Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Religion
Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)
Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Baptists -- Doctrines; Theology, Doctrinal
II. The _Spirit-theory_ of Keim. Jesus really died, but only his
spirit appeared. The spirit of Jesus gave the disciples a sign of
his continued life, a telegram from heaven. But we reply that the
telegram was untrue, for it asserted that his body had risen from
the tomb. The tomb was empty and the linen cloths showed an
orderly departure. Jesus himself denied that he was a bodiless
spirit: “a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me having”_
(Luke 24:39)_. Did “his flesh see corruption”_ (Acts 2:31)_? Was
the penitent thief raised from the dead as much as he? Godet,
Lectures in Defence of the Christian Faith, lect. i: A dilemma for
those who deny the fact of Christ’s resurrection: Either his body
remained in the hands of his disciples, or it was given up to the
Jews. If the disciples retained it, they were impostors: but this
is not maintained by modern rationalists. If the Jews retained it,
why did they not produce it as conclusive evidence against the
disciples?
III. The _Vision-theory_ of Renan. Jesus died, and there was no
objective appearance even of his spirit. Mary Magdalene was the
victim of subjective hallucination, and her hallucination became
contagious. This was natural because the Jews expected that the
Messiah would work miracles and would rise from the dead. We reply
that the disciples did not expect Jesus’ resurrection. The women
went to the sepulchre, not to see a risen Redeemer, but to embalm
a dead body. Thomas and those at Emmaus had given up all hope.
Four hundred years had passed since the days of miracles; John the
Baptist “did no miracle”_ (John 10:41)_; the Sadducees said “there
is no resurrection”_ (Mat. 22:23)_. There were thirteen different
appearances, to: 1. the Magdalen; 2. other women; 3. Peter; 4.
Emmaus; 5. the Twelve; 6. the Twelve after eight days; 7. Galilee
seashore; 8. Galilee mountain; 9. Galilee five hundred; 10. James;
11. ascension at Bethany; 12. Stephen; 13. Paul on way to
Damascus. Paul describes Christ’s appearance to him as something
objective, and he implies that Christ’s previous appearances to
others were objective also: “last of all [these bodily
appearances], ... he appeared to me also”_ (1 Cor. 15:8)_. Bruce,
Apologetics, 396—“Paul’s interest and intention in classing the
two together was to level his own vision [of Christ] up to the
objectivity of the early Christophanies. He believed that the
eleven, that Peter in particular, had seen the risen Christ with
the eye of the body, and he meant to claim for himself a vision of
the same kind.” Paul’s was a sane, strong nature. Subjective
visions do not transform human lives; the resurrection moulded the
apostles; they did not create the resurrection (see Gore,
Incarnation, 76). These appearances soon ceased, unlike the law of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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