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After the Resurrection ............................................. 14 Prophecy and the Power of Myth ....................... 25
By John E. Stoos By Greg Uttinger
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W e Christians
should use every
available means to re-
ideas with their consequences. Thus,
Rosalie Slater calls literature the
“handmaid of history” in its instruc-
To prepare for such Biblical dis-
cipleship, we must be ready learners,
ready particularly to repent in sub-
build a Christian cul- tional value.1 Reclaiming the Chris- mission to God’s ways and willing to
ture. Historic Christian tian literary legacy will enable us to ask, “How do I specifically fall short
literature offers a splendid opportu- share the old wisdom with a new gen- of God’s glory?” Educational change
nity for learning to apply Biblical eration. Ideal Christian attributes can requires a humble heart. Biblical ac-
principle to every endeavor. Christian serve to exert a godly influence on our complishment requires knowing the
literature illustrates how extraordi- neighbors, as we ourselves learn to Bible systematically, that is, bringing
nary character in ordinary life influ- live them. In addition, deep literary the whole of Scripture to bear on a
ences others and contributes to the study should enable Christians to given subject. Systematic scholarship
Great Commission. To take advantage make new creative contributions of brings any subject into equilibrium, a
of this opportunity, we must reclaim classic quality, further building the non-antithetical tension of truth.
our heritage of scholarly skills. Such collected body of Christian wisdom Jesus teaches that narrow is the path
skills open to us the treasury of Chris- and extending its influence. There- that leads to life and broad is the path
tian literature rich with historical Bib- fore, the old literature can offer sub- that leads to destruction. Balance,
lical wisdom and the fruit of its result- stantial benefits to Christians today. through letting the Scriptures speak
ing personal character. for themselves, is key.
The Need for Biblical Skills of
Christian Worldview Literature Observation and Analysis
Sound applied scholarship requires
a philosophical understanding of the
Imaginative literature once re- To achieve a godly use of litera- subject. Briefly stated, we develop a
flected tremendous insight into the ture, we must both view the Scrip- vocabulary defining the nature of the
Christian worldview. In a mature tures as a textbook or manual for subject as a foundation for its further
Christian literary era, from Spenser to life and learn how to apply them study. Webster’s 1828 American Dic-
Dickens, the best writers distilled the particularly. If we view the Bible as tionary of the English Language am-
trials of personal and historic reali- merely a means to personal salva- ply serves here. Upon an articulated
ties and resolved them with tion, we fail to understand our ex- vocabulary, we search the Scriptures
Biblical understanding. Story char- tended Christian responsibilities. for God’s observations about the sub-
acters often struggled against their God commands mankind to take ject. We next read history, especially
own sinful natures as events tried dominion over the earth as a means the history of ideas, to discover God’s
their souls. As in real life, these trials to facilitate His ways among men, to hand in the subject. The scriptural
eventually forged such attributes of prepare the soil of men’s hearts for standard places historical develop-
character as heroism, statesmanship, the gospel. We are to make disciples ment in context. When good fruit
gracious family and social manners, of men for Christ. To make a dis- emerges, we seek the Biblical root
aesthetics, and many other aspects of ciple, we must first be disciples. Dis- cause. Finally, we must learn to dis-
appropriate Christian expression. ciples are scholars or learners. cern the underlying principle, theme,
Great literary expressions grew Discipleship requires discipline. or leading idea found in the particu-
quite naturally out of a society with True learning supplies the student lars of the story. Every story possesses
ancient and deep Biblical Christian with skills, and with wisdom to ap- a theme, an underlying causal view-
roots. In this sense, imaginative lit- ply those skills in a productive and point leading to the story’s action.
erature offers a concise history of godly way. Biblical scholarship analyzes the par-
A s every Christian
knows, or should
know, the resurrection
you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of
Moses and in the prophets, and in the
tures on the Evidences of the Christian
Religion:
Men as they were, of sound under-
of Jesus Christ and His psalms, concerning me. Thus it is standings and of rational piety, a
ascension to heaven is a written, and thus it behooved Christ conviction in our minds of the
crucial and indispensable part of to suffer, and to rise from the dead the sincerity of their declarations is all
Christian theology. It is the miracle third day: And that repentance and re- that is necessary to gain for them
that proves Christ’s being as the Son mission of sins should be preached in full credence to the miraculous
of God, the mediator between man- his name among all nations, begin- facts which they relate. There is a
kind and God the Father. ning at Jerusalem.” wide difference between dying in
Thus Christ affirmed the continu- attestation of a fact, and to prove
Christ and the Covenant our adherence to an opinion. In
ity between the Old Testament and the
The purpose of Christ’s being sent future New Testament. All things must our opinions we may err, and an
to this earth was not only to save man- be fulfilled in accordance with the enthusiastic mind may maintain
kind from its sins and offer salvation prophecies of the Old Testament. And its errors at the stake with no less
and eternal life after death, but also ardour than it would adhere to
the gospel, in Christ’s name, is to be
to extend the covenant made between truth. But in facts, such as those
preached among all nations, begin-
God and Abraham and his descen- related by the apostles and dis-
ning with His own people, the Jews. ciples of our Lord, subjected as
dants to the rest of mankind. Jesus
told the Apostles as He was about to Jesus is identified in Hebrews 13:24 they were to the examinations of
ascend to Heaven: “Go ye therefore, as “the mediator of the new covenant,” all the senses, and for so long a
and teach all nations, baptizing them the holy means that established the time, it was impossible for men so
in the name of the Father, and of the covenant between God the Father and judicious, so honest, and so faith-
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching the rest of sinful mankind. ful, to be deceived. … And their
them to observe all things whatsoever constant readiness to seal their
I have commanded you; and, lo, I am We read in 1 John 5:14, “And we testimony with their blood affords
with you alway, even unto the end of have seen and so testify that the Fa- the strongest proof that not the
the world” (Mt. 28:19-20). ther sent the Son to be the Saviour of smallest doubt mingled itself with
the world.” Christ’s mission was to their perfect knowledge and belief
And that is why Christianity spread save mankind from its own sinful na- of the resurrection, and of all the
as it did, because it offered mankind ture. And in John 11:25 we read, “I am miraculous works of their Saviour,
the benefits of the covenant, a life the resurrection, and the life: he that on which their faith of his divine
lived in accordance with God’s law, a believeth in me, though he were dead, mission, and of the doctrine of
life that could conquer sin. yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth salvation which they proclaimed
In Mark 16:15, we read: “And he and believeth in me shall never die.” to the world, was founded.
said unto them, Go ye into all the It was indeed the miracle of the res-
world, and preach the gospel to every Worth Living and Dying For
urrection that convinced many pagans
creature. He that believeth and is bap- Why were the Apostles willing to to believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ.
tized shall be saved; but he that accept so much suffering in order to And it was the honesty and sincerity
believeth not shall be damned.” Those spread the gospel? Because they be- of the apostles that were responsible for
who rejected the gift of salvation were lieved in the truth of the resurrection. the fast spread of Christianity through-
indeed damned. They believed in the truth of Christ’s out the ancient world. Christianity of-
In Luke 24:44, 46, Christ tells the miracles. Rev. Samuel Stanhope fered a moral code for human life based
Apostles, “These are the words which Smith, president of the College of New on God’s love of His creatures. It of-
I spake unto you, while I was yet with Jersey, wrote in 1809 in his book, Lec- fered the believer forgiveness of sin,
Sign up today!
A s we reflect on the
re su r re c t i on of
Christ in this season we
Christ as a prominent feature of its high
supernaturalism.
women asserted that since the
eschaton has come, then the resurrec-
tion is past — consequently, they are
But how does that speak to the issue
must recognize its like the angels in heaven who have no
of our resurrection? Because my space
enormous significance need of marriage nor differentiation
is limited I will simply provide an ab-
in the Christian worldview. In this ar- from males (based on Mt. 22:30).
breviated commentary on 1 Corinthians
ticle I will deal with just one of the re- 15, which speaks directly to the point Fortunately, hyper-preterists do
demptive-historical effects of Christ’s and is a favorite passage for hyper- not promote immorality, yet their
resurrection: the eschatological resur- preterists. They gleefully point out that doctrinal outlook has remarkable par-
rection of believers. Christ’s resurrec- Paul speaks of a “spiritual body” (v. 44) allels to the Corinthian paradigm. But
tion not only secures our present re- and argue that “you do not sow the body I must move quickly to the problem
demption for glory (Rom. 4:25; which is to be” (v. 37). at hand, showing that hyper-
10:9-10) but also our future resurrec- preterism strikes at the vitals of our
tion to glory (Rom. 8:23). The Corinthian Context and holy faith through flawed exegesis.
Unfortunately, a new gnosticism is Problem
infecting the church: hyper-preterism. Introducing the Problem and the
Before surveying this chapter we
One major feature of hyper-preterism Solution
must be aware of a major underlying
is its denial of a future physical resur- problem in the Corinthian church: a In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul focuses on
rection of the believer at the end of his- mixture of a quasi-gnostic philosophy a denial of the resurrection of the body.
tory. As we shall see, this contradicts a (highlighting higher knowledge and In the first part of his argument for the
major result of the resurrection of denigrating the physical realm) and resurrection (vv. 1-34), he repeatedly
Christ. Before I demonstrate this, I an exorbitant pride rooted in pneu- expresses his concern for its necessity:
must briefly summarize the argument matic-eschatological claims. “if the dead are not raised” (15:12, 13,
for Christ’s physical resurrection, 15, 16, 29, 32). To dispel all doubt about
which is the effective cause of our own Indeed, Paul opens his letter by re-
ferring to their pneumatic gifts (1:7; our resurrection, he links Christ’s res-
future resurrection. urrection to ours (as elsewhere: Rom.
cp. chs. 12-14) and the matter of a
The Scriptures teach that Christ was 8:1; 1 Cor. 6:14; Phil. 3:21). As we will
Greek concern for “knowledge” (1:18-
resurrected in the same body in which 25; cp. chs. 2-4, 8-10). These issues see, this linkage powerfully affirms the
He died: The very body in which He died physical resurrection.
almost invariably lie behind the par-
was raised from the dead, just as He ticular problems he addresses. For ex- In the second part of his response (vv.
prophesied (Jn. 2:18-19, 21). As such, it ample, their sexual immorality was 35-57), Paul adapts his argument for the
miraculously attested to the truth of His rooted in their unconcern with issues resurrection to the pneumatic-
divine mission on earth (Mt. 12:39-40). of physical morality (1 Cor. 6:13, 15; eschatological theology of his audience.
This is why the tomb and His burial “the body doesn’t matter! what’s the He rebuts them by responding to their
clothing were found empty: His physi- problem?”) and their denial of legiti- spiritual pride regarding “knowledge”
cal body had departed from them (Mt. mate sexual relations in marriage (1 and “gifts.” He argues that they them-
28:6; Jn. 20:4-11, 15). The gospels Cor. 7:1-4; “we are above physical re- selves have not yet received the full spiri-
present the resurrected Christ in a lations”). And their charismatic tual blessings of redemption (and
material body that could be touched and abuses are quite well-known (1 Cor. neither will they in a few weeks, as per
handled (Lk. 24:39), which still had the 12-14). They even revolted against lo- the ludicrous hyper-preterist A.D. 70
wounds of the cross (Jn. 20:27; cf. Rev. cal social conventions and boundary scheme). They will not attain the fullest
5:6), which could be clung to (Jn. 20:17; markers in disregarding public deco- expression of the Holy Spirit until “the
Mt. 28:9), and could eat food (Lk. 24:42- rum in dress (hair style) by their end” (v. 24a), at the consummation (v.
43; Jn. 21:11-14). Christianity has always “eschatological women” (1 Cor. 11; see 24b-28), following upon the resurrec-
affirmed the corporeal resurrection of Gordon Fee’s commentary). These tion of the dead (vv. 21-23). Effectively
M a ny r e l i g i o n s
compete for the
allegiance of people,
The ancient world was a lot like our
own. It was governed by religious plu-
ralism and pragmatism. The political
tianity is dead in the water. This is
how important the resurrection is.
some more successfully order was seen as the source of all law Aspirin Christianity
than others. Only one and authority, and there was wide- Considering the importance of his-
religion, however, is rooted in histori- spread apathy to the Christian mes- torical events, and especially of the
cal facts: Christianity. When we view sage. Therefore, the tactics used by resurrection to the early evangelists,
the apologetics of Stephen or Paul in these early church fathers and the it might be time for the church 2,000
Acts we find they tell the history of contemporary followers of Christ is years later to acquire a taste for his-
Christianity — the creation, the instructive for our own time today. torical argument. The propensity to
events of the Old Testament in God’s We live in a world governed by consider Christianity in terms of psy-
dealing with Israel — as the rationale pragmatism, materialism, and the chology rather than history is not
for belief. idea that truth, (if it exists) is un- helping the culture of our day find its
Stephen, the first martyr, defended knowable. And nothing gets people meaning and identification with the
the faith against his persecutors with more upset than when someone in- God who made all things. Rather than
a history lesson. Beginning with the sists that one religion is true and all argue for an historical creation, for
visit God made to Abraham, Stephen others are false. This upset is exacer- historical intervention by God in the
told his Jewish inquisitors some bated when the religion claiming to be affairs of men culminating in the res-
homegrown facts. Not that they were true insists that it alone possesses the urrection by one Man from the dead
unaware of these facts; they simply historical facts to verify its claim. as the first-fruits of what is to come,
had chosen to ignore them. So our age would rather offer Jesus as the
Here are the facts: In writing to the
Stephen rightly took the opportunity heavenly Pain Reliever. Or, if people
Corinthian church, St. Paul argues that
to remind these learned Jews that the are not getting enough enjoyment in
without a resurrection, we are still dead
facts of history were on his side. life, then Christ is the Great Aphrodi-
in our sins. The Easter event is thus
siac offering pleasure to all if taken in
Paul used the same tactic on non- crucial to the claims of Christianity.
sufficient quantities.
Jewish pagans in Athens. Once the per- The importance of history and histori-
sistent persecutor of Christians, he cal events to Christianity cannot be Perhaps this is why the world to-
became the articulate defender of the overstated. Neither can the implica- day is so troubled. Rather than offer
faith. Paul identified the unknown God tions of these historical events. St. the world the historical Triune God of
whom the Athenians chose to worship. Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection is the Bible, and the Old and New Testa-
This God, said Paul, was the One who appropriate, given that it signifies, bet- ments and the historical events that
had created all things. This was not just ter than anything else, the idea of new go with Him, people are offered a psy-
an impersonal god who might have life. This is a theme the apostle repeat- chological solution that makes them
been the first cause, but also the very edly returns to in his letters. New life feel good for a while but produces no
personal God who had created all means a new man (Eph 4:24; Col. 3:10) lasting change. Like placebos de-
things and made them for a purpose. and without the resurrection none of signed to make us feel good without
this would be possible. curing underlying problems, Jesus is
Our creeds reflect this historical offered as no more than the junkie’s
aspect of Christianity. The Apostles’ The resurrection is thus the fact
weekly fix. “Come back here next
and Nicene Creeds early identified that sets Christianity apart from all
week, folks, and you’ll get another shot
God as the One who made heaven and other religions. The prophet of Islam
in the arm to make you feel well
earth, which was an historical event. is dead. All that remains of Buddha
again.” Feelings are paramount.
If creation did not occur at some time are statues. Meanwhile, the Christ of
in the past, then the God we identify Christianity lives on, risen from the Our culture is sick and dying. There
could not exist. dead. Without the resurrection, Chris- is no evidence that Christianity is
T he Christian hope is
the resurrection,
and what a blessed hope
planet Earth prior to the resurrection
through the kingdom of Christ.
ciples, “All authority has been given to
me in heaven and on earth” (Mt.
28:18). When He ascended to heaven,
In order to make clear what I be-
it is! Yet the resurrection lieve the Bible teaches about the fu- He sat down on the promised throne
cannot be considered ture of planet Earth prior to the of David (Ac. 2:30-36). From there,
the Christian’s only hope. In fact, with- resurrection, I need to say something seated at the right hand of God, He
out other godly hopes, the hope of the about what I believe the Bible does not waits until all His enemies are made
resurrection would be but a selfish am- teach about last things. I believe the a footstool for His feet (Heb. 10:12, 13).
bition. I have to confess that I am ex- Bible does not teach an end-time hope The last enemy is death, conquered on
ceedingly glad I am saved and that the like that being re-popularized Resurrection Day (1Cor. 15:24-26).
resurrection is indeed my hope. Yet as through the Left Behind film and
I have grown as a believer these past Daniel’s Prophecy
books. This popular series teaches a
nearly thirty years, I have begun to un- secret rapture, a two-stage second Daniel foretold that the planting of
derstand that the Christian life is to be coming of Jesus, and a two-stage res- the kingdom of God would take place
lived for God’s purpose and glory, and urrection. in the days of the Roman Empire, and
not to secure my “fire-insurance.” Ev- so it did. Daniel wrote, “In the days of
ery Christian will be raised to glorious Another view of the future, held by those kings [Roman Empire] the God
eternal life. If we know our Bible, we a different portion of the body of of Heaven will set up a kingdom which
can have assurance that the resurrec- Christ, believes the world is getting will never be destroyed, and that king-
tion and eternal life are ours (1 Jn. worse and worse. According to this dom will not be left for another
5:13). Wonderful! Glorious! But now belief, the gospel of Christ will have people; it will crush and put an end
what? Does God intend for people to some success, and the church will be to all these kingdoms, but it will itself
get saved and live life eager to exit this built up to some degree (some even endure forever” (Dan. 2:44). This
world? Is this world merely a holding say to a significant degree) yet she will kingdom, Daniel says, will grow into
place for saved sinners until they die not have much effect on the world. A a great mountain and fill the whole
and go to Heaven? few people, or maybe even a lot of earth (Dan. 2:35; 2:45). Jesus illus-
people get saved, but the church will trated this same truth in the parable
Between Now and the Resurrection have minimal success in opposing the of the leaven — the leaven of the
flood of evil and darkness coming kingdom has been inserted into the
What is there between now and the
upon the earth. The final solution will world and will eventually leaven the
resurrection? The right answers to
be for God to rescue the church from whole lump, so that most, if not all, the
these questions greatly encourage me
the whelming darkness and flood of nations of the world will be made dis-
in my Christian walk and service.
evil by the rapture. I believe this view
They create in me vision and purpose, ciples (Mt. 28:18-20; 13:33). God will
is also in error. bless those people and nations that
hope and motivation to build Christ’s
kingdom, and help me understand What then do I believe the Bible serve King Jesus, and He will remove
why it is so important to teach dili- teaches about how things on planet those people and nations who do not
gently and train my children in the Earth will progress before the resur- serve the King: “For the nation and the
ways of God. I hope you sense some- rection? When Jesus came, He planted kingdom which will not serve you will
thing of the excitement and passion His kingdom in the earth (Lk. 11:20; perish, and the nations will be utterly
that stirs my heart when I think about 1:32; Ac. 2:30-36; Col. 1:13). Before He ruined” (Isa. 60:12; see also Ps. 2; 72:4,
what God is doing and will do on returned to heaven He told His dis- 8-11, 19; 22:27, 28; Isa. 2:2-4).
T he study of Biblical
prophecy has often
been ruled more by
that Jesus was not the Christ come in
the flesh (1 Jn. 4:1-6). They were
proto-Gnostics and proto-Nestorians,
comfortable with various sorts of
gaps.8 But there is nothing in the text
to suggest a two millennia parenthe-
myth than by Biblical and their false Christ was an idol (1 sis between vv. 35 and 36.
hermeneutics or by a Jn. 5:21). There is no obvious connec- Liberal theologians and critics, of
careful attention to text and context. tion between these apostate teachers course, already consider the Book of
When we are enamoured of a myth — and, say, the Man of Sin who “sitteth Daniel a pious fraud, a piece of reli-
or even a very strong tradition — we in the temple of God” (2 Thes. 2:3-12) gious fiction. They take the author to
are easily led astray by such dubious or the Beast of Revelation 13, who is a be a devout forger who lived some-
principles of interpretation as political tyrant.4 time in the Maccabean period. He was
“Sounds the same, is the same” and able to put so many accurate “proph-
“What else could it be but…?” The Willful King
ecies” into the mouth of Daniel be-
The myth of the Antichrist has Our concern now is with an Anti- cause, for him, these things were
been centuries, perhaps millennia, in christ-like character in Daniel 11, the already a matter of history. The liber-
the making. The Little Horn, the Man Willful King. He appears after a als, then, simply write off the proph-
of Sin, the Beast, and other Biblical lengthy prophecy concerning ecy of the Willful King; they assume
characters have all been thrown into Antiochus Epiphanes (d. 165 BC) and that either the writer was ignorant of
the blender to produce a character the Maccabean Revolt (11:21-35). The Antiochus’s real history and so manu-
more intriguing and impressive than majority of conservative commenta- factured some, or that at this point in
any other in Scripture, save Christ tors are divided into two camps on the the text he passed out of real history
Himself. 1 Some commentators have identity of this formidable king. 5 into fraudulent prophecy.
become so caught up in the myth that Some say that he is Antiochus. There But what if there were another in-
they find this Antichrist behind every are obvious similarities between the terpretation, one that took the proph-
prophetic tree. two, but the Willful King does not fit ecy seriously, and yet sidestepped the
what we know about the historical my th of Antichrist and actually
Now, of course, the Bible does give Antiochus at a number of points. 6
us an antichrist — several, actually. helped to dismantle it? Philip Mauro
And limiting the dimensions of the gave us one in the 1920s with the pub-
But the title itself appears in only two prophecy to times and things Greek
books, 1st and 2nd John, and John tells lication of his book, The Seventy
obscures the Messianic focus of the Weeks and the Great Tribulation.9 But
us plainly whom he has in mind. “He
book as a whole.7 let’s approach his solution through a
is antichrist,2 that denieth the Father
and the Son” (1 Jn. 2:22b). “For many Other commentators, particularly back door.
deceivers are entered into the world, those with dispensational leanings,
are ready to jump two thousand years The Battle of Actium
who confess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh. This is a deceiver or more into the future and recognize On 2 September, 31 BC, a Roman
and an antichrist” (2 Jn. 7).3 John is the Willful King as the Antichrist. Af- fleet commanded by Octavian Caesar
talking about false teachers who were ter all, “He sounds like the Antichrist,” (later Caesar Augustus) met a com-
once members of the church, but who and “Who else could he be?” If these bined Roman-Egyptian fleet com-
had left the fellowship of the saints commentators do not blink at a two manded by Marc Antony and Cleopatra
and were preaching a false Christ (1 thousand year jump (read “gap”), VII. The fleets joined battle near
Jn. 2:18-26). These antichrists re- maybe it’s because 19th and 20th Cen- Actium on the western coast of Greece.
jected the incarnation; they insisted tury American theology became very In the middle of the conflict, Cleopatra