Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-03-29
PEOPLES PULPIT.
CHRIST'S
ASCENSION FROM
HADES
he led forth a multitude Of
capiycs and gave gifts unto men .
Gphesians Nv, 81.

t1-JtiCoioliS w. W. 4
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mankind. AS perfection is gradually
attained the shame of the imperfection
viii gradually abate, while all of the
shameless will be DESTROYED in the
Second Death. Thus we see the Di-
vine Purpose of the resurrection of the
dead and our glorious hope, far differ
ent from all the fears that were taught
us by the musty traditions of men,
from the dark ages" And Tins we
see the force of the Apostles words
that If there be no resurrection of the
dead our hope is vain, our faith Is
vain q Corinthians XIV, 1910.
"But Now Is Christ Risen"
The Apostle argues, IF the dead rise
not" If that is an impossibility so far
as the world in general is concerned
then 1t is an impossibility so far as
Christ is concerned. And If Christ
be not risen," then all hope, all faith
Is vain. And all preaching is not only
foolish, but worse. (See l Corinthians
XIV, 14.) But now is Christ risen from
the dead and become the first fruits
of them that slept" The mere awak-
ening from sleep. as in the case of
Lazarus, Dorcas and others, is here
left out of the question. Nothing is
counted as resurrection except the
full, complete raising up out of death
Our Lord was the first that should
rise from the dead" (Acts XVI 23), in
this full sense. And he was a first
fruits, or proof, that others still Sleep
ing will come forth by Divine Power
to be exercised by him in the resur-
rection morning-the Millennial morn
Ing. The Church will be the next in
order-she is to be the Bride-C onsort
of the Great King and to participate
with him in his glorious work of up
lifting the race which fell from the
Divine image into sin and death
through father Adam. The redemp-
tion-price has been provided in the
death of Jesus; and the time for be-
ginning the great work of restitution
Of all things" merely waits until the
completion of the election of the saint
ly Church (Acts Iii, 1921.
Christ Arose From Hades.
Preaching on the Day of Pentecost,
st. Peter declares that God raised
Christ from the dead. Then In proof
that this was the Divine intention
from the beginning, he quotes from
the prophetic Psalm of David, "Thou
shalt not leave my soul in hell" The
Apostles quotation (Acts Ii. % is in
the Greek. in which the word hell is
hddes. His quotation is from the He
brew, i'll which the word hell is sheoI-
the only word rendered hell through
out the entire Old Testament.
| am not stating this as something
new, although | am confident that it
is new to many of my hearers and to
many of the eighteen millions who will
read my discourse in tomorrow morn
ing's papers. For the sake of such,
note the fact that in the morning of
our Lords resurrection. he said to
Mary. Touch me not; for | am not
yet assembled to my Father and your
Father; to my God, and your God"
John Xxx, III. | remind them further
of the language of the so-called Apos-
ties Greed, which is coming more and
more into vogue with all denomina-
lions and which declares. He de-
scended into hell and rose again the
third day" In a version of this creed
published by the Presbyterian Board
Of Publication of Philadelphia, foot
note very properly explains that the
word hell here used is, in the Greek,
hades, which signifies the state or con-
dition of death.
| consider this very important mat
ter, winch should be made widely
known, because of the false conception
of hell handed down to us through our
creeds formulated in the dark ages"
and since a misinterpretation of SheOl
and hades has been given to the pub
lie mind-the impression that these
words signify a place of torture. All
this is wholly false, as every Greek
and Hebrew scholar knows. and, If
cross questioned. will admit 1t is an
important question to the public be-
cause this misconception OF the mean
ing of the word hell Is driving hun
dreds, yea. thousands, away from God
and away from the Bible They cor
rectly reason that the teaching that
our Creator foreknew and intended a
hell of torture for his creatures is be-
yond conception, beyond belief, and
manifestly untrue, as no holy being
could be so unjust, unkind. unloving.
1t is time that all such should see that
the fault lies with the creeds and not
with the Bible-that the Bible teaches
a hell. sheol, hades. into which all go,
both good and bad, and from which all
will be called forth in the resurrection
morning by the great Redeemer.
Leading Captivity Captive"
A better translation reads, "Our Lord
assembled on high leading multitude of
captives." These words are pen pic
ture representing a great King as
Conqueror returning from a victory
over an opponent. The victor rode in
a chariot at the head of the process
sion. surrounded by trumpets and ae-
Chalmers. and behind him followed the
evidences, the proofs of his victory
either those whom he had captured
and enslaved or. as in this case, those
who had been captured and enslaved
and whom the Conquerer had set free.
The picture is graphic and wonder
full. notwithstanding the fact that a