The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-04-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 10.

Text of the Lesson, Cor. XIV, 12-26--Mem-
DRY Verses, 2O-23-GoIden Text, L Cor.
Nv, 2O-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
stearns.
While for this week we turn from the
regular lesson in the Acts TO a special resur
rection lesson, the connection of thought
Is not broken, for in the next lesson in or
der (Acts XII, 1926 the great number of be-
levers in Antioch and elsewhere were won
through the preaching of Jesus and the
resurrection, and it was the power of His
resurrection that led them to send relief,
every man according to his ability, to the
brethren in J udEea by the hands of Parma
has and Saul
12, 49, eff there be no resurrection of
the dead, then is Christ not risen. F" The
Sadducees taught that there is no resur-
rection, neither angel nor spirit (Acts xxi,
81, and everywhere the apostles seemed to
find those who hated the doctrine of the
resurrection (Acts iv, 2; XVI, s; xvii, 32).
But 1t is the great fact which crowns all in
the work of Christ. BY it He was with
power declared TO be the Son of God (RoIn.
/, a, and we must believe in our hearts
that God raised Him from the dead (Rom.
x, 8; l Thess iv, Ia.
Il, Is. "If Christ be not risen, then is
vain" And all the apostles would be
scored as false witnesses for preaching
what was not true The resurrection of
Christ from the dead is the assurance to all
men that He is indeed the Son of David,
the Messiah of Israel and the Judge of all
men (Acts Ii, 29-31; xvii, 3D. As surety
for US He was delivered for our otfenses,
but If He is not raised from the dead there
Is no Justification for the sinner, for the
in rnrI- Nv El
Unless Christ Is alive from the dead there
Is no gospel to preach, no glad tidings for
sinners, and all preachers are fools and liars.
16. II. "If Christ be not raised, your
faith is vain; sc are yet in your sins A
dead Christ has no power to save or to for
give sins, and l think that is the force Of
the question in verse 20. Why baptize any
one in the name of a dead Christ? Israel
was baptized unto Moses as living leader
in the cloud and in the sea Il Cor. x, 1, p.
Our Christ is alive from the dead, an i'm
mortal man, the God man, having all
power in heaven and on earth At God 8
right hand He is the assurance to every
believer of the forgiveness of sins, for there
could not be at Gods right hand one on
whom any sin was resting
IS. "Then they also which are fallen
asleep in Christ are persisted. - If Christ
Is not at Gods right hand, alive forever
OHOu oUODLSI was OctSINGo anu lieu
when he said, '' l see the Son of Man stand
ing on the right hand of Cod (Acts vii,
66). Ananias lied when he said to Saul,
"The Lord Jesus appeared unto thee in the
way as thou earnest" (Acts tx, I'D, and all
Paul's testimony to the dead being abb
sent from the body and present with the
Lord Oh Cor. V, s; Phil, i, 81, 23) is SIM
ply without foundation.
10. "If in this life only we have hope in
III
The present life of the believer is set forth
by the Holy Spirit both in the gospels
and the epistles life of tribulation and
affection and suffering (John xvi, SO; Col.
!, "a; / Pet. il, 90, 81; iv, IL, 49,, life of
such treatment from the world as Christ
Himself received John XIV, 1920, but the
suferings are not worthy to be compared
with the glory to be revealed and we are
ever to consider Christ and His sufferings
lest we grow weary and faint (Rom. viii,
IS; Heb. xii, 8; John xiv, ~
20. "But now is Christ risen from the
dead and become the first fruits of them
that slept" In verses to Paul men
tions six different appearances of Christ
after His resurrection, and there are at
least five others recorded. Thus He showed
himself alive after His passion by many
infallible proofs (Acts i, 81, speaking much
of the kingdom during those 40 days be-
tween His resurrection and visible ascen-
sion, the kingdom which is associated with
the resurrection of the saints at the second
coming of Christ oversees 50-54; Isa. XIV,
8, 9; Dan. xii, l, 2; Acts iii, 20, 81; Math.
XIV, 81, 32).
81, 90. "For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the
dead, for as in Adam all die, even SO in
Christ shall all be made alive. " In verse AZ
Adam and Christ are spoken of as the first
Adam and the last Adam. The first
brought sin and death upon the race, but
the last has brought life and resurrection
for all who will accept Him. All are OF
necessity in Adam, the one man by whom
sin entered the world (Rom. V, 10, IS, 19).
all who accept Christ are in Christ and en-
10y the benefits of His ri righteousness, which
are sufficient for all who will accept Him,
and whosoever will may (Rey xxi, 10.
%. "But every man in his own order,
Christ the first fruits, afterward they that
are Christ's at His coming" In Col i, IS,
and Rev. i, 5, Christ is called the firstborr
or first begotten from the dead, for by vir.
tue of His resurrection all resurrections
have taken place or will take place. Both
just and Unjust shall rise from their graves
(Acts xiv, 15), but there shall be an inter
val of 200 years between them. Rev. Xxx
6, 6, is very plain upon this.
"a. "Then cometh the end, when He
shall have delivered up the kingdom te
God, even the Father" The "afterward'
OF the previous verse has already covered
over ], 800 years since Christ rose from the
dead. The ''then' of this verse will cover
the thousand years of the millennium, after
which will come the new heavens and earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness, when Goo
shall be all in all oversees 20, go; II Pet
iii, 49,. Inasmuch as He is able to sub
due all things unto Himself phil. iii,
81 and will eventually, why not trust
Him even now to subdue us fully unto
Himself and make US wholly new creatures
to His glory? Grew. xxi, 81
90, 90. "For He must reign till He hath
put all enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death. .
When He thus reigns and subdues, we are
to reign with Him (Rev V, 10; Xxx, 4, g.
See also Ps. cxlix. He is now at the Fa
Tiers right hand on the Fathers throne
waiting for the completion of His body
the church, but after that He will sit OF
His own throne to judge the nations ant
rule the world in righteousness (Math
Hxv, 81; Acts xvii, 81. Then shall We
be manifested with Him (Col. iii, 4;
John iii, y; also Rev. iii, 21. So tins
viii como when on this earth there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow nor cry
ing, neither shall there be any more pain
Grew. xxi, -.
Oh. let me know the power of Thy resurrec
toni
Oh, let me show Thy risen life in calm ant
clear rehectionl
Oh, let me soar where Thou, my Saviour
Christ, art gone beforei
In mind and heart let me dwell always onl.
where Thou art.
Vengeance.
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