Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-04-10
The SABBATH SCHOOL,.
International Lesson Comments RI
April Il.
Subject: Til; R:surrc: ton, | Cor. Nv, l0 81,
59.58 -GoIJen Text, | Cor. xy., ~
Memory Verses, 55'5S-Com'
Tentary on tie Days
=ssOu,

2D.
20. "Now is Christ risen" Paul begins
this famous chapter with marshallng OF
the proofs of the resurrection OF Christ
lie brings witness after witness, even 3OU
at one TING, who, during the forty days
between the resurrection and the ascension
saw Jesus, touched Him, heard Him talk,
ate with Him, walked with Him at differ.
ent times in various PAGES. And many OF
these witnesses were familiar acquant'
ances. Later on Paul himself met Jesus.
saw Him, heard Him. Jesus must be alive
No event in all history has greater or more
convincing proofs than that Jesus rose
from the dead. Sight, hearing, touch, all
combined in the proof. Then, the Chris.
tan church. and indeed every convert and
every miracle, was a proof that living
Saviour was working in the world. The
First Fruits The first fruits were the
first ripe ears Of grain, offered under tbs
law LEV. IS: 10, III as a grateful acknow,'
the pledge and promise of the Whole har'
vest. 50 Christ's resurrection was the
pledge that the Whole resurrection harvest
would follow. That slept" A most beau
tiful and instructive term for death Gem.
terry means sleeping place. Death is called
il seep because, J.. In both the person IL
unconscious of the worldly activity around
him. 2. The soul continues to live, while
the body is unconscious. 3. There is to
be an awakening to new and fresh life.
The very expression implies Immortality.
q. BY man." 1t pleased God that in
some way humanity should within itself,
own destiny, both for death and life. in
Adam and in Christ Game DEATH
Compare Rom. 5: 1919, with the narrative
in Gen. g. "Dy man-the resurrection"
Mortality came by Adam, immortality by
Christ; so sure as all have been subjected
to natural death by Adam. so sure shall all
be raised again by Christ Jesus.
II. The incorruptible body Tvs. 50-57)
80. "This I say" The apostle shows
clearly that man in his present condition
cannot enter the portals Of eternal glory.
Flesh and blood" Man in his present
state Of infrmity and decay with a body
that is fragile and weak. Cannot inherit"
His nature ia not capable of enduring the
eternal weight OF glory" In order to be
abe to inhabit the eternal mansions man
must be immortal. Kingdom OF God"
| Heaven; appropriately called the kingdom
because He will reign there in undivided
and perfect glory forever. Neither
doth etc. Oar ordinary flesh and blood
is by its very nature destined to corrup-
ton. 1t is not with such flesh and blood
that we cav become partakers OF the in
corruptibc life.
81. so. "a mystery A truth rot known
before, and even now that it is revealed it
| Is too decp fo- human reason to fathom.
| eve" That Is the Whole BODY Of Chris
/ tians who are candidates for the glorious
resurrection. The use of the word 1--WE" in
| this connection DOES no. prove, as some
seem to think. that the anoste expected
| to be alive Of the coming OF Christ Not
all sleen." We shall not all die. "All be
| changed Those who are awe at the doy
of Judgment shall be chlnced 81 thHt Their
bodies viii become spirtcs bodies ike the
! the dead. ''TWiDk.ing OF an eye" In an
instant of time: as sloa as person can
wink. The resurrection OF all the dead
from the foundation of the world to that
time, and the change Of all the living then
upon earth. shall be the w0.k Of a single
moment 'J.aGt trump" The trumpet
will he sounded on the last great day to
call the dead from their graves. it was
probably revec heard but once by human
ears, and that YVES at Sinai lEy. -: lC-l9).
So, "A. 'This iucorrlDtib'e." The mor-
tai body is not destroyed and again created,
but it is clothed mon" with immortality.
it did not possess before SIS written"
In Isaiah %: s. Swallowed W." Death
is here personiied and represented as Il
devourng being, swallowing up al the
generations of men, and by the resurrsC-
ton of the body and the destruction of
the empire of death, God is represented As
swallowing him mp. 'In victory" The
victory over death and the grave will be
complete. The changed body will be (Il
incorruptible. l2) glorious, l3) powerful,
(Q a spiritual body. (5l one like, the body
of the g,orife,d Christ; What time OF vic
49, ii. Death is here represented as nav
ing sting. 20 grave-death." The +. Y.
also transposes the two members Of this
verse "Stiug-sin." Death could not have
entered into the world il sin had not en-
tered first. and it is sin that has armed
death with its destroying force; by sin both
body and soul are slain. ''The law" That
which gives sin its power is the fact that it
is the transgresson of the righteous law
of an all-wise and all-hoiy being. There. Is
not ray of light in the law for the sin
ner: the law pronounces the death sentence
and shows no mercy. But" The sinner
can rejoice that there is One who has made
an atonement for sin and thus made it pos
sb.e to deliver the transgreSsor from the
curse and power of the law. This done
through the mercy of God. and we should
give eternal thanks to His name for His
unspeakable gift. He giveth the victory
over Satan, death. hell and the grave.
III. The church astonished ". So. So
Therefore" We come now to the conclu.
sion of this wonderful chapter. STEAD
fast" Be settled and firm in your faith
in the resurrection. which some ". ~ are
cndeavoring TO overthrow. "Unmova5'e.'
"Let nothing move You away from this
hope OF the gospel which is given unto
YOU always Astounding" Steadfast
I means positive, intrinsic tirmness; unmov
able implies resistance to the mightieS!
outward pressures and fiercest orsets
ahonnding means energetic action. "WorR
OF the Lord" That which the Lord re
quired; all the duties of Christians. The
conversion of sinners and the upbuilding
of the church "Ye know" Christian!
are a positive people. They do not live i,
uncertainty and doubt. Not in vain,
Your labor viii be rewarded. There vii
he a resurrection and then you will be
fully recomDensed. The sentiment of the
whole verse is that the hope of the resur
rection and of future glory should stimu
late us to great and self-denying efforts il
honor of Him who has revealed that doc
trine, and who purposes to reward u:
there. Other men are excited to great ct
forts by the hope of honor, pleasure o.
wealth: Christians should be excited to TOT
and sef-denial by the prospect Of immor
tai glory, by the assurance that their hope
| -, -, nd will not dppoiVa them