The Raymer enterprise., 1912-08-08

covered In the preparation OF q
fraud. 1t Is a word used for judg.
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 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 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-.
thusiasts-all this I'm impossible, we
are downright deceiyers; 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 It does not seem to have oc-
CURED to him to mention 1t. Even the
possibility Of 1t Is too remote to be
spoken Of.
To the apostle. the resurrection Of
Christ is truth or a falsehood, a
reality Of fraud, thing OF sincerity
or OF deceit, a fact or mistake. There
is no loophole Of escape-the resur-
rection Is either fact or falsehood, ,
a reality or sham, and such persons
as the apostles were guilty of perpe-
trating 1t.
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 testi.
mony in effect is this: l 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 person good or
glorious act, which 1t 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
justice Of God as shown In raising his
holy son from the dead. But II Jesus
Christ Is not risen from the dead
then We have no such God. II 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; 1t Is no use trying to
be good. The end Is a skull and few
ashes. We have testified Of God.
says Paul, we have justified God, but
we are found false witnesses OF him
II Jesus Christ did not rise from the
dead. Have you considered what tina,
point means! The modern man often
assumes that he is already In posses
sion OF God with q reliable charac
ter. whatever you make OF Jesus
Christ. But there Is something In the
career and In tho issue Of the career
Of Jesus Christ that makes q 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 tho 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
sonable God LEFT"