The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-08-09


be detected or dis.
covered in the preparation of
fraud. II is 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 halmcination, which
was the result OF an over-wrought
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 deceivers; we have
willingly. knowingly perpetrated
fraud upon the church I'm 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
tion is wholly absent from his argu-
ment Ii does not seem to have oc.
CURED 10 him TO mention II. Even the
possibility of Il is too remote TO be
spoken OF.
To the apostle, the resurrection OF
Christ is a truth or a falsehood,
reality of a 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 falsehood.
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 10 be liar. His testi.
mony I'm effect is this: / have seen
the risen Christ; ! have talked with
him; / have received my commission
from him. To challenge my statement
IS 10 challenge my character, my
veracity, my understanding, my roa.
son.
v. n Christ be not risen from the
dead then we have no God who is
worthy Of our trust.
To attribute 90 a person n good or
glorious act. which 1t is well known
that he never performed, Is 10 cause
that person TO be suspected Of hav.
ing prompted the false assertion. So
the testimony Of the apostle would
lead men 10 think that God had in.
spired men 10 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 repGse 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 Cod, and the
justice Of God as S~pwn in raising his
holy son from the dead. But II Jesus
Christ Is not risen from the dead, /
then we have no such Cod n one like
Jesus Christ IS ftill left dead. n one /
be 80 good as Jesus was and still be I
deprived Of life, what kind Of God I
have we? We have no God In whom \
We can trust; II is no use trying 20 .
be good. The end IS a skull and few .
ashes. We have testified Of Cod /
says Paul, we have justified God, but .
we are found false witnesses Of him .
n 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 4
career and In the issue Of the career
Of Jesus Christ that makes a good
God I'm this tragic world incredible un.
less Christ be risen from the dead.
Jesus went through the worst suffer-
ings that any man ever suffered. lie
sounded the depths Of the worlds
tragedy. Now II he has been raised
from the dead We may believe IN
God: but = there be no resurrection
- the spotlesg Christ, then God 10
.lther dead or mad We have no res
.onable Cod left"
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