would be liars since Christ would still be in the grave (vs. 15). Usually there are basic motives for not telling the truth. This prac tice is normally followed to gain something or to protect ourselves. What financial gain would there be for those in the first century to perpetrate and perpetuate the lie that Christ had victory over the grave? There is absolutely no evi dence to indicate that Paul or any of the other apostles were getting rich off the ministry of the Gos pel. Certainly using the vehicle of the Christian ministry as a way of making gain in this day is appalling and a sin before the Lord. On many occasions Paul tells us that he is not interested in making money, but simply to reach others for Christ (I Corinthians 4:8-9, II Timothy 1:15). The resurrection of Christ was not a cleverly devised fable. The Saviour's followers did not have to save face to protect their ego. The Lord Himself was the one who prophesied His resurrection. At the first the apostles did not under stand it (Luke 24:44-46). There was no great host of believers waiting for some great message to solve the riddle of life after death. In fact, as far as many of them were concerned, Christ was dead. Then, as now, charges were rather easy to make while being more difficult to substantiate. The resurrection is both fact and victory for the Chris tian and is authenticated through the eye-witness testimony of many first-hand observers. Paul underscores the fact that if there is no resurrection then the dead are dead (vrs. 18, 29). It might be well to point out here
that nowhere in the Bible is it sug gested that those who are alive can be baptized on behalf of those who are dead. No such practice was ever observed by the early Church. Without the Saviour ris ing from the dead there would not be the hope of reunion with those who had gone to heaven. Some people are particu larly encour aged when they accept Christ to realize that they are filling the earthly ranks of those who have been called to be with the Lord. Paul concludes, "Why perpetu ate the church of Jesus Christ if there is no resurrection?" Certain ly, life is not worth the hassle if there is no future to anticipate. With a resurrected Christ, with eternal life the antidote to defeat and despair, we have an everlast ing purpose and a "lively hope." Listen, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable" (vs. 19). How this powerful phrase needs to be em phasized in our lives. Christianity is not meetings, talks, and music. It is not stained glass windows and liturgy, but rather it is the risen Lord! Because of satanic attacks on these .truths we are to "Awake to righteousness" (vs. 34). This means we are to live in sobriety, facing reality and recognizing the victory which is ours. Most of us have seen a friend or a member of the family sealed away in a casket and laid to rest in the earth. Perhaps we have thought about the deterioration of the flesh and wondered at the pos sibility of our new resurrection bodies in a coming day. Paul points out to the Corinthian believers the reality of this truth in the 15th chap ter of his first epistle. He gives us a Page 45
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