denied by any who pretend to be Christians ? To deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny the resurrection of Christ ; and to deny the resurrection of Christ, is to subvert the gos- pel, vs. 12-14; and also to make the apostles false witnesses, V. 15. If Christ hf not risen, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins, those dead in Christ are perished, and all the hopes of Christians are destroyed, vs. 16-19. But if Christ be risen, then his people will also rise, because he rose as a pledge of their resurrection. As Adam was the cause of death, so Christ is the cause of life ; Adam secured the death of all who are in him, and Christ secures the life of all who are in him, vs. 20-22. Although the resurrection of Christ secures the resurrection of his ipeople, the two events are not contemporaneous. Christ rose first, his people are to rise when he comes the second time. Then is to be the final consummation, when Christ shall deUver up his providential kingdom as mediator to the Father, after aU his enemies are subdued, vs. 23. 24. It is neqessary that Christ's dominion over the universe, to which he was exalted after his resurrection, should continue until his great work of subduing or restraining evil was accomplished. When that is done, then the Son (the Theanthropos, the In- carnate Logos), will be subject to the Father, and God as God, and not as Mediator, reign supreme, 25-28.
Besides the arguments already urged, there are two other considerations which prove the truth or importance of the doctrine of the resurrection. The first' is, " the baptism for the dead" (whatever that means) prevailing in Corinth, as- sumes the truth of the doctrine, v. 29. The other is, the inti- mate connection between this doctrine and that of a future state is such, that if the one be denied, the other cannot, in a Christian sense, be maintained. If there be no resurrection, there is for Christians no hereafter, and they may act on the principle, " Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die," vs. 30-32. The apostle concludes this part of the subject by warning his readers against the corrupting influence of evil as- sociations. Whence it is probable that the denial of the doc- trine had already produced the evil effects referred to among those who rejected it, vs. 33. 34.
I. 2. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand ; by which also ye are