Thru the Bible - Questions & Answers

Guest (Male): Many people are looking to find a good church today, but just don't know what to look for. Well, stay with us and discover the characteristics of a good church according to God's word.

You're listening to the Question and Answer program with our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee. This is a ministry of the Through the Bible Radio Network. Our first question today comes to us from many listeners who have all basically had the same thought, and it goes something like this: In Matthew chapter 27, it speaks about the saints who are raised from the dead. Could you explain how this happened? And could you also explain what happened to these saints?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: And I should read the passage of scripture that deals with this. I read in verse 51 of Matthew 27, and probably we ought to read three verses there. It says, "And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many."

Now you can understand that that presents a real problem. I think that we need to notice the facts that are stated here: that when the Lord Jesus on the cross cried with a loud voice and yielded up the ghost, that is at the time of his death, there was an earthquake. And two things took place, but they're not related, that is, the earthquake did not cause both of them. The rocks were rent, we're told. That was due to the earthquake, and the graves were opened.

Now those are two definite statements of historical fact. They're historical statements. Rocks were rent and the graves were opened. Now these two statements are connected, of course. There is a connection. But we need to distinguish between the two. The rocks were rent; that is an evidence of force. And some of the graves were opened; that is an evidence of design. And that is something that I think is very important for us to know.

Now the very interesting thing is that you can move another step. Whose graves were opened? It says the graves of the saints, that is, God's children. It says their graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And I assume from that that not all the saints arose, just many did, which in itself suggests that this is a token. This is going to be a symbol. It's symbolic, that it teaches us something.

And now you note something else that we need to keep in order here: that the graves were opened at the instant of Christ's death, yet the bodies of them did not arise until after his own resurrection. This, may I say to you, is a miracle. Now these miracles that we're going to see, actually the opening of the graves and the coming out of some of the bodies. Now the facts that the graves were opened at the instance of Christ's death but that the resurrections did not take place until the third morning, that shows that the open graves were meant for an exhibition.

In other words, for three days, here were these graves open. And the very interesting thing is that this graveyard was right near the crucifixion of Christ. And if Gordon was right that the place of a skull, Golgotha, is the one that we always visit when we go there—and I'm convinced that that is the accurate place—we know there was a cemetery there because the grave burial places are still there. And evidently, one of those was probably the place that the Lord Jesus was buried.

Now these graves were opened. They were open for exhibition. They're right near the place of crucifixion, and that took place on Friday evening, and the Sabbath was the next day, and nobody would be permitted to fill in the graves. They were there. Now what kind of resurrection were they? Well, I think that they are just exhibits that speak of the better resurrection. I do not think that they received at that time a body that was a glorified body at all. I think that they were just restored to life, just as Lazarus was restored to life.

The spiritual body has certain spiritual qualities. For instance, Jesus, you remember when he was risen from the dead, he entered a room without opening the door. And he came out of that grave, by the way, long before the stone was rolled away. And so the open graves here and the coming out of the saints were tied together. The graves had to be open for them to come out, which means it was restoration to life, which was not the same as Christ's resurrection at all.

And I think that the very interesting point to make here, and we're taking this step by step, is that they were revived, not risen. They were not risen. And somebody says, "Do you know that?" Well, you remember the Lord Jesus said at the time of the resurrection of Lazarus, he says, "I am the resurrection and the life." And he revived the body of Lazarus, I think as an illustration of the truth of what he said. Yet it was a true realization of the saying, yet it was not really the fulfillment of it.

Now we have here just certain ones. Not all the saints were raised. Some of them were there. I've got a letter here, and it's going to be a question coming up later on. A man is finding fault with the rapture of the church taking place before the great tribulation period. And he makes the point that the first resurrection includes two or three resurrections, and that would mean some of the saints raised and some of them are not raised. The Old Testament saints wouldn't be raised at the same time the church was, and that's accurate. That's the way it is. And you want the illustration right here: some of the saints. Why didn't he raise them all? He just raised some.

This is an illustration. There ought to be a lesson in here that we're going to get. And I wish that some of my post-tribulation friends would consider this lesson here. It's just one of the many that is in scripture. So we have here the wonderful picture of the fact that now they are raised, although in the same body, and it takes place now after the death of Christ because he's been offered as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He shed his blood. And now it's a picture of the fact that because of that, there is going to be a resurrection of the dead. And how wonderful this picture is.

Now I've tried to consider these things in order, but I want to move on now to the other part of this, which actually I think is the greatest one of all. In fact, to me, this probably is the greatest miracle of all. Now we have seen that there was an earthquake. The rocks were rent. That's force. That's nature. But now certain graves were opened, and that is by design. That's supernatural now. Listen to this again now: "And many bodies of the saints which slept arose, came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many."

Now certain graves were opened by the earthquake. Keep our facts straight here. And may I say this too: that when we come up against a passage like this, if you're going to accept the Bible as the Word of God, then you'll have to accept this as the Word of God. And it's part of the record, and this is not one of the passages of scripture where you can say, "Well, this is not in the better manuscripts." I've been criticized for saying that. Well, I can't say it here. All schools of thought agree this is part of the historical record. This hasn't been challenged yet, but looks to me like they're going to have to do it because they've got a problem here. This is a real miracle, my friend.

Some of the saints came out after his resurrection. This is not an obscure statement that's made here. It's as clear as the noonday sun. And if you're going to accept the Bible as the Word of God, this is a great miracle. I think it's one of the greatest that is in the scripture. And you just can't come along today and say, "Well, this has no right to be here because it's so fantastic." Well, my friend, that's your problem, not my problem. It's, I believe, a marvelous thing.

Now here is to me an evidence of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. You know, the Spirit of God sometimes says certain things, and they're so wonderful you wonder why he doesn't write a book about it. But having said it, that's as far as he goes. And there is a holy reverence here. Having said so much, why didn't he say more? Why didn't he satisfy our curiosity here? He didn't satisfy it at all. And he didn't give anything for the critic to hang on here at all. Here it is. He tells us that on the occasion of the Lord's resurrection, certain of the departed saints arose and left their graves and went into Jerusalem and appeared unto many, and he says nothing more. That's all.

Now our problem is today, and my problem is this: there's a danger of me trying to explain it. And I have no right to go any further than the Word of God goes. Now there are certain things, though, that I want to say about this that might be helpful. Now number one is, and by the way, I am going to offer an explanation of what became of them, but let's hold that for a minute. The text doesn't say that they appeared so much as the original actually means that they were manifestly made known.

Somebody says, "Well look, here comes brother Abraham down the street, and we buried him two weeks ago." It was like that, my friend. That's what the word means here. I've heard the testimony of some of these people today that tell about that they died and their spirit left their body and then came back and all that. And it was a dead giveaway that what they were saying was probably something the medicine that they had taken to restore them back to life had an effect upon them. And actually, they maybe are telling the truth, that is, the experience they went through, but their spirit didn't leave the body.

But the point is, I heard one woman talk forty-five minutes on that. Why didn't she just say the spirit left the body and came back and just leave us with that? She didn't do that. She just had to keep talking. But the very interesting thing about the Word of God is that having stated these cases, that's all that's given to us. Just the statement of fact is here. You either believe it or you don't believe it. Now you must remember that there are six resurrections that are actually restorations to life in the Bible.

Let me mention them briefly. There was the widow's son of Zarephath. And then the Shunammite's son. The first one was done by Elijah, the human instrument. Here it was the bones of Elisha. And then there was the daughter of Jairus in Matthew 9. The son of the widow of Nain in that's Luke 7. And then Lazarus in John 11. Now in all of these, it was only a revival of the natural body, and that body, I'm sure, could have died again. That might have been the experience of these people, that they all lived to die again.

But none of them wrote a book. None of them did that because the Holy Spirit of God was in entire control over this. But I'm going to make another suggestion, and I think we ought to be very careful here, that their resurrection was a restoration to life because in 1 Corinthians we're told very carefully: Christ the firstfruits, and afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. So these here are not the resurrection that is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, where it's sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. That's not what you have here at all.

Now the very interesting thing is that these could not fit in between Christ and the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the believers then in Christ. This couldn't fit in between that at all because Paul's very inclusive. He says, "They that are Christ's at his coming." And so I don't think that you could put these in here. Now there are several other things we could bring in here. And I personally believe that Enoch and Elijah, when they were taken away, translated—Enoch was translated, Elijah left in a chariot—I believe that they are in a body, the kind of body that they had down here because I believe that Enoch and Elijah will probably be the two witnesses that are going to come back someday. That is just my opinion. I wouldn't want to push that at all. I'm almost sure Elijah's one of them, and I'm almost sure about it.

Now the interesting thing here is that all of this is given to us for a very definite purpose. And what is the purpose of it? That God raised these from the dead to prove that the death and resurrection of Christ is going to raise today his own. These were just some of the saints. That's all. Just a little exhibit, just a sample as it were. This was to give a wonderful basis for our faith and for our assurance.

Now let me say in closing what I believe makes this very important: that when Christ ascended back into heaven, I believe that he took these with him. He led captivity captive. And it's my feeling; that's what it is. But now I hasten to say this, and I want to say it again carefully: we are told only so much, and then the Spirit of God draws down the curtain and says, "There's nothing here to satisfy your curiosity. There's nothing here for you to dwell on. You either accept it, you take it, or you leave it." And I like the way the Spirit of God does it, my brother. Things that I've said about this may or may not be true, the disposition of these. I've made two suggestions: that they lived out their life again and died as probably Lazarus did, or they were led captivity captive and taken back. That could be. I could be wrong on either one of them. Why? Because the Word of God just doesn't say it. Let's learn to believe the Word of God, and you remember the last book of the Bible says that you are not to take any way away from this book. And man, we're all great at anyone that tries to take away scripture, but how about adding to it? Here is a place where there are a lot of books being written today. I don't think they should be written, by the way.

Guest (Male): Our next question comes to us from a listener in Cedar Falls, Iowa, who writes: Could you please explain the qualities I should consider in my attempt to find a good church?

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Well, first of all, it should be naturally a local church organized according to scripture. And the best place that I know to go is to go to the Word of God and on the day of Pentecost to see how that church was organized. They didn't apparently have a meeting in which they elected officers at that time. They did later on, of course, and these officers apparently were appointed. And I've never been quite sure that our method of electing officers is the proper one, but be that as it may.

Why the mark of a good church? At the very beginning, day of Pentecost, it says they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Now that was the four marks of the early church. And these marks are not academic, and they're not philosophical, and they actually were not really theological. They were the four different things that characterized this group of people that heard Simon Peter on the day of Pentecost, and they were converted. And we're told here that these continued together daily with one accord, and they didn't have a meeting place, and they met in the temple.

Now the thing that characterized them was they continued in the apostles' doctrine. That means that what the apostles were teaching, they concurred and followed that, and they believed that. That was just not a creed that they had for a church that was quoted and meant practically nothing to the members. It wasn't that at all. This thing was a very vital thing, the doctrine of the early church. And a church today, to be a true church, must be a church that has the doctrine. And that is the thing that Paul gives in 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus for a church: it must be a doctrinal church. And that doctrine must be biblical doctrine, that is, the apostles' doctrine, what they taught. And today there are many things called a church, friends, that are not a church for the very simple reason they deny everything that's in the doctrine of the church, what the apostles believed and taught and what's written in the Word of God.

So that that is basic. That is essential. And then they continued in the fellowship. And that fellowship is a little bit different than what we think of it today. It's a sort of a camaraderie term, sort of of "hail fellow well met, pat you on the back, glad to see you." It's a very sophisticated approach. You see a bunch of Christians in church today shaking hands, patting each other on the back, and all that sort of thing. That's really not Christian fellowship. Fellowship is in two areas: there is fellowship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And that means that believers meet together and share the things of Christ together because the Holy Spirit's going to take the things of Christ and show them unto us. And it pleases the Father, you see.

Therefore, when you meet together around the person of Christ, that means you're in agreement. That means that you are enjoying the things of Christ. And then there's fellowship with each other, and that means that you're sharing the same things together, that you're enjoying the same things, that you're rejoicing in the same things. Now that is the fellowship. Then in breaking of bread is the Lord's supper, that which he said, "This do ye until I come." For as often as you do this, you show forth the Lord's death. And that's what the church is all about: it's to show forth the Lord's death until he come, that is, his death, resurrection, and coming again.

And if a church is not revealing those three things in its message, then it's not a church. Maybe it's a man back of a pulpit in a building that's got a steeple on it, and the steeple has a bell on the inside of it that they ring on Sunday. That doesn't make a church by any means, although a lot of them are called churches. But it's one that is setting forth the death of Christ for sinners and the breaking of bread and in prayers. And a church should be a praying church. The early church, when a problem arose, they went to prayer about it. Prayer should be a very vital part of the church.

So the mark of a church, and this is basic, are these four things. Now somebody says that's rather idealistic. It certainly is, especially when you look at the average church today. Therefore, I would say when you go out, what is it that you should look for? The church, is it centered around its midweek meeting, or is it centered around the volleyball court? Is the busiest place in the church the place of worship and teaching, or the place of banquets and the gymnasium? Those are the things that you'll have to decide. That's the way that you'd have to approach it today, is to find out where the emphasis is placed.

Then another thing that I think it be well, then, having inspected the physical plant and the program of the church, would be then to move in and find out really how much of Bible teaching was going on. That's on one side. On the other side, how was it being received? Were the members growing in grace? Was there love one for another? Was there concern? Were they interested in getting the Word of God out? Now those are the things that you should look for today.

And somebody says, "Where will you find a church like that?" Well now, you've asked me a question I can't answer because I don't know all the churches today. I know a few churches that would answer to this, and unfortunately I don't know too many, but I do know some that would measure up to this. And I would say to this young man that he ought to look for a church like this. And there are a lot of these very fine Bible churches today that have a great many young people. I've discovered that when you really give the Word of God, you are sure going to have a nice group of young people. And that's another way, and this young fellow, if he finds that church, he'll find out there are a lot of young people in the church just like he is that really want the Word of God and want Christian fellowship.

Guest (Male): That brings us to the end of another Question and Answer program. For more information on any of our resources concerning these issues and others, simply give us a call or visit our online bookstore. Now be sure to join us this week during the Through the Bible radio program as we continue Dr. McGee's five-year journey through the whole Word of God. To be added to our mailing list for notes and outlines or to ask for a resource catalog, call 1-800-65-BIBLE or write to Questions and Answers. In the US, Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. For those in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. Our web address is TTB.org. There you can also find all sorts of free materials, like downloadable notes and outlines, as well as links to Facebook, Twitter, and our iPhone app. So why don't you join us again next week at this same time. Until then, may God answer all your questions and solve all your problems.

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