Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
How grave an offense it is not to believe in the resurrection of the dead. If we do not rise again, Christ died in vain and did not rise again. For if he did not rise for us, he did not rise at all, because there is no reason why he should rise for himself.
When the apostle says to the Corinthians, “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” he shows plainly that not all of them were claiming this but that some were, and that it is clear they were not outside but among them… If we had not read in the same letter that “the testimony of Christ is confirmed in you so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace,” we might otherwise have concluded that all the Corinthians were carnalminded and sensual, not discerning the Spirit of God, “quarrelsome, envious, walking according to man.” Letter , To Vincent.
How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? Cerinthus with his followers are meant here. He was the first heresiarch after Simon Magus to deny, in S. Paul"s time, the resurrection. See Eusebius (Hist. lib. vii. c23 , and lib. iii. c28) and Epiphanius (Hæres28). Cerinthus was a champion of Judaism, and, founding his opinions on Jewish traditions, he referred all the prophecies about the Church and the Gospel law to an earthly kingdom, and to riches, and to bodily pleasures. In the same way he afterwards perverted the meaning of Rev. xx4 , and became the parent of the Chiliasts, or the Millennarian heretics. Some think from this that he was the author of the Apocalypse, and that it should therefore be rejected.
S. Ignatius, in his epistle to the Churches of Smyrna and Tralles, censures this error and its author. Hymenus and Philetus ( 2 Timothy 2:17) also denied the resurrection.
It is plain, then, that Paul knew no other Christ besides Him alone, who both suffered, and was buried, and rose gain, who was also born, and whom he speaks of as man. For after remarking, "But if Christ be preached, that He rose from the dead"
Paul grounds his argument for the resurrection of the dead on the fact of Christ’s resurrection. The reality of the latter guarantees the reality of the former.
Do you see how excellently he reasons, and proves the resurrection from the fact of Christ's being raised, having first established the former in many ways? For both the prophets spoke of it, says he, and the Lord Himself showed it by His appearing, and we preach, and you believed; weaving thus his fourfold testimony; the witness of the prophets, the witness of the issue of events, the witness of the apostles, the witness of the disciples; or rather a fivefold. For this very cause too itself implies the resurrection; viz. his dying for others' sins. If therefore this has been proved, it is evident that the other also follows, viz. that the other dead likewise are raised. And this is why, as concerning an admitted fact, he challenges and questions them, saying, Now if Christ has been raised, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Hereby also again abating the boldness of the gainsayers: in that he said not, how say, ye, but, how say some among you. And neit...
For who does not know that most holy word of the apostle also, who, when he was preaching and proclaiming the resurrection of our Saviour, and confidently affirming the truth, said with great fear, "If any say that Christ is not risen, and we assert and have believed this, and both hope for and preach that very thing, we are false witnesses of God, in alleging that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not up? "
Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, sets his mark on certain who denied and doubted the resurrection.
I am content to illustrate this imperfection by the fact that even those whom he saves are found to possess but an imperfect salvation-that is, they are saved only so far as the soul is concerned.
Ours is a better faith, which believes in a future Christ, than the heretic's, which has none at all to believe in. Touching the resurrection of the dead.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, because ye are yet in your sins, and they which have fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
