第16章

Now，atlast，theMessiahorChristhadcomeasasecondAdam，andbeingwithoutsinhadbeenraisedbyJehovahoutofSheolandtakenupintoheaven，astestimonytomenthatthepowerofsinanddeathwasatlastdefeated。ThewayhenceforthtoavoiddeathandescapetheexiletoSheolwastolivespirituallylikeJesus，andwithhimtobedeadtosensualrequirements。Faith，inPaul’sapprehension，wasnotanintellectualassenttodefinitelyprescribeddogmas，but，asMatthewArnoldhaswellpointedout，itwasanemotionalstrivingafterrighteousness，adevelopingconsciousnessofGodinthesoul，suchasJesushadpossessed，or，inPaul’sphraseology，asubjugationofthefleshbythespirit。Allthosewhoshouldthusseekspiritualperfectionshouldescapetheoriginalcurse。TheMessiahwasdestinedtoreturntotheearthtoestablishthereignofspiritualholiness，probablyduringPaul’sownlifetime(1Cor。xv。51)。ThenthetruefollowersofJesusshouldbeclothedinetherealbodies，freefromtheimperfectionsof“theflesh，“andshouldascendtoheavenwithoutsufferingdeath，whiletherighteousdeadshouldatthesametimebereleasedfromSheol，evenasJesushimselfhadbeenreleased。 Tothedoctrineoftheresurrection，inwhichethicalandspeculativeelementsarethushappilyblendedbyPaul，thenewreligiondoubtlessowedingreatpartitsrapidsuccess。IntoanaccountofthecauseswhichfavouredthespreadingofChristianity，itisnotourpurposetoenteratpresent。Butwemaynotethatthelocalreligionsoftheancientpaganworldhadpartlydestroyedeachotherbymutualintermingling，andhadlosttheirholduponpeoplefromthecircumstancethattheirethicalteachingnolongercorrespondedtotheadvancedethicalfeelingoftheage。Polytheism，inshort，wasoutgrown。Itwasoutgrownbothintellectuallyandmorally。Peoplewereceasingtobelieveinitsdoctrines，andwereceasingtorespectitsprecepts。Thelearnedweretakingrefugeinphilosophy，theignorantinmysticalsuperstitionsimportedfromAsia。Thecommandingethicalmotiveofancientrepublicantimeshadbeenpatriotism，——devotiontotheinterestsofthecommunity。ButRomandominionhaddestroyedpatriotismasaguidingprincipleoflife，andthusineverywaythemindsofmenwereleftinasceptical，unsatisfiedstate，——cravingafteranewtheoryoflife，andcravingafteranewstimulustorightaction。Obviouslytheonlytheologywhichcouldnowbesatisfactorytophilosophyortocommon-sensewassomeformofmonotheism；——somesystemofdoctrineswhichshouldrepresentallmenasspirituallysubjectedtothewillofasingleGod，justastheyweresubjectedtothetemporalauthorityoftheEmperor。Andsimilarlytheonlysystemofethicswhichcouldhaveachanceofprevailingmustbesomesystemwhichshouldclearlyprescribethemutualdutiesofallmenwithoutdistinctionofraceorlocality。ThusthespiritualmoralityofJesus，andhisconceptionofGodasafatherandofallmenasbrothers，appearedatoncetomeettheethicalandspeculativedemandsofthetime。 Yetwhatevereffecttheseteachingsmighthaveproduced，ifunaidedbyfurtherdoctrinalelaboration，wasenhancedmyriadfoldbytheelaborationwhichtheyreceivedatthehandsofPaul。 PhilosophicStoicsandEpicureanshadarrivedattheconceptionofthebrotherhoodofmen，andtheGreekhymnofKleantheshadexhibitedadeepspiritualsenseofthefatherhoodofGod。TheoriginalityofChristianitylaynotsomuchinitsenunciationofnewethicalpreceptsasinthefactthatitfurnishedanewethicalsanction，——acommandingincentivetoholinessofliving。 Thatitmightaccomplishthisresult，itwasabsolutelynecessarythatitshouldbeginbydiscardingboththeritualismandthenarrowtheoriesofJudaism。Themeredesireforamonotheisticcreedhadledmanypagans，inPaul’stime，toembraceJudaism，inspiteofitsrequirements，whichtoRomansandGreeksweremeaningless，andoftendisgusting；butsuchconversionscouldneverhavebeennumerous。JudaismcouldneverhaveconqueredtheRomanworld；norisitlikelythattheJudaicalChristianityofPeter，James，andJohnwouldhavebeenanymoresuccessful。Thedoctrineoftheresurrection，inparticular，wasnotlikelytoproveattractivewhenaccompaniedbythepictureoftheMessiahtreadingtheGentilesinthewine-pressofhisrighteousindignation。ButherePaulshowedhisprofoundoriginalityThecondemnationofJewishformalismwhichJesushadpronounced，Paulturnedagainsttheolderapostles，whoinsisteduponcircumcision。Withmarvellousflexibilityofmind，PaulplacedcircumcisionandtheMosaicinjunctionsaboutmeatsuponalevelwiththeritualobservancesofpagannations，allowingeachfeeblebrothertoperformsuchworksasmightticklehisfancy，butbiddingalltakeheedthatsalvationwasnottobeobtainedafteranysuchmechanicalmethod，butonlybydevotingthewholesoultorighteousness，aftertheexampleofJesus。 ThiswasthenegativepartofPaul’swork。Thiswastheknockingdownofthebarrierswhichhadkeptmen，andwouldalwayshavekeptthem，fromenteringintothekingdomofheaven。ButthepositivepartofPaul’sworkiscontainedinhistheoryofthesalvationofmenfromdeaththroughthesecondAdam，whomJehovahrescuedfromSheolforhissinlessness。TheresurrectionofJesuswasthevisibletokenoftheescapefromdeathwhichmightbeachievedbyallmenwho，withGod’said，shouldsucceedinfreeingthemselvesfromtheburdenofsinwhichhadencumberedallthechildrenofAdam。Theendoftheworldwasathand，andtheywhowouldlivewithChristmustfigurativelydiewithChrist，mustbecomedeadtosin。ThustothepureandspiritualethicscontainedintheteachingsofJesus，Pauladdedanincalculablypowerfulincentivetorightaction，andatheoryoflifecalculatedtosatisfythespeculativenecessitiesofthepaganorGentileworld。TotheeducatedandscepticalAthenian，astothecriticalscholarofmoderntimes，thephysicalresurrectionofJesusfromthegrave，andhisascentthroughthevaultedfloorofheaven，mightseemfoolishnessornaivete。ButtotheaverageGreekorRomantheconceptionpresentednoseriousdifficulty。ThecosmicaltheoriesuponwhichtheconceptionwasfoundedwereessentiallythesameamongJewsandGentiles，andindeedwerebutlittlemodifieduntiltheestablishmentoftheCopernicanastronomy。ThedoctrineoftheMessiah’ssecondcomingwasalsoreceivedwithoutopposition，andforaboutacenturymenlivedincontinualanticipationofthatevent，untilhopelongdeferredproduceditsusualresults；thewritingsinwhichthateventwaspredictedweregraduallyexplainedaway，ignored，orstigmatizedasuncanonical；andtheChurchendedbycondemningasaheresytheverydoctrinewhichPaulandtheJudaizingapostles，whoagreedinlittleelse，hadalikemadethebasisoftheirspeculativeteachings。Nevertheless，bythedintofallegoricalinterpretation，thebeliefhasmaintainedanobscureexistenceevendowntothepresenttime；theAntiochusoftheBookofDanielandtheNerooftheApocalypsehavinggivenplacetotheRomanPontiffortotheEmperoroftheFrench。 ButasthemillenarismoftheprimitiveChurchgraduallydiedoutduringthesecondcentury，theessentialprinciplesinvolvedinitlostnoneoftheirholdonmen’sminds。AsthegenerationcontemporarywithPauldiedawayandwasgatheredintoSheol，itbecameapparentthattheoriginaltheorymustbesomewhatmodified，andtothisquestiontheauthorofthesecondepistletotheThessaloniansaddresseshimself。Insteadofliteralpreservationfromdeath，thedoctrineofaresurrectionfromthegravewasgraduallyextendedtothecaseofthenewbelievers，whoweretoshareinthesamegloriousrevivalwiththerighteousofancienttimes。Andthusbyslowdegreesthevictoryoverdeath，ofwhichtheresurrectionofJesuswasasymbolandawitness，becamemetamorphosedintothecomparativelymoderndoctrineoftherestofthesaintsinheaven，whilethebanishmentoftheunrighteoustoSheolwasmadestillmoredreadfulbycouplingwiththevagueconceptionofagloomysubterraneancavernthehorribleimageryofthelakeoffireandbrimstoneborrowedfromtheapocalypticdescriptionsofGehenna。 Butinthismodificationoftheoriginaltheory，thefundamentalideaofafuturestateofretributionwasonlythemoredistinctlyemphasized；although，incourseoftime，theoriginalincentivetorighteousnesssuppliedbyPaulwasmoreandmoresubordinatedtothecomparativelydegradingincentiveinvolvedinthefearofdamnation。TherecanhardlybeadoubtthatthedefinitenessandvividnessofthePaulinetheoryofafuturelifecontributedverylargelytotherapidspreadoftheChristianreligion；norcanitbedoubtedthattothedesiretobeholylikeJesus，inordertoescapedeathandlivewithJesus，isduetheelevatingethicalinfluencewhich，evenintheworsttimesofecclesiasticdegeneracy，Christianityhasneverfailedtoexert。 Doubtless，asLessinglong，agoobserved，thenotionoffuturerewardandpunishmentneedstobeeliminatedinorderthattheincentivetoholinessmaybeaperfectlypureone。Thehighestvirtueisthatwhichtakesnothoughtofrewardorpunishment； butforaconceptionofthissortthemindofantiquitywasnotready，noristheaveragemindofto-dayyetready；andthesuddenorprematuredissolutionoftheChristiantheory——whichisfortunatelyimpossible——mightperhapsentailamoralretrogradation。 TheaboveisbynomeansintendedasacompleteoutlineofthereligiousphilosophyofPaul。WehaveaimedonlyatacleardefinitionofthecharacterandscopeofthedoctrineoftheresurrectionofJesus，atthetimewhenitwasfirstelaborated。 WehavenowtonoticetheinfluenceofthatdoctrineuponthedevelopmentofChristologicspeculation。 InneitherorthefourgenuineepistlesofPaulisJesusdescribedassuperhuman，orasdifferinginnaturefromothermen，saveinhisfreedomfromsin。AsBaurhasshown，“thepropernatureofthePaulineChristishuman。Heisaman，butaspiritualman，oneinwhomspiritorpneumawastheessentialprinciple，sothathewasspiritaswellasman。TheprincipleofanidealhumanityexistedbeforeChristinthebrightformofatypicalman，butwasmanifestedtomankindinthepersonofChrist。“Such，accordingtoBaur，isPaul’sinterpretationoftheMessianicidea。Paulknowsnothingofthemiracles，ofthesupernaturalconception，oftheincarnation，oroftheLogos。TheChristwhomhepreachesisthemanJesus，thefounderofanewandspiritualorderofhumanity，asAdamwasthefatherofhumanityaftertheflesh。TheresurrectionisuniformlydescribedbyhimasamanifestationofthepowerofJehovah，notofJesushimself。ThelaterconceptionofChristburstingthebarredgatesofSheol，andarisingbyhisownmighttoheaven，findsnowarrantintheexpressionsofPaul。Indeed，itwasessentialtoPaul’stheoryoftheMessiahasanewAdam，thatheshouldbehumanandnotdivine；fortheescapeofadivinebeingfromSheolcouldaffordnoprecedentandfurnishnoassuranceofthefutureescapeofhumanbeings。ItwasexpresslybecausethemanJesushadbeenrescuedfromthegravebecauseofhisspirituality，thatothermenmighthope，bybecomingspirituallikehim，toberescuedalso。AccordinglyPauliscarefultostatethat“sincethroughmancamedeath，throughmancamealsotheresurrectionofthedead“(1Cor。xv。21)；apassagewhichwouldlooklikeanexpressdenialofChrist’ssuperhumancharacter，wereitprobablethatanyofPaul’scontemporarieshadeverconceivedofJesusasotherthanessentiallyhuman。 ButthoughPaul’sChristologyremainedinthisprimitivestage，itcontainedthegermsofamoreadvancedtheory。ForevenPaulconceivedofJesusasamanwhollyexceptionalinspiritualcharacter；or，inthephraseologyofthetime，asconsistingtoalargerextentofpneumathananymanwhohadlivedbeforehim。 Thequestionwassuretoarise，Whencecamethispneumaorspiritualquality？WhetherthequestioneverdistinctlypresenteditselftoPaul’smindcannotbedetermined。Probablyitdidnot。 Inthosewritingsofhiswhichhavecomedowntous，heshowshimselfcarelessofmetaphysicalconsiderations。HeismainlyconcernedwithexhibitingtheunsatisfactorycharacterofJewishChristianity，andwithinculcatingaspiritualmorality，towhichthedoctrineofChrist’sresurrectionismadetosupplyasurpassinglypowerfulsanction。Butattemptstosolvetheproblemwerenotlongincoming。Accordingtoaveryearlytradition，ofwhichtheobscuredtracesremaininthesynopticgospels，Jesusreceivedthepneumaatthetimeofhisbaptism，whentheHolySpirit，orvisiblemanifestationoftheessenceofJehovah，descendeduponhimandbecameincarnateinhim。Thistheory，however，wasexposedtotheobjectionthatitimpliedasuddenandentiretransformationofanordinarymanintoapersoninspiredorpossessedbytheDeity。