Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-07
RESURRECTION
OF JESUS CHRIST

To whom also he showed himself
alive. after his passion. by many in
fallible proofs.-Acts l., 3.
What do we understand by the re-
surrection Of Jesus Christ from the
dead? What the majority of people in
the church understand by it is plain.
1t is the actual rising again, from
the tomb in which it was laid, of the
tomb in which it was laid, of the fieshy
body of Jesus. Why / do not accept
this Interpretation of the faith 1 pro-
pose to suggest to you. MY reasons for
rejecting this popular opinion lie large
~ in the reasons given for affirming it.
In the first p lace, it is declared hat
this opinion has been the view always
prevalent in the church. This l ac-
yield to it the authority due to amy
view which has for ages expressed the
Christian faith. I have held, therefore,
to this Interpretation of the Christian
belief as long as possible. l cannot,
however, follow it slavishly. No supe-
structure can be more solid than is it's
foundation The traditional i%nterpreta-
tion Of the faith cannot be more author
itative than the original sources of that
tradition Now, these original sources
are u in the unquestionable idea
held of this fact by the primitive dis
ciples. Undoubtedly in accepting the
fact they thought about the resurrec-
tion Of Christ in this wise. Does this
convince me? No. And for a simple
reason. The disciples could not have
thought of it in amy other way. A gen.
Grafton ago one could not have affirmed
this with historic gertrude, because the
actual thoughts and opinions current in
the age of Jesus among the Jews on
this point We're not clearly enough
known
In the marvellous yield which has
followed Biblical criticism nothing is
~ i,,n ~. otfncfn1 fhon thu air..
rent opinion of he age of Jesus among
His people concerning the future life.
Their thought of the life to come was
that of a physical resurrection: a resur-
rection of the outer body Of flesh and
bones: a resurrection taking place a
long time after death. at the close of
the dispensation, 1.-The end of the
WORLD the graves then opening, the
bodies of the dead coming forth and
the souls of the departed reuniting with
those bodies of the new life. This was
the materialized thought of this mys-
terry in all ages and in all lands. This
thought being in the minds of the dis
ciples. if they We're persuaded that Je-
sus was "alive," Inc that He showed
Himself to them ''by infallible proofs
after His passion Inevitably their con-
viction must have run into this pre-
pared mould, and the doctrine of the
resurrection of Jesus must have come
forth in che Christion consciousness as
it did in the traditional Interpretation
OF this belief to the church. For this
reason, therefore, l do not feel obliged
to accept the thought of the early dis
ciples as conclusive upon the point, al
though I believe that fact upon their
testimony.
Yet, again, it is argued that the
Scripture records state that interpre.
tation of the fact, and that we are
bound by the letter of the record. These
records do certainly seem to state this
thought, but I cannot see tina they
affirm it explicitly. Turn to those rec.
ords. They are profoundly interesting
Read them for themselves. You cannot
hut be persuaded that his is what ths
disciples thought, but you will notice
that their descriptions fail to demon.
strate this interpretation of the fac
which they record. Note a singular
point. No n is reputed o have seer