Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-09-07


covered in the preparation of a
fraud. 1t is word used for judy
ments regarding moral character and
conduct. and conveys the idea OF dis
covering and detecting forgery and
falsity.
In using this word. the apostle
would say that In proclalming to the
Corinthians the doctrine OF the resur-
rection OF Christ, he and the other
apostles had been guilty of perpetrat-
ing fraud upon them.
II Christ be not risen, then the
apostles are false witnesses; not wit.
nesses deluded, mistaken, deceived,
the victims of an hallucInation, which
was the result OF an overweight
brain and imagination, but false wit
nesses. Deluded. say the apostle. we
cannot be. victims OF an over-wrought
imagination. innocent but deceived en-
thuslasts-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 deceiyers. 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 10 mention It. Even the
possibility Of 1t is too remote to be
spoken of.
To the apostle, the resurrection OF
Christ is a truth or a falsehood,
reality of fraud. thing of sincerity
or OF deceit. fact or a mistake. There
is no loophole of escape--the resur-
Tection is either a fact or q falsehood,
a reality or a sham, and such persons
as the apostles were guilty of perpe-
trating II.
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 10 be a liar His testl-
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. my
veracity my understanding. my rea-
son.
v. II Christ be not risen from the
dead then we have no God who 10
worthy Of our trust.
To attribute TO a person good or
glorious act, which II Is well known
that he never performed. Is to cause
that person TO be suspected OF hav-
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 still 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. II
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
holy son from the dead But Ii Jesus
Christ is not risen from the dead,
then we have no such God. If one like
Jesus Christ Is still left dead Ii one
be so good as Jesus was and still be
deprived OF life. what kind OF God
have We? We have no God In whom
We can trust: II Is no use trying to
ashes. We have testified OF Cod
says Paul, we have justified God, but
We are found false witnesses OF him
IL 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 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 un.
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 II there be no resurrection
Of the spotless Christ. then God IL
either dead or mad We have no rea.
sonahle Gs left"