Thursday, November 20, 2008

What Pitiable Fools We Would Be! But We Appeal to the Evidence!

Some might say (and do say) that Christians are fools. Paul said it himself...that if we are believing something that is not true, we are indeed Fools! Read what he says in First Corinthians, Chapter 15.

Verses 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

In other words, if our faith is foolish faith, if this faith is with us only in this life, and if it produces nothing beyond this life, then we are indeed to be pitied. What fools we be!

But then read the words Paul spoke next...

Vs 20-26 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
For since by a man (Adam) came death, by a man (Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,
then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

You might think this is foolish ranting of a foolish, deluded man. Yet this 'foolish' man had many 'foolish' companions, all who saw and heard and witnessed. Go back to the first verses in the chapter...

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that (after His resurrection from the dead) He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

I would love to sit in a courtroom where more than five hundred witnesses testify to the same evidence. The verdict would be overwhelming. Even in a case where only two or three witnesses testify to the same evidence a jury will conclude they are telling the truth. But Five Hundred! And the Twelve! It's Magnificent! It's Stupendous! And there is no foolishness in it. Thanks be to God.

My previous posts labeled Christianity can be found here!

2 comments:

cinnamongirl93 said...

Amen! Good teaching you wrote today!

Renna said...

Amen to that! Very good teaching, indeed! :-)