The Resurrection of Christ as Viewed by the Man of the World and by the Earnest Believer
Acts 25:19
But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.


One cannot fail to be struck with the contrast between the results produced by it in Festus and Paul. In the apostle belief in it had kindled a fire of all-sacrificing devotion, and braced him with a courage which no terrors could quell. But Festus received it with complete indifference. Had it been a question of politics or law, that keen judge would have brought all the power of his intellect to bear upon it; but because it referred to an unseen world he dismissed it without for a moment troubling himself to inquire whether it were false or true, and possibly wondered how a man gifted like Paul could waste his powers in proclaiming such an idle tale. Note, then, the aspect of Christ's resurrection as viewed —

I. BY THE MAN OF THE WORLD.

1. What is worldliness? The preference of the pleasurable to the right — the visible to the invisible — the transient to the everlasting. Hence the awful questions — What is God? What am I? What is beyond death? are passed by as dreamy and unprofitable questions. And that this was the temper of Festus we infer from the character of his age, and from his opinion of the insanity of Paul. The well-being of his province, the success of his policy, the vision of an old age crowned with wealth, and bright with the sunshine of the emperor's favour — these were the great hopes of his soul.

2. To a man in that state the assertion of Paul would inevitably appear as an idle tale. From Paul's statement he would learn that Christ was —

(1) The Teacher of a new truth. But he knew that hatred, persecution, death, were generally the penalties for the proclamation of ideas the world could not understand, or which clashed with existing prejudices. Truth! What was that but an empty name; what enthusiasm and unselfishness but childish weakness?

(2) The Founder of a new religion. This again was a familiar story. Like most cultivated Romans, Festus has lost faith in all religions.

(3) A Revealer of supernatural worlds. If anything could waken his interest and suggest inquiry that would. But to a worldly mind the idea of immortality is dim. Its range of vision and sympathy is limited to the visible and tangible. When do we believe in immortality? When spiritual aspirations are stronger than bodily tendencies, or when sorrow has drawn the veil across earth's attractions. From the same source it comes that the risen Christ is to thousands only "one Jesus," etc. For to feel Christ's resurrection as a power in life demands spiritual sympathy with Christ. The selfish cannot see the beauty of unselfishness, nor the sensual the beauty of purity.

II. BY THE EARNEST CHRISTIAN. Turn from Festus to Paul. To him Christ's resurrection was —

1. A sign of the Divinity of His teaching. He had come revealing a new world of truth, and He appealed to His future resurrection as a proof of that truth. He died, but had He not risen, His whole doctrine would have become meaningless. But He rose, and Heaven's seal rested on His teaching. If this were false, Paul was indeed a dreamer; but it was true; hence his mighty zeal.

2. A witness to the perfection of His atonement. The question of the ages is, Who shall deliver us from the curse and burden of evil? But One came manifestly bearing this burden, and the only confirmation of the truth of His atonement lay in being able to bear it unconquered. Had He passed away in silence forever, Death would have conquered Him. But He rose and presented the perfect atonement in His own Person in heaven.

3. A pledge of the immortality of man. Man needs a living witness to a life beyond death. He has it in Christ. Paul had it: hence his all-consuming zeal.

(E. L. Hull, B. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

WEB: but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.




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