and it is that way with God. It was the favored three whom Jesus took with Him into the deeper shades of Gethsemane. Paul had come to know Christ in the sacred intimacy of His sufferings as he could have known Him in no other way, and he counted the experience a privilege.” We are puzzled by Paul’s statement, “If by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead” (v. 11 ASV). The context of all his teach ings brooks no uncertainty concern ing the resurrection. Grammatically, the construction permits the idea of a difference in rank or order to which he aspired in the day of resurrection. The phrase “each in his own order” (I Cor. 15:23 ASV) is one of a few passages which seem to fall in with this conception. It is not illogical that in a day of giving rewards some should take precedence over others, like honor students in commencement exercises. But in following this interpretation one may become liable to the mistake which Martha made in her interview with Jesus after the death of 'her brother Lazarus. She believed that her brother would rise again in the res urrection at the last day, but found scant comfort in it (John 11:24). Matters were quite different, how ever, when Jesus showed her that the resurrection was not a day but a Per son. “I am the resurrection, and the life,” He said (John 11:25 ASV). In taking hold upon this fresh revelation of Jesus, her faith brought that res urrection power into glorious mani festation. We may be sure that Paul was more concerned with a continuing demonstration of such a power than he was with a day marked on the calendar of God. (3) A new purpose (w. 12-14). Christ brought to Paul the tremen dous gain of something worth living for, a goal worthy of all the marvelous capacities of his being. This is of priceless value. Without a worthy goal life becomes listless, and one falls a prey to Satan’s most devastating ques tion, “What’s the use?” Any obstacle (continued on page 34) 21
scene in the garden of Eden conies to mind in connection with Paul’s state ment here, “That I may . . . be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:9 ASV). The tense and the voice in the verb “found” combine to indicate a sud den disclosure that will reveal in naked truth exactly where a man is and what he is. Paul confidently hopes that such a revealing will not be em barrassing to him, as it was to our first parents after their sin in the garden of Eden. He has cast aside the fig leaves of a righteousness wrought through his own efforts to keep the law and stands clothed in the seamless robe of that righteous ness which is from God by faith in Christ. (2) A new fellowship (w. 10-11). A part of Paul’s gain in Christ was to know Him in terms of His resurrec tion power: “To know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming (day by day) conformed to his death; if somehow (in the process) I might attain unto (the maximum experience of) his resurrection from the dead” (v. 10). Each part of this statement challenges prayerful study. One can not speak dogmatically about the ap plication of certain ideas advanced here. Paul wanted to know a living Lord whose mastery of death in all of its forms is complete. In Ephesians 1 :19 he refers to “the exceeding great ness of his power to usward who be lieve” (ASV). He was fully aware that resurrection power is available only to those who approach it by way of death. He recognized that there must be in him a continual conformity to the pattern laid down in Christ’s death. Only thus could life come. There is nothing morbid in this ap proach, for the cross was for Him the gateway to privilege and power. Ironside, “There is no fellowship as sweet as that which one has with friends in their suffering. We share our joys with many, our sorrows with only a privileged few of our friends;
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