What About The Resurrection

This morning I found myself reading in a copy of The Herald of Christ's Kingdom (Issue May/June 2009, "Works of the Second Advent"). I have compiled a list of quotes and commentary notes for us to chew on (meditate). May this post enlighten and bring the joys of truth to our hearts this day. May the words herein slay giants whom lie in wait for us. The truth shall set us free and we claim that victory to-day!

When first studying the gospels we realize fairly quickly Christ addressed several categories of people. There were Pharisees and Saducees called out several times. These are interesting to examine closer.(See Acts 23.8)

The Pharisees seemed to get scolded quite a lot. But why? The Pharisees believed in the resurrection. They believed in the law of God. They believed themselves to be righteous within those laws. They believed a lie. Did you catch it? NO man (human) can live up to the laws of God and walk in this flesh. It isn't possible. This is why Christ Jesus is so important because he was perfect. He defeated death by overcoming temptation in victory through the Holy Spirit provided by our Father in the highest heaven. The Pharisees didn't understand the how and who.

The Saducees did not believe in the resurrection. They were more of a "what you see is what you get" kinda people. They believed you better live it up or make the most of it cause when you die... you are dead and that is it. Doesn't mean there were no good mannered and respectable people in their midst! Just means they were without faith in God and his ultimate plan. They didn't understand the what for and why.

"Adam Clark (1762-1832) was a British Methodist theologian and biblical scholar. He wrote a commentary on the Bible which took forty years to complete. This is what he said about the reurrection in endnote three, following 1 Corinthians chapter 15:
"The doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive Christians than it is now. How is this? The apostles were continually instisting on it, and exciting the followers of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! So apostles preached, and so primitive Christians believed; so we preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doctrine in teh Gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect!"
"... - It makes sense to call death a sleep only if there is a prospect of an awakening from that sleep. Notice in the example of wicked king Ahab's sleeping, which in turn gives way to understanding the New Testament when it clearly states they all being dead will be raised to life again, even the ungodly."

"Christians should have no uncertainty abou thte doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. In fact the apostle calls it a fundamental doctrine: "Let us leave behind us then all the elementary teaching about Christ and concentrate on its compleation, withou t going over the fundamental doctrines again: the turning away from dead actions and toward faith in God: the teaching about baptisms and the laying on of hands; the teaching about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment."
(Heb. 6.1,2)

(Recommended reading... 1 Corinthians 15)