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of history. When was this appearance to above five hundred at once? It is most ■likely that it was in Galilee where most of the disciples were (cf. Acts 1:15), and where Jesus met them by definite appoint ment (Matt. 28:16). In the account in Matthew only “the eleven disciples” are mentioned as being there, but it is not said that there were not others there. Indeed it is at least implied that there were (Matt. 27:17). After appearing to the “five hun dred brethren at once” Jesus “appeared to James,” This James is the Lord’s brother. James had been an unbeliever (John 7:5) and was seemingly still an unbeliever at the time of Jesus death (John 19:26, 27). Jesus did not leave His brother in unbe lief, He appeared to him. Through seeing the risen Christ he became fitted to be an apostle (Gal. 1:19; cf. Acts 1:22). James, His own brother, is the only person so far as the records tell, who was an unbeliever before, to whom Jesus Christ appeared after His resurrection. Last of all Jesus appeared to Paul himself. This was near Damascus (Acts 9:3-9, 17; 22:6-11; 26:12- 28). This appearance of the risen Christ to Paul was not a mere, vision, but an actual appearance in the body of the risen Christ. Those who were with Paul saw the light and heard the voice, but could not distinguish the message, therefore it could not be a delusion or hallucination on the part of Paul, as some of the critics would have us believe. Paul either saw the risen Christ in the glory or else he delib erately lied, and'sacrificed everything, ambi tion, friends, ease, plenty, fame, and became an outcast and wanderer and afflicted and persecuted for thirty or more years, out of devotion to a lie of his own concocting. This latter is of course impos sible. So it is certain that Paul actually the risen Christ in the glory, and this again settles everything, settles it beyond reasonable doubt, that Jesus'really rose from the dead. Monday, December 24. 1 Corinthians 15:9-11. Paul had a deep sense of his own utter
unworthiness before God and of God’s wondrous grace toward him, one so worth less and so wicked. He never forgot that he had “persecuted the church of God” (cf. 1 Tim. 1:13). “The church of God” is a glorious body, very dear to God, and to persecute it is a grievous sin. Having been a persecutor Paul felt that he was “not worthy to be called an apostle.” But the grace of God,” God’s unmerited favor, never asks any questions as to our worth iness, it only asks as to our willingness to receive, and this “grace of God” had been richly bestowed upon Paul: By that “grace ” and by that alone, Paul was what he was. We look at Paul’s great cHaracter and remarkable achievements and we begin to admire Paul and praise Paul. We ought rather to admire and praise the grace of God; for it was grace and only grace that made him what he was. But while it was the grace of God that made Paul all that he was, that grace was not “in vain.” Paul made the most of the “grace of God” that was bestowed upon him. If any of us are anything at all it is because of what the grace of God has made us; no man has anything to boast of (Eph. 2:8, 9). But the grace bestowed upon many of us is partly or altogether “in vain” : we do not improve it. The reason why the grace bestowed upon Paul was not in vain, was because he labored abundantly.” He worked out the grace that God had worked in. Yet, after all it was not he that worked, “but the grace of God which was with him.” Who °f us will let God work into us all the grace He wishes and then let that grace work all that it is possible to work? Tuesday, December 25. 1 Corinthians 15:12-10. There were philosophers in Corinth who denied the .resurrection of the body (not the immortality of the soul, which is quite a different matter, cf. Acts 17:32; 26:8). These philosophical teachers (who have many imitators in our colleges and even theological seminaries today) had affected the opinions of some in the church in Cor inth, just as similar philosophers affect the
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