to resurrection, it we hope for a resurrection in our. case in such a way as to resuscitate the human flesh which will be laid in the ground, we must postulate the same for Jesus Christ. But if we do not desire this for ourselves, it is illogical that we should believe that it was so for Him.” r , » We are getting closer to the meaning. Now get these words from one who speaks more openly: “ The central element in the resurrection'faith is the belief of the disciples that the same Jesus with whom they walked had come back to them. If we are right in supposing that the body is not an essential part of our personal life, then we are right in asserting that the resuscitation of the body of Jesus was not needed for the_continuance of His true humanity.” Another writer says: “ The fact for faith is the continued existence and supremacy of Jesus, and this is a fact in the realm of spirit. Any interpretation of the facts recorded in the Gospels which is consistent with belief in Christ’s continued supremacy is sufficient. ” . Now we begin to get a better idea of the intellectual trickery that is being used in these new definitions. But is it true that the central element of resurrection faith is belief in some kind of an appearance of Jesus ? The spirit of Jesus had departed before His body was laid in the tomb. His spirit never for a moment ceased to exist and hence needed no bringing back to life. His spirit was never laid in the tomb; his body was. The tomb was found empty. The body of Jesus was gone on the resurrection mom. “ He is risen; He is not here.” That same body, glorified, but still bearing the marks of His sacrifice, was seen united to the living spirit of Christ..,.' , If Jesus was permanently severed from the body and exists only as a spirit, He is no longer, properly speaking, a man. He is some other kind of a being, even as Pastor Russell put it: “ the highest order of spirit being.” But His resurrection restored Him to that completeness of identity which
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