1461 Praise ye Jah! Praise, O my soul, Jehovah. 2 I praise Jehovah during my life, I sing praise to my God while I exist. 3 Trust not in princes—in a son of man, For he hath no deliverance. 4 His spirit goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, In that day have his thoughts perished.
5 O the happiness of him Who hath the God of Jacob for his help, His hope 'is' on Jehovah his God, 6 Making the heavens and earth, The sea and all that 'is' in them, Who is keeping truth to the age, 7 Doing judgment for the oppressed, Giving bread to the hungry. 8 Jehovah is loosing the prisoners, Jehovah is opening (the eyes of) the blind, Jehovah is raising the bowed down, Jehovah is loving the righteous, 9 Jehovah is preserving the strangers, The fatherless and widow He causeth to stand, And the way of the wicked He turneth upside down. 10 Jehovah doth reign to the age, Thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation, Praise ye Jah!
1471 Praise ye Jah! For 'it is' good to praise our God, For pleasant—comely 'is' praise. 2 Building Jerusalem 'is' Jehovah, The driven away of Israel He gathereth. 3 Who is giving healing to the broken of heart, And is binding up their griefs. 4 Appointing the number of the stars, To all them He giveth names. 5 Great 'is' our Lord, and abundant in power, Of His understanding there is no narration. 6 Jehovah is causing the meek to stand, Making low the wicked unto the earth. 7 Answer ye to Jehovah with thanksgiving, Sing ye to our God with a harp. 8 Who is covering the heavens with clouds, Who is preparing for the earth rain, Who is causing grass to spring up 'on' mountains, 9 Giving to the beast its food, To the young of the ravens that call. 10 Not in the might of the horse doth He delight, Not in the legs of a man is He pleased. 11 Jehovah is pleased with those fearing Him, With those waiting for His kindness.
12 Glorify, O Jerusalem, Jehovah, Praise thy God, O Zion. 13 For He did strengthen the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons in thy midst. 14 Who is making thy border peace, 'With' the fat of wheat He satisfieth Thee. 15 Who is sending forth His saying 'on' earth, Very speedily doth His word run. 16 Who is giving snow like wool, Hoar-frost as ashes He scattereth. 17 Casting forth His ice like morsels, Before His cold who doth stand? 18 He sendeth forth His word and melteth them, He causeth His wind to blow—the waters flow. 19 Declaring His words to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He hath not done so to any nation, As to judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye Jah!
151 And I make known to you, brethren, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which also ye did receive, in which also ye have stood, 2 through which also ye are being saved, in what words I proclaimed good news to you, if ye hold fast, except ye did believe in vain, 3 for I delivered to you first, what also I did receive, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Writings, 4 and that he was buried, and that he hath risen on the third day, according to the Writings, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, 6 afterwards he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain till now, and certain also did fall asleep; 7 afterwards he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 And last of all—as to the untimely birth—he appeared also to me, 9 for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I did persecute the assembly of God, 10 and by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that 'is' towards me came not in vain, but more abundantly than they all did I labour, yet not I, but the grace of God that 'is' with me; 11 whether, then, I or they, so we preach, and so ye did believe.
12 And if Christ is preached, that out of the dead he hath risen, how say certain among you, that there is no rising again of dead persons? 13 and if there be no rising again of dead persons, neither hath Christ risen; 14 and if Christ hath not risen, then void 'is' our preaching, and void also your faith, 15 and we also are found false witnesses of God, because we did testify of God that He raised up the Christ, whom He did not raise if then dead persons do not rise; 16 for if dead persons do not rise, neither hath Christ risen, 17 and if Christ hath not risen, vain is your faith, ye are yet in your sins; 18 then, also, those having fallen asleep in Christ did perish; 19 if in this life we have hope in Christ only, of all men we are most to be pitied.
20 And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead—the first-fruits of those sleeping he became, 21 for since through man 'is' the death, also through man 'is' a rising again of the dead, 22 for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, 23 and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence, 24 then—the end, when he may deliver up the reign to God, even the Father, when he may have made useless all rule, and all authority and power— 25 for it behoveth him to reign till he may have put all the enemies under his feet— 26 the last enemy is done away—death; 27 for all things He did put under his feet, and, when one may say that all things have been subjected, 'it is' evident that He is excepted who did subject the all things to him, 28 and when the all things may be subjected to him, then the Son also himself shall be subject to Him, who did subject to him the all things, that God may be the all in all.
(Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
The word resurrection, usually points out our existence beyond the grave. Of the apostle's doctrine not a trace can be found in all the teaching of philosophers. The doctrine of Christ's death and resurrection, is the foundation of Christianity. Remove this, and all our hopes for eternity sink at once. And it is by holding this truth firm, that Christians stand in the day of trial, and are kept faithful to God. We believe in vain, unless we keep in the faith of the gospel. This truth is confirmed by Old Testament prophecies; and many saw Christ after he was risen. This apostle was highly favoured, but he always had a low opinion of himself, and expressed it. When sinners are, by Divine grace, turned into saints, God causes the remembrance of former sins to make them humble, diligent, and faithful. He ascribes to Divine grace all that was valuable in him. True believers, though not ignorant of what the Lord has done for, in, and by them, yet when they look at their whole conduct and their obligations, they are led to feel that none are so worthless as they are. All true Christians believe that Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and then risen from the dead, is the sun and substance of Christianity. All the apostles agreed in this testimony; by this faith they lived, and in this faith they died.
(Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
Having shown that Christ was risen, the apostle answers those who said there would be no resurrection. There had been no justification, or salvation, if Christ had not risen. And must not faith in Christ be vain, and of no use, if he is still among the dead? The proof of the resurrection of the body is the resurrection of our Lord. Even those who died in the faith, had perished in their sins, if Christ had not risen. All who believe in Christ, have hope in him, as a Redeemer; hope for redemption and salvation by him; but if there is no resurrection, or future recompence, their hope in him can only be as to this life. And they must be in a worse condition than the rest of mankind, especially at the time, and under the circumstances, in which the apostles wrote; for then Christians were hated and persecuted by all men. But it is not so; they, of all men, enjoy solid comforts amidst all their difficulties and trials, even in the times of the sharpest persecution.
(Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-34)
All that are by faith united to Christ, are by his resurrection assured of their own. As through the sin of the first Adam, all men became mortal, because all had from him the same sinful nature, so, through the resurrection of Christ, shall all who are made to partake of the Spirit, and the spiritual nature, revive, and live for ever. There will be an order in the resurrection. Christ himself has been the first-fruits; at his coming, his redeemed people will be raised before others; at the last the wicked will rise also. Then will be the end of this present state of things. Would we triumph in that solemn and important season, we must now submit to his rule, accept his salvation, and live to his glory. Then shall we rejoice in the completion of his undertaking, that God may receive the whole glory of our salvation, that we may for ever serve him, and enjoy his favour. What shall those do, who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Perhaps baptism is used here in a figure, for afflictions, sufferings, and martyrdom, as Matthew 20:22,23. What is, or will become of those who have suffered many and great injuries, and have even lost their lives, for this doctrine of the resurrection, if the dead rise not at all? Whatever the meaning may be, doubtless the apostle's argument was understood by the Corinthians. And it is as plain to us that Christianity would be a foolish profession, if it proposed advantage to themselves by their faithfulness to God; and to have our fruit to holiness, that our end may be everlasting life. But we must not live like beasts, as we do not die like them. It must be ignorance of God that leads any to disbelieve the resurrection and future life. Those who own a God and a providence, and observe how unequal things are in the present life, how frequently the best men fare worst, cannot doubt as to an after-state, where every thing will be set to rights. Let us not be joined with ungodly men; but warn all around us, especially children and young persons, to shun them as a pestilence. Let us awake to righteousness, and not sin.
