The demonstration of the power of Christianity Paul had found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The power which raised Him from the dead is the working energy of our faith. Let us see what this mysterious power wrought in the Redeemer Himself; and then we will consider how it bears upon us. There are two steps indicated in Christ’s exaltation: He was raised _from the death of the cross to new life amongst men_; and again from the world of men He was raised _to the throne of God in heaven_. In the enthronement of Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand, verses 22, 23 further distinguish two separate acts: there was conferred on Him _a universal Lordship_; and He was made specifically _Head of the Church_, being given to her for her Lord and Life, He who contains the fulness of the Godhead. Such is the line of thought marked out for us. I. _God raised the Christ from the dead._ This assertion is the corner-stone of St Paul’s life and doctrine, and of the existence of Christendom. Did the event really take place? There were Christians at Corinth who affirmed, “There is no resurrection of the dead.” And there are followers of Jesus now who with deep sadness confess, like the author of _Obermann once more_: “Now He is dead! Far hence He lies In the lorn Syrian town; And on His grave, with shining eyes, The Syrian stars look down.” If we are driven to this surrender, compelled to think that it was an apparition, a creation of their own passionate longing and heated fancy that the disciples saw and conversed with during those forty days, an apparition sprung from his fevered remorse that arrested Saul on the Damascus road--if we no longer believe in Jesus and the resurrection, it is in vain that we still call ourselves Christians. The foundation of the Christian creed is struck away from under our feet. Its spell is broken; its energy is gone.