The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-20
WHY AND WHAT P

Peter. In his first letter, he uses the
following language ''For to this end
was the gospel preached, even to dead
persons, that they might be judged ac-
cording to men in the flesh, but live
according to God in the spirit" II Peter,
Nv, 81 We have aimed to give more
literal rendering to the Apostles words
than is found in our received version.
In the original, no article precedes the
word that we have rendered dead per-
sons. The term nekrois is used sub
stantively; and as the article is lack
ing in the original, there is no propri-
ETY. in using it in the translation. Says
Wisner, "Nekroi, elsewhere designates
deodpersons luke vii, 22); Il Cor. XIV, IS,
20, 80, also L Peter, iy, 81, but hoi
nekroi, THE dead, as a definitely con-
ceived totality II Cor, XIV, So, etc.,"
The margin of the revised version gives
the rendering, ''were the glad tidings
preached Ito dead persons)."
The declaration is thus unequivo-
cally made, that the glad tidings were
preached to dead persons and our first
question is, Why There must be
some reason for this. If glad tidings
are proclaimed to men on earth, it is
always for moral end. 1t is superflu-
GUS to cast pearls before swine. If the
Saviour, Abraham, Moses, Elias, John,
Paul or Peter, then, had preached glad
tidings to the departed, it must have
been for the purpose of gladdening
them, and leading them to reformation.
OF course, it would not be to mock or
tantalize them. If souls have made
hopeless shipwreck of themselves, and
utterly sinned away their day of grace,
neither our Lord nor any of his disci-
pies would think of going to them to
taunt them with their misfortune in,
failing to hear in this life about Christ's
mission to earth, or with their folly in
neglecting to heed his call. If they
have ever preached the gospel to dead
persons, it has been because they felt
that they could benefit them.
In this, of course, we assume that
those whom we call dead are living and
conscious. This fact our Lord unequiv-
ocally asserts, when he declares that
God is not God of dead persons, but
OF living ones for all are living to
Him. luke Xxx, 3S). There is realm
to which the spirits of the departed
journey. From that realm, Moses and
Elias came in glory to the mount of
TRANSPORTATION, when they talked with
our Lord about his approaching de-
parture. Over fifteen centuries before,
Moses went up to Mount Nebo, and
from the summit of Pisgah gazed at
the promised land. There he died,
there in valley his body was buried,
but no human eye ever looked at his
sepulchre. But who cares about his
sepulchre, when he knows that, for the
Hebrew leader, death was but the re-
lease of his untired spirit from the
weary body, and its induction in a spir-
itual body into paradise. Does any,
body suppose that Moses had been in
active, however, in the intervening
centuries between his departure from
Pisgah, and his coming to the sacred
mount whereof Peter speaks Has he
been listless since May we not rather
believe that he has been preaching the
glad tidings for these thirty-four CEN
turtles
That we are right in the assumption
that some good is going to result to
dead persons from preaching to them
the glad tidings, is manifest from Pc
ter's language in the preceding chap
ter. Let us quote his words, because
Christ also suffered for sin once, right
eous man for unrighteous men, that he
might bring us to God; being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened in the
spirit in which also he went and
preached to the spirits in prison, which
aforetime were disobedient." QPeter,
iii, Is, 1917 The particle rendered afore-
time often signifies ''once," and should,
doubtless, be rendered so in our version.
Mark the implication, however. If we
say of man, he was once Incorporate,
we imply that he is sober man now
If that he was once poor, we imply that
he is comparatively rich now. If Christ,
then, preached to spirits in person who
once were disobedient, the implication
is that they long since became obedient.
And if they were improved by hearing
in the unseen world, the glad tidings,
there is likelihood that others will
be benefited. Our first question, "Why
were the glad tidings preached to dead
persons?" is therefore answered. 1t
was to gladden. them and lead them
to reformation. But what were the
glad tidings thus proclaimed to dead
persons? That it were fruitless for
these hearers to seek pardon? That
they had sinned away their day of grace,
and that neither God nor Christ can be
moved to pity, no matter how penitent
souls may be? Such a thought is alb
surd. Glad tidings predict something
good in store, or relate great facts
wherein the soul is interested. ItWere