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A consideration of all these passages will surely show that not once does the writer
use "life" as pertaining to this present life. The expression "eternal life" needs care, as
sometimes it is used as a free gift, and in other cases as a reward, as in the Gospel of
Matthew. But this is not our subject at the moment, nor whether we should render
aionios everlasting or age-abiding. The life that John speaks of is resident only in Christ
(John 14: 6; I John 5: 11), and is experienced only by the regenerate. This is the life
that the unsaved will not see or enjoy. But this does not prove that there cannot be a
resurrection to a different kind of life, or a restoration to natural life. Lazarus was both
dead and buried, yet, at the command of the One Who said "I am the Resurrection and
the Life", he came forth alive from the grave. But with what kind of life? Did he put on
corruption and immortality? If so, he ought to be with us today? In Matt. 27: 52, 53
we read:
"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."
Here is a similar resurrection to that of Lazarus, and on this occasion it touched many.
In Heb. 11: 35 the writer states:
"Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not
accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection."
This verse sets two resurrections side by side, a resurrection to what we may call
natural life, that is, the present one, and in this case it cannot be limited to the saved as
previously. The other resurrection is "better", that is, contrasted with the previous natural
life, in that it gives incorruption and immortality and leads to a prize or crown. To get the
truth on this subject balanced and complete, we must completely keep these two kinds of
resurrection in mind.
Charles H. Welch, who was one of the profoundest students of Scripture of this
century, after careful examination, rejected the doctrine of the non-resurrection of the
unsaved. Not that he claimed infallibility, but at least, if we want truth, we should give
attention to and test what he has written. Those who have The Alphabetical Analysis
Part 7 should carefully read pages 203-210. For those who do not have this we will
summarize. John 5: 27-29 reads:
". . . . . the Father . . . . . hath given the Son to have life in Himself and hath given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this;
for the hour is coming, in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES shall hear His
voice, And shall come forth; they that have done (practiced) evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation."
Before we go any further, we must stress one golden rule of interpretation and that is,
a text can only be understood in the light of its context. This rule never varies, and if
broken, will only lead to error and disaster. It has been suggested that those who are
raised to the resurrection of condemnation or judgment are saved people who are carnal,
such as some of the Corinthians were (I Cor. 3: 1, 3). But we search in vain for any such