To Correspondents

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 21, 1860

To Correspondents.

O. H. of Ohio. QUERY: “Will the wicked be raised incorruptible? Paul says the dead shall be raised incorruptible, in 1 Cor. xv, 53. Does he mean the righteous only? or both the righteous and wicked?”

ANSWER.—The wicked will be raised, but not incorruptible. Paul in 1 Cor. xv, from the 50th verse onward, is only speaking of his “brethren.” It is of those who are to “inherit the kingdom of God.” It is of those who are to be raised at the last trump, verse 52; and those are the dead in Christ, 1 Thess. iv, 16; and this is the first resurrection, Rev. xx, 5. The difference between the righteous and the wicked is clearly set forth in Gal. vi, 7, 8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Now when does the great reaping time here brought to view take place? It must be beyond this life; for this life is occupied in sowing, either to the flesh, preparatory to a harvest of corruption, or to the Spirit, preparatory to a harvest of life everlasting. When we are from the Spirit to reap life everlasting, many scriptures inform us. It is when the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken our mortal bodies, Rom. viii, 23; when this corruption shall put on incorruption, and mortality shall be swallowed up of life, 1 Cor. xv, 53; 2 Cor. v, 4; which is at the last trump, and when he who is our life shall appear, 1 Cor. xv, 52; Col. iii, 4; 1 Peter v, 4; at the resurrection of the just. Luke xiv, 14. But in the same manner as the righteous reap life everlasting, that is, through a resurrection, the wicked, it is expressly declared, reap corruption; they are not therefore raised incorruptible.

For an answer to your inquiries on Luke xvi, and Rev. xiv, 11, we refer you to our published works on the life and death question.

G. P. W. of Me.: For remarks on the covenants see REVIEW No. 21, Vol. xv.

In regard to those who are supposed to have been raised at the crucifixion of Christ, you will find by reading carefully Matt. xxvii, 52, 53, that they did not come out of their graves on the day of his crucifixion, but “after his resurrection.”

As regards the compilation of the Bible, the Old Testament canon as we now have it, was drawn up by the Jews in the fourth century before Christ. It so existed in the days of Christ, and its authenticity is acknowledged by frequent appeals to it by Christ and his apostles. The books which we now have under the name of the New Testament, are such as have been generally acknowledged from the time of the early Christians and fathers to the present; and the acts or decisions of councils can neither add to, nor detract from, this great fact. Josephus was not born till thirty-seven years after Christ; but the canon of the Old Testament was made up and completed centuries before Christ; his works could not therefore come up for admission into those writings; and it is absurd to suppose that any Christian would legislate upon them to have them form a part of the New Testament.

In reference to your inquiries on 1 Cor. vii, 6-12, &c., we reply that the language of Paul so far from acknowledging a lack of inspiration, is just the reverse. Hear Gaussen on this point: “Far from limiting the divinity of apostolic language, these phrases on the contrary speak as only the fullest and most sovereign inspiration could authorize. St. Paul could speak thus only by placing his epistles, if I may so say, as St. Peter had done, on the level with the other sacred writings; nay, we may say, above them, inasmuch as we there hear a more recent and binding expression of the will of our Lord.” On the Inspiration of the Bible, p. 200. Such expressions as “I command, yet not I but the Lord,” &c., evidently refer to scriptures previously given which treat upon the same point.