CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Theologian Paul on Life, Death, and Immortality
I. “Christ Our Life” Is Post-Pentecostal Theme
It was not until after the Holy Spirit was poured out with power upon the apostles and the early disciples of our Lord that their minds were fully opened to perceive the larger scope of the sublime truth of Life Only in Christ. But when they did perceive and receive it fully, and when they knew and experienced the “power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10), they were lifted completely out of their former mediocrity and filled with a compulsive power and a zeal that nothing could withstand.CFF1 303.1
1. PROCLAIMED FIRST TO JEWS, THEN TO GENTILES
The doctrine of life through Christ was the “unspeakable gift” that they were impelled to make known to all men. This was what the angel first charged Peter and the other apostles to preach when he was released from prison at Jerusalem. Here was his impressive commission, given just after the Jews had killed the Prince of life (Acts 3:15): “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20)—life in Christ, stubbornly rejected by the Pharisees, life through the resurrection, bitterly opposed by the Sadducees. Jesus’ name and the power of His life must be made known to all men. This mandate they gladly obeyed.CFF1 303.2
And this is precisely what Paul and Barnabas preached first to the Jews at Antioch. And when the chosen people refused to accept Jesus as the promised giver of “this life,” the apostles solemnly said:CFF1 303.3
Turning to the Gentiles, they boldly proclaimed:CFF1 304.1
“For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:47, 48)CFF1 304.2
2. PAUL PREACHES WITH FUTILITY TO PLATONIC ATHENIANS
Paul, the great accession to the apostles’ roster, sought to preach this same doctrine to the Athenians. He spoke to them of God as the one who “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). But the minds of the Athenians were so filled with the fanciful notions of the Greek poets and philosophers concerning the spirit world and the Innate Immortality of all souls that they scouted the idea of Immortality solely by a resurrection from the dead through Jesus Christ.CFF1 304.3
Had he preached to them the Platonic doctrine of a spirit life, an immortal soul, or eternal blessedness or misery for all men forever, they would not have called him “a setter forth of strange gods” (Acts 17:18), and a proclaimer of “new doctrine” (Acts 17:19). That would have been what their own Platonic philosophy had taught them. But the doctrines of the day of judgment and the incredible resurrection of Jesus “from the dead” (Acts 17:31), and of the coming resurrection of all the dead, and of immortality only through Christ were no more agreeable to them than they were to the Jews.CFF1 304.4
3. ROMANS: IMMORTALITY A GIFT THROUGH CHRIST
This majestic truth runs all through Paul’s epistles. It was the mighty cable, as it were, upon which all the other doctrines of the gospel were suspended. Thus to the Romans, Paul preached that all, whether Jews or Gentiles, were under one common sentence of death; for all had “sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Those who had “sinned without law,” must “perish without law” (Romans 2:12), while those who had sinned under the law must be judged by the law. Death had “reigned” over all the children of Adam (Romans 5:14).CFF1 304.5
But by the grace of God there was hope. The gospel, which he was sent to preach, was “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16) in Christ, the Life-giver. Specifically—“to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality [aphtharsian, “incorruption”], eternal life” (Romans 2:7).CFF1 306.1
To believers he says:CFF1 306.2
“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death [the second death]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:21-23).
Thus the proclamation of eternal life was central. There is no such thing as either spontaneous generation or spontaneous regeneration. The children of God are “begotten” by God Himself, as verily as the children of Adam are begotten by their natural progenitors. This new life concerns itself not with carnal and perishable things, but with spiritual and eternal things. Those who experience it are “led by the Spirit of God” (Romans 8:14), and such are destined to be “glorified” (Romans 8:17) through the “resurrection,” with its “redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). They will not come into the “condemnation” of the second death (Romans 8:1; Romans 5:16; cf. Revelation 2:11). Nothing will be able to “separate” them “from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:39), by whom and to whom they henceforth live as “heirs” of eternal life.CFF1 306.3
4. 1 CORINTHIANS: IMMORTALITY MUST BE “PUT ON.”
The same emphasis on eternal life is equally marked in both of Paul’s epistles to the Corinthians. In the first epistle he shows how impossible it is for human reason alone to attain any true knowledge of the gospel. How foolish the truth of eternal life through a crucified Saviour seems to natural man—“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But Paul was “determined” to know nothing among them but “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2), and that through His death and resurrection we might have eternal life.CFF1 306.4
Finally, coming to the climax of the great and glorious doctrine of the resurrection, Paul dwells upon it at length, and shows how it is assured to us by the death and resurrection of Christ Himself. If this assurance of resurrection through Christ were taken away, we would be of all men the “most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19), for we would then have no hope of any life beyond the grave. All who have fallen asleep in Jesus would have “perished” (1 Corinthians 15:18), become extinct—not in a state of endless sin and misery. Not a word to that effect.CFF1 307.1
Paul attempts to tell the nature of the spiritual bodies we shall take on at the resurrection, to show how glorious and how incorruptible they will be, and how entirely different from our gross fleshly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:37), which are fitted only for earthly natures, and could not possibly enter the coming kingdom of God.CFF1 307.2
“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural [psuchikon] body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual [pneumatikon] body” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).CFF1 307.3
Then Paul shows how, simultaneously with the resurrection of the righteous dead, those who are alive at Christ’s second coming will be changed:CFF1 307.4
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible [aphthartoi, “immortal”], and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [thneton, “subject to death”] must put on immortality [athanasian]. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:52-55).CFF1 307.5
Paul’s second Corinthian epistle is equally filled with Christ and Him crucified, as the source of eternal hope to all His people. The great apostle is determined to know nothing else among them, waiting eagerly for the time when this mortality “might be swallowed up [katapino, “drink down,” “swallow”] of life” (2 Corinthians 5:4).CFF1 308.1
6. “ETERNAL LIFE” THEME RUNS THROUGH REMAINING EPISTLES
“Reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8).CFF1 309.1
“Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3, 4).
“Believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:16).
“Lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12).
“Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality [aphtharsian] to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).
“In hope of eternal life, which God ... promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).
“Heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7).
7. PETER, JAMES, AND JUDE GIVE SAME EMPHASIS
And it should be added that Peter, James, and Jude follow on, offering salvation with the same “life” line—exhorting all to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life.CFF1 309.2
“He shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).CFF1 309.3
“Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:21).CFF1 309.4
It is life, life, life! But let us examine Paul, and his theology on life and death, more closely.CFF1 309.5