230 REV. CANON GIRDLESTONE, M.A., ON THE RESURRECTION 



time in dealing with, and that is the ministry of the Apostles and 

 others of the resurrection of Christ. As you look through the book 

 of Acts you find continually that in the ministry which the Apostles 

 bore to the world, that fact is the fundamental part of their ministry 

 of salvation. Even when the apostle Paul was preaching among the 

 Greeks at Athens he proclaimed Jesus and the resurrection. If 

 there be no resurrection our faith is vain ; we are yet in our sins. 

 The resurrection understood in the ministry of the apostles is an 

 actual resurrection. The body was sown a natural body, it was 

 raised a spiritual body. The body in which He had lived and 

 died was raised again from the dead. There were the marks indeed 

 of the nail-prints in feet and hands. He was able to eat and drink 

 with the disciples at their morning meal on the shores of the lake of 

 Tiberias. If you ask how this was done you have no answer. We 

 have to wait for the solution ; but that the body was not a mere 

 phantasm is shown. " A body hath not flesh and bones as ye see 

 Me have." It was the body that had been used by Christ in His 

 earthly life and which was taken on by the spirit at His resurrection 

 subsequently. 



Then there is another important fact that may serve to establish 

 our faith. Ever since apostolic times and down to the present day 

 no ministry of the Gospel has been of any effect that has omitted 

 the doctrine of the resurrection, and we see it continually going on. 

 We must bear in mind the fact that the pledge of the reality of the 

 resurrection and the reality of the ascension into heaven was that 

 extraordinary phenomenon that took place afterwards in the gift of 

 the Holy Ghost, and we are witnesses of a phenomenon of that 

 nature that cannot be accounted for on any other grounds than 

 these. Perhaps some of you have been in Wales and have seen 

 the things taking place there. What is taking place is inexplicable 

 on any other ground than that the Gospel record is true. If the 

 Gospel record be untrue, then all we can say is that untruth is 

 more blessed and more mighty and more effective upon men's 

 characters than truth. But it is impossible for anyone to believe 

 that error and falsehood can effect these wonderful changes which 

 are taking place in the character and conduct of men. 



The Gospel records are essentially records of truth, or these 

 results could not be attained among every class of society, and 

 among all nations wherever it is spoken. 



