Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-08-08

be detected or dis
covered in the preparation of
fraud. II is a word used for judg-
ments regarding moral character and
conduct. and convc-s the idea Of dis
covering and detecting forgery ami
falsity.
In using this word. the apostle
would say that ~ proclaiming to the
Corinthians the doctrine of the resur-
rection OF Christ. he and the other
apostles had been guilty OF perpetrat-
ing fraud upon item.
II Christ be not risen. then the
apostles are false witnesses: not wit.
nesses deluded. mistaken. deceived.
the victims OF an Authorization. which
was the result OF an over-wrought
brain and Imagination. but false wiz
nesses. Deluded, say the apostle. We
cannot be: victims OF an over-wrought
Imagination. innocent but deceived en-
thusiasts-all this i'm impossible. We
are downright deceivers: We have
willingly. knowingly perpetrated a
fraud upon the church In claiming
that Christ rose from the dead: we
are downright deceivers. The strange
thing about the apostles statement Is
that the idea of delusion or hallucina-
ton is wholly absent from his argu-
ment. II does not seem TO have oc-
Cured to him to mention IT. Even the
possibility OF it is too remote to be
spoken Of
To the apostle, the resurrection OF
Christ is a-:SIth or a falsehood. a
reality Of fraud. thing Of sincerity
or Of deceit. a fact or a mistake. There
Is no loOphole Of escape-the resur-
rection is either a fact or a falsehoot.
a reality or a sham. and such persons
as the apostles were guilty OF perpe-
trating It.
Paul feels that the stigma of false
hood has been put upon him. He feels
that he has been stung by an insult.
Somebody has not believed him-has
made him out to be liar His test
mony in effect Is this: have seen
the risen Christ, have talked with
him; | have received my commission
from him. To challenge my statement
Is TO challenge my character, nv
veracity. my understands. my rea-
son.
Paul and the other apostles testi.
fled to the fact that Christianity. as
they had received II and preached II.
was built not only upon a professed
revelation from God. but also upon an
historical basis-on the fact that
Christ really arose from the dead. and
that the risen Lord has been seen by
them and had spoken to them. To
deny this testimony was virtually to
call Paul and the other apostles liars
and false witnesses. Is II credible.
says the apostle. that knowing me and
the other apostles as you do that you
can believe such a charge,
v. " Christ be not risen from the
dead then we have no God who IL
worthy OF our trust.
To attribute TO a person a good or
glorious act. which II is well known
that he never performed, is to cause
that person to be suspected Of hay
ing prompted the false assertion. So
the testimony of the apostle would
lead men to think that God had In,
spired men to tell lies about him.
Many think that they can stIIl have
faith in God. that they still have left
a God whom they can trust and in
whom they can repose their faith.
even though they do not accept the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The
apostle says plainly. This is not so: IL
We have no risen Christ. neither have
We God in whom We can trust. Note
the serious point here. Paul preach.
ed God. he commended God, and the
justice OF God as shown in raising his
holy son from the dead. But If Jesus
Christ is not risen from the dead.
then We have no such God II one like
Je.us Christ Is still left dead. II one
be so good as Jesus was and still be
deprived OF life. what kind OF a God
have We? We have no God In whom
We can trust; II is no use trying 10
be good. The end is a skull and few
ashes We have testified OF God
says raul. We nave justified God. but
We are found false witnesses of him
II Jesus Christ did not rise from the
dead. Have you considered what that
point means? The modern man often
assumes that he is already in posses-
sion OF God with a reliable charac.
ter, whatever you make OF Jesus
Christ. But there is something in the
career and in the issue OF the career
OF Jesus Christ that makes a good
God In this tragic world incredible nm.
less Christ be risen from the dead
Jesus went through the worst suffer.
ings that any man ever suffered. He
sounded the depths OF the worlds
tragedy. Now II he has been RAISED
from the dead We may believe in
God; but If there be no resurrection
OF the spotless Christ. then God is
either dead or mad. We have no rea.
sOnabIe God left