Life and Immortality by John Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 7, 1870

Life and Immortality.

By John Matteson

CHRIST “has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” How? Not by telling us that all men possess an immortal soul; for that is not found in the gospel at all. And the heathen nations have believed this and do believe this, who never heard anything about the gospel.

Nor did Christ bring immortality to light by telling that there should be a resurrection from the dead; for this was plainly declared by the prophets hundreds of years before Christ came. For instance, Dan. 12: 2, “And many of them that sleep the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

How then has Christ brought life and immortality to light?

By his own resurrection. “Who hath abolished death,” One of the definitions given of the Greek word here rendered abolished, is vanquish. Christ has vanquished or conquered death, in that he triumphantly rose from the grave. Then he became the first fruits of them that slept. Then he opened up a way for the fallen race to get out of their prison-house, the grave. And this wonderful fact of a risen Redeemer becomes the great burden of the gospel. “I declare unto you the gospel . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15. Nobody disputes that he died and was buried, But did Christ rise again? Did he come forth from the dark tomb? On this rests our whole hope of salvation. And right here the apostle brings in a large number of witnesses. “Seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. . . . After that he was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also.” If Christ is not raised our faith is vain. But now Christ is risen from the dead, by which the apostles were begotten

again unto a lively hope. 1 Pet. 1: 3. By which also we may be begotten unto a lively hope. “When he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3: 1.

J. MATTESON.