Christians live between life here on earth and the life to come. Sometimes life here seems rather mundane – we are washing dishes, picking up the washing, taking out the garbage, even ‘killing fleas’ as Calvin mentioned, presumably referring to lice in the children’s hair. Then we are found singing …
Jaroslav Pelikan: ‘If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen – nothing else matters.’
Kathy Keller: ‘One woman told me tearfully when she learned Redeemer did not ordain women as elders or pastors, “It was like finding out that your fiancé is a child molester!”’ The subject has certainly made for drama and melodrama.
15:12. The Stoic philosopher Seneca in the first century said that at death ‘I will leave my body, and myself I will give back to the gods.’ Francis Schaeffer was adept at ‘lifting the lid’ off arguments.
This is part of Paul’s sermon in the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia in modern Turkey (not Antioch in Syria). The ESV uses the word ‘freed’ which is probably all right (David Peterson thinks so), but it is actually the word for ‘justified’.
Herodotus records Xerxes weeping: ‘I was thinking and it came into my mind how pitifully short human life is – for of all these thousands of men not one will be alive in a hundred years’ time.’ That is the human condition. For the immediate problem, see 15:12.
Calvin: ‘We may certainly arrive at a principle which is valid overall’. However, to go further would be ‘impossible’ so ‘we must be realistic here’.
One wonders if one should have brought one’s retirement date forward!
At first glance, resurrection and persecution may not seem to be related, unless linked by martyrdom. After all, Richard Dawkins has claimed that religion was invented as a ‘comfort-blanket’ to help people cope with a nasty world. Presumably, the doctrine of resurrection would be among the strongest candidates used to …
William Cowper: What various hindrances we meet, In coming to the mercy seat!
