THE apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, declared, "If Christ was not raised, your faith has nothing in it and you are still in your old state of sin. It follows also that those who have died within Christ's fellowship are utterly lost" (1 Cor. 15:17, 18, N.E.B.).*
That these words are no longer taken seriously by large numbers of professing Christians is becoming increasingly evident. According to Religious News Service, Dr. Howard Conn, of Plymouth Congregational church in Minneapolis, distributed a questionnaire to his congregation two Sundays after last Easter, and announced the results in a sermon, "The Anatomy of Easter." The results are quite revealing.
Of the 421 members who returned the questionnaire only 49 said they believed in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. A total of 159 accepted His influence but not His continuing presence. Eighty-six said they were "uncertain about the detail, but willing to accept it as a mystery." Nineteen reported they were "unmoved by all resurrection discussion."
On the subject of life after death, 99 said they leaned toward "natural immortality for all human life"; 148 said they believe in "resurrection for believing Christians," and 158 felt "equal acceptance of both ideas."
Only 57 said they regarded their beliefs as "uniquely Christian"; 150 said they were "religious, but not uniquely Christian" and 106 said they were "Christian, but not in the traditional way."
The liberal and rather confused ideas held by the parishioners is but the reflection of their minister, Dr. Conn, who agreed with the majority of his members that "the validity of the Christian faith does not depend on Christ's resurrection."
"The Christmas and Easter accounts I regard as lovely stories which were added by early Christian enthusiasts who wanted to underscore the importance of Jesus," he said.
Dr. Conn, former moderator of the National Association of Congregational Churches, said he believes that immortality "as a natural quality over all human life" takes precedence over "any Christian concept of the resurrection of believing Christians."
The minister admits to much confusion as to the distinction between immortality and resurrection.
"The philosophy of immortality," he explained, "holds that it is the nature of life and of God to give a future existence to all souls; whereas the doctrine of the resurrection claims that only those who believe in Jesus shall be resurrected as a special act of God. This latter I find an unacceptable position."
What a challenge the present day presents to Seventh-day Adventists to speak out clearly in behalf of the truth of the resurrection, and immortality through our Lord Jesus Christ. While confusion is confounded there are those who will respond to the clear teaching of the Word on these important subjects. While a bewildered people attend their special Easter services, not really knowing what they are all about, let us proclaim with Pentecostal power the truth of our blessed Lord and Saviour, who died, rose again, ascended to glory, ministers now the merits of His salvation, and is soon to return as King of kings and Lord of lords.
* The New English Bible. New Testament. © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961. Reprinted by permission.
