The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-06
Easter Lesson,


Today we turn aside from our
studies In the life OF Christ to learn
NEW the lessons OF his resurrection.
Our lesson text is taken from PauPs
letter to the Christians at Corinth.
Among the Gprtnthiau believers were
some who refused to accept the doc
lrine of the resurrection of the dead.
They believed that Jesus rose from
The dead. but they did not believe In
general resurrection. Paul dcals
with this matter In the fifteenth chap
ter. a part OF which we are now to
study.
Golden Text--This Jesus did God
raise up, whereof we all are wit
nessea.---Acts =: 80.
historical Setting.-The first epistle
OF Paul TO the Corinthiaps was writ
ten before the Gospels. about A. ID.
~ or SIS. Our lesson therefore con-
tains the FIST written historical proofs
of the resurrection OF Jesus.
The Lesson Text In Everyday Dress.
Let me remind you brethren" says
Paul, "of the gospel which preached
to YOU while l was at Corfnth--the
gospel which you received and where
N you stand and by which you are
saved Tor are In the way 0fealyation.
i. e. by faith In Christ). provided you
hold fast to It. unless indeed your
faith when you accepted the gospel
amounted to nothing. You Will re-
member that l told you that Christ
died for our sins in accordance with
the Scriptures. that he was buried. and
that he was raised from the dead on
the third day according TO the Scrip
lures: that he appeared to Peter. then
To the twelve and then to a company
of more than five hundred brethren,
most Of whom are still living: then
he appeared to James, then TO all the
apostles and last of all he appeared TO
me as one born out OF due time. FOR
am the least of the apostles, and
indeed am not worthy to be called an
apostle because l prosecuted the
church of God. However. by the
loving favor OF God | am one OF
thllst's apostles, And God did no.
bestow this great favor upon me In
vain for / have labored more album
oantly than they all. yet not l, after
all but God who has been gr; cious-
~ with me- But whether l or they
We have all preached the same gos-
pei and the gospel you have accept
cd.
The Remainder of the Chapter
The apostle then goes on to refer 10
the fact that some OF them have De-
MED the resurrection of the dead and
leads to a denial of the resurrection
of Christ and therefore to the over
throw OF their entire faith. Then
he speaks of the consequences OF the
resurreclon of Christ and OF the IN
i1uence OF the hope OF resurrection
upon the Christian Ire. Then he ais
cusses tVerses $3.50 the nature OF
the resurrection body and shows that
the change from the earthly to the
t1. ftr1
SIN and death.
The Heart Of the Lesson.
why did the early Christians think
SO much of the resurrection OF Jesus
\yhy uid they base everything upon
the resurrection OF Jesus? Was II
simply because the resurrection
proved Jesus truea No: 1t was be-
cause the resurrection settled Tor
them the question OF immortality
the immortality of Jesusu and their
own iYnni,rtafity.s Those early sts,f4
lowers Of Jesus were not as easily
satisfied as some OF our modern
Chr. stians who are content to have
Jesus as an example for their Srery-
day lives and to leave the future 70
God II there Is God and God to the
future II there IL future. They
wanted to be sure OF something. They
wanted a living Christ who should
live forever: they wanted to know
that they. too. should live forever;
they wanted an eternal religion 70
meet eternal needs. When men are
blessed with abundant sunshine and
full dinnerpails It Is easy to satisfy
them with almost any sort OF senti-
mental froth that may be dished out
to them as religion, but when man
is prosecuted for righteousness sake
and swept hither and thither AZ the
Nth and offscouring OF the world. q
the early Christians were. It 10 hard
iy worth while to tell him that rell-
gion Is good thing for this life
whether there IL a life to come or
not. What did Paul get out Of this
life? What Is there In present. day
religion that seeks only to supply
present-day needs for a man whose
whole life is a procession OF perils--
perila Of waters, periIs OF robbers.
perils Of the heather, perils every
where7 don't wonder that Paul
talked 80 much about the resurrec-
ton. / don't wonder that he de
clared that II our hope In Christ has
reference to the present life only We
are Of all men most pitiabie. am