The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-30

For we know that II our earthly
house Of this tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a. building Of God, a house
not made with hands, eternal, in the
hEavenR" This Is one of the misread
statements of st. Paul. Is Is often
q read and interpreted as men read and
interpret our Lords promise to his
Disciples. "In my Fathers house are
Tsany mansions: IL it were not so,
would have told you. j go Co prepare
q psace tor YOU" There IS q differences
between tfAa two revelations. jesus
was talking about the future home OF
the good, and comforting his disciples
With the assurance that they would
be provided TOR IN his Fathers house,
there being mansions or dwelling
places Sufficient for ali, and that he
would prepare a place for them. His
words further assured them that their
place In the Fathers house would be
Their permanent abode. 'Tf go and
prepare q place for you, I viii come
again. and receive you unto myself.
that whore ] am, there We may be
also" Pau Was speaking OF the body
which the FOUL would inhabit In the
Fathers house, The earthly
hosaseh--tfie natural. physical body
which the soul now inhabits under ex-
listing conditions--must die and dis
solve. return to dust. This Ia the d.
vine decree, the penalty of sin. dust
thou arr. and unto dust shalt thou re-
turn The apostle wrote to the CO.
rtrthian Christians to assure them
that, though their natural bodies were
subject TO death and dissolution, they
would come up in the resurrection
with better bodies---aiiIdings OF God.
suited to the spiritual and eternal
world. The terms building" and
house refer to the same thing--viz.,
the spiritual body that would take
the place OF the natural and dissolved
body. ST. Paul calls 1t ''our house
which In from heaven and which In
To abide, eternal, In this heavens ~
TIis future body. the permanent
abode Of the soul, Is to be built with
cat hands by the power or God him
self
st pauFs illustration In striking.
He had In mind the tabernacle Of
Moses wonderful and costly piece
OF architecture, every part and depart
snent Of which WINS designed by the
Almighty. with instruction to Moses
10 see that the work was executed &C.
eording to the pattern shown him in
the mount. This tabernacle Wna so
nnnstructed that 1t could be taken
down, dissolved and transported
from place to place, and built UP
again without the use OF any kind OF
tools. II was with the Israelites In
ali their journeyings In the wilder
mess. They moved when 1t moved,
and rested when It rested. IT was
finally carried across the Jordan and
permanently located in the Promised
Land.
SIT. Paul seixes upon these facts as
illustrative OF Gods method of deal
Ing with the human body. AS the
tabernacle was taken down, dissolved
and transported across the river Jor.
dan and bailt mp again, 80 shall the
human body. our earthly tabernacle
ha dissolved and carried across this
Jordan Of death and be re-edified and
live forever In heaven. This liz con.
Aistent with the doctrine OF the resur-
rHctfou as set forth by our Lord and
hits apostles and as demonstrated By
our Lord himself. Jesus died. and
was buried, and rose from the grave
bringing back to life the body thai
was laid In the tomb. AS he died and
rose again. 30 men who die viii rise
again. There IL this differences: Mer
die and see corruption: but Jesus, The
whom God raised again, saw no cor.
ruption."
How are tho dead raised upf and
with what body do they conner" These
sare not Idle nor speculative questions
B st Paul supposes that some man not
IS &t@i3E0AB Iiy acquainted with IIfS Eos
Isei asks them in good faith, and he
answers accordingly. The fifteenth
ciaapter OF his first epistie to the Co.
rtnthians Ii principally devoted to this
subject
The dead M raised by the powe,
cf God This sact should put an enc
TO all questions concerning the resur.
ERECTION. St. Paul thought 1t all -sIfti.
Client. and when arrested and arralgn-
ed before Agrippa for preaching ths
Doctrine. the basic truth OF the COS.
pei. he risked his defense ON thai
proposition He did not say, ''Why
should ii be thought thing lncredi.
bile with you that the dead should
yiss7" He might have said that and
successfully defended his position
but he ended all argument by saying
why should 1t be thought a thing
Incredible with you that God should
raise the dead? ' The being and per
fecttons o1 God leave no room Il
doubt his ability TO raise the dead
and when he expressly tells US thai
the dead shall hear his voice and come
forth, his purpose LIZ clear and the is
Sue certain. This liz our faith and
hope. Let philosophers and skeptics
\ take care Of themselves
The dead come with spiritual bod.
les. 4'Fiesh and blood cannot In
hsrit the Kingdom OF Gods neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption.N
tsane 6f tina Resurrection OF Of the
body" to which we assent every time
we repeat the Apostles Greed. But
81 Paul Is ready with a satisfactory
II solution. behold, / show you a myg-
Ii terry. wa shall not all sleep Chat is
we shall not all be in our graves al
the coming OF the Lord), but we shall