examining 2 Timothy 2:18.  There, in contrast with exercising the principle

of `Right Division', these erring teachers were becoming entangled with

`profane and vain babblings'.  It does not say that these men denied, either

the resurrection of Christ, or the resurrection of the believer; they taught

that `the resurrection is past already'.  Now, if this be affirmed of the

Lord Jesus Christ it is but stating a blessed fact.

`Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them

that slept' (1 Cor. 15:20).

The evil doctrine therefore, condemned as a `gangrene' by the apostle,

can refer only to the believer.  The erroneous teaching was that the

resurrection of the believer was past already.  If this were confined to the

spiritual entry by faith into the glorious relationship which every member of

the Church has with its risen Head, it would be stating truth.  When Christ

was raised from the dead, the members of His Body were potentially raised

`And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly

places in Christ Jesus' (Eph. 2:6).

It would be no gangrenous doctrine that insisted upon the glorious

teaching of Ephesians 2:6.  There is therefore but one aspect of the subject

left, and that is the personal, individual resurrection of the believer

himself, not `by faith', not spiritually and potentially `in Christ Jesus',

but literally.  The apostle had expressed his desire `to depart' and to be

with Christ (Phil. 1:23), he had revealed how intense was his desire to

attain unto `the out-resurrection out from the dead' (Phil. 3:11).  This had

been taken up in a wrong sense by some, whose minds had already become

disposed to such an idea; by the incipient gnostic teaching already afoot;

and they taught that for the believer `the resurrection had taken place

already'.  Now Philippians 3:20,21 is sufficient to correct this false

teaching.  The same chapter that speaks of the `out-resurrection' and the

same epistle that tells us of Paul's desire to depart and to be with Christ,

`Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the

Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change this body of our

humiliation that it may be fashioned like unto the body of His glory'

(Phil. 3:20,21).

There is no possible room here for a resurrection that has taken place

already.  `This body' cannot be spiritualized away, and while Philippians

3:21 stands written, any doctrine that approximates to `sudden death, sudden

glory' for any child of God -- even for one who had `attained' to the heights

of Philippians 3:10,11, is precluded.  Our life is hid with Christ in God.

Not until Christ Who is `our life' is manifested, can that life become active

in His redeemed people.  There are quite a number of the Lord's people who

believe the truth of the Mystery and who have been led to rejoice in its

distinctive calling, who have nevertheless embraced the doctrine that at

death the believer passes straight into the presence of the Lord.  For them

the resurrection is past already, for they teach that the fact that Christ

their Head having been raised from the dead, covers literally every member of

His Body, so that they need not await the literal resurrection of the dead as

others do.