THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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this,very chapter, the apostle says that “ Christ died for our sins.” The resurrec tion o f Christ was the Father’s approval of the sacrifice of the Son. I f the body o f Christ remained in that tomb in Joseph’s garden; if JesUs did not rise from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures; then He must still remain under the power o f death. How can , He then deliver us from death, which is the wages o f sin? I f He is not able to deliver Him self from its power and dominion, then His death has not accomplished its intended purpose o f pardon and forgiveness, and we are still under sin’s guilt, dominion, and power. I f Christ be not risen, we are hope lessly ldst in our guilt and sin; then His death has wrought only imaginary changes, and has deluded its most faithful adhe rents. We have simply put faith in the wrong person and in the wrong thing. * And yet in view o f all these things, we are told that it makes no difference to Christianity whether we believe that Christ rose from the dead or not. On the con trary, the .resurrection o f Jesus Christ is the very crux, the very heart o f Chris tianity. 2. The General Resurrection of all Men Assured by Christ’s Resurrection (xv. 20-28). (a) Because, Christ arose, all Men Will Arise (xv. 20 - 22 ). Verse twenty-two is the key note to this section: “ For as in Adam all die (physi cally), even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (physically), for it is the resurrec tion o f the body, and not the spiritual quickening o f the soul, that Paul is here discussing. Just as the resurrection o f Christ is an earnest'or proof o f a coming judgment day (Acts xvii. 31 R. V .), so it is here o f the general resurrection. (b ) The Order o f ihe Resurrection (xv. 23 - 28 ). Christ is the first fruits; then comes the resurrection o f the saints; then o f the wicked; then comes the end. The use o f the word “then” in these verses indicates sequence (cf. xv. 5, 6 , 7, 17; xii, 28; Mark
Jesus did not actually rise from the tomb in Joseph’s garden. It follows then, if the apostles were false witnesses, which would be the case if Christ did. not actually rise from the dead, that the greater part o f the' New Testament, with all its revelation of- God, redemption, and the future life, cannot be considered relia ble. Let us not forget that fourteen out o f the twenty-seven books composing the New Testament were written by the Apostle Paul. If the apostle is a false witness, then these books are false and cannot be relied upon as a guide in matters o f faith. Just think o f it ! These wonderful Pauline epistles with their glorious doctrine o f the person and work o f Christ as set forth in the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and possibly Hebrews; the wonderful doctrine o f the Church as set forth in the epistles to the Corinthians, Timothy, and Titus; the glorious and com forting doctrine o f the second coming and a future life o f blessedness for the saints —all these books, which have been the cause, inspiration,, and power o f the finest moral achievements o f the ages, truths which have been courage to the living and strength to the dying—-if Christ be not risen, then all these glorious writings are false; they are not what they profess to b e ; they are forgery and a' sham. Indeed, we may go farther and say that if God, who is said to have spoken through all the writers o f the entire Bible, is a party to this false witness o f the resurrection of Jesus, then we have no Bible at all. This is by no means dealing unfairly or harshly with the subject or its alternative. The whole Bible rises or falls with the proof o f the resurrection o f Christ. If Christ be not risen from the dead, then there is no redemption from sin, par don, or forgiveness; we are yet in our sins. Jesus Christ and the apostles taught that the death o f Christ on the cross was vitally connected with our redemption and pardon; that it was an atonement for our sins, and the ground on which a righteous God could pardon sinful and sinning men. Indeed, in
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