Resurrection And Witness

Invenimur autem et falsi testes Dei, quia testimonium diximus adversus Deum, quod suscitaverit Christum, quem non suscitavit. Qui asserit quod Christum Deus a mortuis suscitavit, falsus est testis, si non est factum; virtutem tamen Dei praedicat, non utique ut inimicus, qui tam admirabile factum virtuti ejus ascribit. Quod si verum est, quia excitavit Christum a mortuis, quid huic dicendum est, qui et testis contra Deum falsus est, et opus ejus stultitiam asserit? Nam si mortui non resurgunt, neque Christus resurrexit. Quod si Christus non resurrexit, vana est fides vestra; adhuc enim estis in peccatis vestris. Ergo et qui dormierunt in Christo, perierunt. Terret illos, ut quia nemo sibi male vult, doleat illis hoc coepisse credere, quod contra ipsos est. Quis enim peccata sibi remissa nolit audire? Ergo et qui dormierunt in Christo, perierunt. Addit ad terrorem, quia charorum suorum excessum nolunt aestimare perditionem. Qui enim sub hac spe de saeculo exierunt, sive occidi non timuerunt; quia resurgere exemploe Christi credidrunt, et non est verum, perierunt. Hoc illis dicit, quod amore suorum defunctorum nolunt audire; ut illis amputet, quod prius per errorem volebant audire. Si in hac vita tantum in Christo sperantes sumus, miserabiliores sumus omnibus hominibus. Manifestum est quia et in hac praesenti vita et in futura speramus in Christo; nec enim hic deserit servos suos Christus, sed dat illis gratiam, et in futuro erunt in gloria aeterna. Si autem futurae vitae spes non esset, omnibus hominibus, quod dixit, miserabiliores essemus. Ut quid enim jejunia, vigiliae, exitus, munda vita, justitia, misericordia, mores; si pro his nulla merces erit in futuro? Increduli autem vel hac vita fruuntur. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Corinthios Primam, Caput XV Source: Migne PL 17.263a-c

But we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God, that He rose Christ, whom He did not raise.1 He who asserts that God rose Christ from the dead is a false witness if it were not done. However he preaches the power of God, not as an enemy, who ascribes it to the wonderful act of His power. Which if it is true, that He raised Christ from the dead, what must be said to the one who is a false witness against God, and who asserts his work to be nonsense? For if the dead do not rise, nor did Christ. If Christ did not rise, then your faith is vain, and you are still in your sin. He terrifies them because no one wishes evil for himself, and he grieves them because they have begun to think this which is opposed to them. Who does not wish to hear his sins are forgiven? And therefore they who sleep in Christ have perished. He adds to terror, because they do not wish to think that their dear ones have perished. For they who have passed from this world in this hope, did not fear to be killed, since they believed in the example of the resurrected Christ, which if it is not true, then they have perished. He says this to them, which they do not wish to hear, because of their love of their deceased. If in this life alone we have hope in Christ, we are the most wretched among all men. It is manifest that both in this present life and in the future we hope in Christ, for Christ does not abandon His servants, but He gives grace to them, and in the future eternal glory. But if there is no hope of future life, then among all men, he says, we would be the most wretched. For what then are fasts, vigils, exile, a pure life, righteousness, mercy, and death, if for all these there is no reward in the future? Those who do not believe exult in this life. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The First Letter of Saint Paul To The Corinthians, Chapter 15 1 1 Cor 15.14