cheenc03a.pdf

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RESURRECTION- AND .
further, that in the missionary precept the disciples
come first into account, just as in Acts (especially
26 16-18) it is Paul who doe5 so. Jn. 21 11-23 has to do
entirely with fixing the relarlve rank in the regard of the
church between Peter on the one hand and the beloved
disciple on the other (5 g c); similarly 20)-1a (cp SIMON
PETER, 5 226). Thegospel tradition has therefore made
"re of it5 aCC0LL"fE ot the resurrection of Jesus in a very
decided manner for the purpose of carrying back to
Jesur the high esteem in which the apostles were held
at a later time.
At last, however, the emphasis that had been laid on
the literal historical fact of the resurrection of Tesus
2g, (e, On a gave place to something different.
subatitUte However firmly established the resurrecfor
of "on might seem to be historically, however
Jesus, little open to any shadow of doubt in the
mind, of thp .~~. fnithR,I its
~
value for them
was neverthele~s small : it was nofhinz more than
an event of part time. What faith demands is romething
present, something now and always capable
of being experienced afresh. The demand for a faith
that could believe without having seen (Jn.20n7 19
I Pet. 18) was hard to satisfy. Thur there came to be
felt a need for ruch a turn being given to the resurrectionnarrative
as should makc the continued life d Jerus
capableof being experienced anew at all times (Mt. 28x0:
I am with vou alwav'l. and thus the historical state-
(6) Towards this result Paul had already contributed.
The r~ren Christ is for him identical with the Holy
Spirit (2 Cor. 317 Rom. 89-11, md often). The fourth
evangelist followed him in thir (5 16c; JOHN. SON Oa
ZEBEDB*:, 5 16~). Therefore in the Fourth Gospel the
rise11 Jerur having ascended to heaven bestows the Holy
Spirit already on the very day of the resuriection.
Only to the dircipler, indeed, in 20*., but according to
T38/. expressly to all believers ; and therefore it is not
open to doubt that 167 ij-ii 141818 1526, etc., are alro
to be interpreted in the latter sense. As Holy Spirit
Jesus ir always presmt.
icl , , A somewhat more sensible substitute for vision of
the risen Jerur ir the observance of the ordinance of the
Supper. This is the true meaning of the deeply significant
narrative of the dirciolej at Emmaus leo CLso~Asi.
in hi3 dirrppearrnse when !he two disciples recogniwd him
(Lk. 2431). ri the Sea of Gahlee in ao one's uking him who he
war un. 21 12).
111. EXPLANATION 08 THE FACTS.
The 1-1 problem still demanding solution, is how to
explain the only fact that has emerged in the course of
of our examination-the fact that Jesus
Jesus, reaur- was Seen, ar we read in I Cor. 151-8.
rection-body, Any attempted explanation presupposes
an insight into subjective experience
that perhaps can never be completely attained. It
demands, therefore, the greatest caution. It cannot,
however, be left unattempted.
(a) The investigator who holds himself bound to
accept and make intellieible . as literal fact everything . -
recorded in the resurrection narratives, even of the
canonical gos~ls merely, cannot in161 his task on any
other condition than that he asrumer a revivification of
the buried body of Jesus to a new period of earthly life.
hardly less earthly than when Jesus was taken for Elijah
or the Baptist risen from the dead (Mk. 6 1+-~6 8 ~ and 8 11,
cp 3r1-13 Mt. 11r4). If only remains to be stipulated
that he who doer so shall fully realire that what he is
assuming is a miracle in the fullest sense of the word.
Many theologians are strangely ranting in clcarness. as
to thir. Even, however, after one has clearly understood
what he is accepting, it ir imporsihle to stop here ;
for ruch a view doer justice only to one side-the
physical and sensuous-of the resorrection-narrative~ ;
not to the other, according to which Jerur was neverthelerr
exalted to heaven, a thing impossible for flesh and
blood (r Cor. 15so).
(6) In order to do justice to this second side alro,
recourse is often had to the theoly of n gradual rublima-
tion or spiritualisation of the resurrection~body of Jerun
-at first wholly material-whereby it was gradually
made fit for its ascension. Again. what has to be
insisted on ia that the miracle is not hereby diminished ;
on the contrary, to the original miracle of the revirification
of the material body is added a recond-that of
the ~piritualii~tion of the material body. The thing,
however, is alro quite inconceivable; how is one to
reorerent to oneself the staees of the transition?
~, .
irl If we decide to confine ourselves to the task of
which he regards as heavenly and pneumatic-as conformed
to the pattern of the reaurrection~body of Jesus
(60 x COT. 1515~9).L Jesus' body alro, then, in his view
must have been heavenly and pneumatic ; and as Paul
in I Cor. has not yet given up the revivification of
the buried body ($ 156). he mvst have thought of the
pneumatic attributes possessed by it as having arisen
through meramuiphosis, such as, according to r Cor.
1551-53, is to happen also to the bodies of thore men
and women who shall still be alive at the last day.
According to what we have seen in 5 17r the original
apostles also agree in this. Thur the explanation of the
facts which proceeds on the belief of the apostles that a
hody of Jesus was really seen must think of that bdy as
heavenly and pneumatic: not, however, in ruch a renre
that it was riven to Tesus at his resurrection as a new
1 In -. 49 the fu$ure-'we shall b~ar'(h~6~0+~~)--Is to he
read. A" exhortanon, 'let us bear' (.$~~d~*."
;,so Ti.U'H),
is meaningleir, for the rerurrection-body is ohtamed w!rhaut
our co-operation. The eonfurlon of o and u with copyxsrs ir
very common :,re Gal. 6 la I? I Jn. 5 ?o Rom. 5 1 14 9. etc.