BELIEF IN RESURRECTION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 14

BELIEF IN RESURRECTION

Preaching in oue of tho Anglicaii churehes in London on tlid ItesurreetioU and Immortality, Dr. W» it. MatthewSii Dr. lnge's successor as Deau of Bt. Paul's, mentioned three of the evideuces that warrant belief in our Lord's Itesurrectiou and the TOStraint and moderution with which he men' tionod them are worthy of partieulat uole, He put first what he called the mystery of the Christian Chureh, It is surely, he sald, an Undoubted fact of history that Without the EesUrrection belief there would have been uo Chris4 tian Church at all. We should have known nothing about the beginniugs of Christianity had there not taken place the suddcn dramatic change from de--feat aud despoudency aud despair to an iudomitable hope and a eonfident coilrage — a change attributed- to the fact that the Crueifixion of Christ had not been the Ond, but rather the beginning of Christ 's work in the world. Secondly, we have the detailed evidenee in the New Testament itself. It is, perhaps, impossibie to harmonise the UcCounts of^the Resurrection appeat* ances of with each other. But whatever we may think of the evidence in the Gospels we have the first-hand evidence of St. Paul. It is the custom of some people to dismiBs Bt, Paul as if he were an emotional and easily-doj ceived man on vvhose evidence no re* iiance fcaU be placed. I do uot so interpret St. Paul's charaeter. He was Oue wliose mind moved with singulaf Ugility; Who delighted in argumentation — and oue who certainly waa not likely to be easily deceived. And he gives us a two-fold evideuce. First, what he had been told by tho apostles of ihe appearalices of the Lord as evidonce Oll which ihe Church relied. Aud there was, further, his owu persoual experience in Ma conversion, when the Lord appeared. to him, or, as he says, when "Christ was revealed in him. " It was no memory of a dead Man, but of One able to east dewn tho etrong, aad to build up an apostle for Himseif. The third great piec© of evidence is the ' continued experience of the Christian Church. and of individual Christians. Paul was not alone in his experience. though, perhaps, he was more highly favoured than any since his time. Is it not true to say that of all those who are influeneing the world at this time there is none who can be conipared with Jesus Chrh-t? Christ is the Oue with whonl statesrnen, ho-i-iologists, psycholugists and all who rcnlly are c.ai'i tlg about, llntnaiiity, and know their btiSinoss-^Ohrist is the Person ubove all with wiiutn they niUst deal. YTesj Ihe continued exp".rie'rtce Oi' huiiiatlity Is, perhaps, Ihe linest evidence for the RQsUlrection ot the Lord, (for it is tio experience btiscd upon docunients of a far-past agc; it 19 Wl'lt* fcen upon the living hearta aud souls of Jiunuun beiAgi» . -J