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"And have hope toward God . . . . . that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both
of the just and the unjust" (Acts 24: 15).
If one may object to John 5: that there is none that doeth good, one may object to
Acts 24: that there is none righteous, and that there can no more be a resurrection of
the just, than there can be a resurrection of those that have done good. But such
sweeping statements cannot be allowed. There is a scriptural meaning and justification
for all that is stated in John 5: and Acts 24: Does not the same epistle that teaches
"there is none righteous no not one", say "The just by faith shall live"? It does, and so,
though a man can never be accounted "just" through any merit of his own, he can still be
called "the just" even though he be just "by faith". So, also, with regard to "doing good".
Eph. 2: 8-10, not only says that salvation is "not of works"; it, as surely, says that it is
"unto good works". The apostle has hardly written the words "Not by works" in
Titus 3: 5, than he is writing,
"Constantly affirm, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to
maintain good works" (Titus 3: 8).
Into John 5: and Acts 24:, the question as to how those in view become "good" or
"just" does not enter; resurrection there is rather the time of harvest, when men shall be
known by their fruits. If, throughout his life, a man has said that he has "believed", but
throughout that life he has "practiced evil", that man's "faith" is an empty profession, and
in the resurrection he will find himself raised to judgment. While it would not be true to
say that the N.T. draws a distinct line between the usage of poieo, "to do", and prasso,
"to practice", it is nevertheless true that poieo is used in John 5: twelve times of the
Father and the Son, and once of those that "have done good". Prasso is used in John but
twice, both passages referring to "doing evil" (John 3: 20; 5: 29), and prasso differs
from poieo in that, whereas poieo means "to make", "to build", "to do", prasso is used
only of actions, a line of conduct, a practice.
We must defer examination of the references to "judgment" and "damnation" as this
great subject comes not only in verses 24 and 29, but in 22, 27 and 30, where all
judgment is given into the hands of the Son of God as the Son of Man, this we hope to do
in the next article.