Christ's resurrection, arises not only from the number of the witnesses, but from Paul's appeal to their testimony while the majority of them were still alive. Some have fallen asleep. This is the Christian expression for dying, v. 18, and 11, 30. Death to the believer is a sleep for his body ; a period of rest to be followed by a glorious day.
7. After that, he was seen of James ; then of all the apostles.
Which James is here intended cannot be determined, as the event is not elsewhere recorded. The chronological order indicated in this citation of witnesses, renders it improbable that the reference is to our Lord's interview with the two disci- ples on their way to Emmaurs, and is inconsistent with the tra- dition preserved by Jerome, that Christ appeared to James immediately after his resurrection. It has been inferred that the James intended was James the brother of our Lord, who presided over the church in Jerusalem, because he was so con- spicuous and universally known. Then to all the apostles. This, for the reason given above, probably does not refer to the appearance of Christ to the eleven on the day in which he rose from the dead. It may refer to what is recorded in John 20, 26 ; or to the interview mentioned in Acts 1, 4. Whether James was one of the apostles is not determined by any thing in the verse. The word 7rao-ti/ may be used to indicate that the appearance was to the apostles collectively ; and this, from its position, is the most natural explanation. Or the meaning may be, he appeared to James separately, and then to all the apostles including James. If the James intended was James of Jerusalem ; and if that James were a different person from James the son of Alpheus (a disputed point), then the former interpretation should be preferred. For "the apostle" an- swers to " the twelve," and if James of Jerusalem was not the son of Alpheus, he was not one of the twelve.
8. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Last of all may mean last of all the apostles ; or, as is more probable, last of all means the very la^t. As to an abor- tion^ he appeared to me. Such is Paul's language concern- ing himself. Thus true is it, that unmerited favours produce