The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-04-09
The SABBATH SCHOOL.
International Lesson Comments Fer
April II.
Subject: Th, Resurrection, | Cor. xy., 20, 81,
50.5S-GoIden Text, | Cor. xv., 20
Memory Verses, S5.58--Com.
mentery on the Days
Lesson.
I. Christ's resurrection affirmed Tvs. 20

2p. ~
20. Now is Christ risen" Paul begins
tins famous chapter with a marshalng Of
the proofs of the resurrection of Christ.
lie brings witness after witness, even 800
at one time, 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 places. And many of
these witnesses were familiar acquaint.
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
Saviour was working in the world. The
flrst Fruits" The first fruits were the
ilrst ripe ears of grain, offered under the
law (Lev %: 10. III as a grateful acknowl-
edgcment to God for His goodness. 1t was
the pledge and promise of the whole har-
vest. 80 Chrlsts resurrection was the
pledge that the whole resurrection harvest
would follow. THAT slept" A most beau
titul and instructive term for DEATH Gem
terry means sleeping place. Death is called
sleep because. l. In both the person is
unconscious, of the worldly activity around
hS sOui NOullHuNS W I'VE. WDlle
the body is unconscious. 3. There is to
be be an awakening to new and fresh life.
The very expression implies Immortality
Il. by man." 1t pleased God that in
some way humanity should within itself,
however aided, with divinity, work out its
own destiny, both for death and life in
Adam and in Christ. Game death"
Compare Rom. 5; 1910, with the narrative
in Gen. 3. "By 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. 5o.57).
so. ."This l 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
Stat. state OF unity, and decay, with q body
His nature is not capable of enduring the
eternal weight of glory" In order to be
able to inhabit the eternal mansions man
must be immortal. Kingdom of Cod"
Heaven; appropriately called the kingdom
aeG because eoi lie will reign there in undivided
doth" etc. Our ordinary flesh and blood
is by its very nature destined to corrup.
ton. 1t is not with such flesh and blood
that We. can become partakers of the in.
corruptible life.
81. 52. "a mystery A truth not known
j
Is too deep for human reason to fathom,
we That is, the whole body of Chris
tians who are candidates for the glorious
resurrection. The use of the word Eve" in
TINS connection does not prove, as some
seem to think, that the apostle expected
to be alive at the coming of Christ Not
all sleep.'' We shall not all die. "All be
changed Those who are alive at the day
OF Judgment shall be changed so that their
bodies viii become, spiritual bodies like the
bodies OF those who shall be raised from
the dead, .Twinkling of an eye" In an
instant OF time: as soon 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 work of single
moment. Last trump" The trumpet
wi. VIII be be sounded 9I on the last great day to
probably never heard but once by human
ears, and that was at Sinai (Ex 10: l6-l9).
5S, "a. This incorruptible." The NOR
tal body is not destroyed and again created.
but 1T is clothed upon" with immortality.
Il i GiS receives ives an % edition Of qualities which
In Isaiah %: s. Swallowed up" Death
is here per,sonified and represented as
devouring being, swallowing up all the
generations of men, and by the resurrec-
tion of the body and the destruction of
sne sln,Tpine elmpre Of death God is represented as
victory over death and the grave will be
complete. The changed body will be G5
ineorruptible,, l2), glorious. l3) powerful,
spiritual body, (5l one like the body
OF the g.orified Christ. What a time of VIC
55.57. "Thy sting Quoted d'o, from Hosea
i3; IA. Death is here represented as nav.
ing sting 30 grave-death The Il. V.
also transposes the two members of this
verse. "StingI,sin." Death could not have
entered into the world if 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 it's power is the fact that IL
Is the transgression of the righteous law
of an all-wise and all.holy being. There is
not a 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 ia One who has made
an atonement for sin and thus made it pos
sible to deliver the transgressor from the
curse and power of the law. This i 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.
Ill The church astonished ". 5S). 5s.
therefore,: We come now to the conclu-
sion of this wonderful chapter "Stead-
last" BE settled and firm in your faith
IN the resurrection, which some ". 12l are
Let nothing move you away from this
hope, OF the gospel which is given unto
you" Always abounding." Steadfast
means positive, intrinsic firmness; unmov-
able Implies resistance to the mightiest
outward pressures and fercest 0nsets;
abounding means energetic action. Work
OF the Lord" That which the Lord re.
quired; all the duties of Christians. The
conversion of sinners and the upbuilding
of the church. aye know" Christians
are positive people. They do not live in
uncertainty and doubt. mot in vain"
Your labor will be rewarded. There will
be, resurrection and then you will be
fully recompensed. The sentiment of the
whole verse il that the hope of the resur-
rection and of future glory should stimu.
late us to great and self-denyng efforts in
honor Of Him who has revealed that doc.
trine, and who purposes to reward us
there. Other men are excited to great ef-
forts by the hope of honor, pleasure or
wealth; Christians should be excited to toll
and self-denial by the prospect of immor.
tai glory, by the assurance that their hopes
are not in vain and viii not deceive them.