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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 15

About this work

A philosophical defense of bodily resurrection arguing from God’s power and purpose, the unity of human body and soul, moral judgment, and the intended end of human creation.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: Late 2nd century
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Theological Treatise

Its relationship to Athenagoras and to the Plea is traditional but has received scholarly discussion.

Chapter XV.—Argument for the Resurrection from the Nature of Man.

But while the cause discoverable in the

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

creation

of

men

is

of

itself

sufficient

to

prove

that

the

resurrection

follows

by

natural

sequence

on

the

dissolution

of

bodies

,

yet

it

is

perhaps

right

not

to

shrink

from

adducing

either

of

the

proposed

arguments

,

but

,

agreeably

to

what

has

been

said

,

to

point

out

to

those

who

are

not

able

of

themselves

to

discern

them

,

the

arguments

from

each

of

the

truths

evolved

from

the

primary

;

and

first

and

foremost

,

the

nature

of

the

men

created

,

which

conducts

us

to

the

same

notion

,

and

has

the

same

force

as

evidence

of

the

resurrection

.

For

if

the

whole

nature

of

men

in

general

is

composed

of

an

immortal

soul

and

a

body

which

was

fitted

to

it

in

the

creation

,

and

if

neither

to

the

nature

of

the

soul

by

itself

,

nor

to

the

nature

of

the

body

separately

,

has

God

assigned

such

a

creation

or

such

a

life

and

entire

course

of

existence

as

this

,

but

to

men

compounded

of

the

two

,

in

order

that

they

may

,

when

they

have

passed

through

their

present

existence

,

arrive

at

one

common

end

,

with

the

same

elements

of

which

they

are

composed

at

their

birth

and

during

life

,

it

unavoidably

follows

,

since

one

living

-

being

is

formed

from

the

two

,

experiencing

whatever

the

soul

experiences

and

whatever

the

body

experiences

,

doing

and

performing

whatever

requires

the

judgment

of

the

senses

or

of

the

reason

,

that

the

whole

series

of

these

things

must

be

referred

to

some

one

end

,

in

order

that

they

all

,

and

by

means

of

all

,

—

namely

,

man’s

creation

,

man’s

nature

,

man’s

life

,

man’s

doings

and

sufferings

,

his

course

of

existence

,

and

the

end

suitable

to

his

nature

,

—

may

concur

in

one

harmony

and

the

same

common

experience

.

But

if

there

is

some

one

harmony

and

community

of

experience

belonging

to

the

whole

being

,

whether

of

the

things

which

spring

from

the

soul

or

of

those

which

are

accomplished

by

means

of

the

body

,

the

end

for

all

these

must

also

be

one

.

And

the

end

will

be

in

strictness

one

,

if

the

being

whose

end

that

end

is

remains

the

same

in

its

constitution

;

and

the

being

will

be

exactly

the

same

,

if

all

those

things

of

which

the

being

consists

as

parts

are

the

same

.

And

they

will

be

the

same

in

respect

of

their

peculiar

union

,

if

the

parts

dissolved

are

again

united

for

the

constitution

of

the

being

.

And

the

constitution

of

the

same

men

of

necessity

proves

that

a

resurrection

will

follow

of

the

dead

and

dissolved

bodies

;

for

without

this

,

neither

could

the

same

parts

be

united

according

to

nature

with

one

another

,

nor

could

the

nature

of

the

same

men

be

reconstituted

.

And

if

both

understanding

and

reason

have

been

given

to

men

for

the

discernment

of

things

which

are

perceived

by

the

understanding

,

and

not

of

existences

only

,

but

also

of

the

goodness

and

wisdom

and

rectitude

of

their

Giver

,

it

necessarily

follows

that

,

since

those

things

continue

for

the

sake

of

which

the

rational

judgment

is

given

,

the

judgment

given

for

these

things

should

also

continue

.

But

it

is

impossible

for

this

to

continue

,

unless

the

nature

which

has

received

it

,

and

in

which

it

adheres

,

continues

.

But

that

which

has

received

both

understanding

and

reason

is

man

,

not

the

soul

by

itself

.

Man

,

therefore

,

who

consists

of

the

two

parts

,

must

continue

for

ever

.

But

it

is

impossible

for

him

to

continue

unless

he

rise

again

.

For

if

no

resurrection

were

to

take

place

,

the

nature

of

men

as

men

would

not

continue

.

And

if

the

nature

of

men

does

not

continue

,

in

vain

has

the

soul

been

fitted

to

the

need

of

the

body

and

to

its

experiences

;

in

vain

has

the

body

been

fettered

so

that

it

cannot

obtain

what

it

longs

for

,

obedient

to

the

reins

of

the

soul

,

and

guided

by

it

as

with

a

bridle

;

in

vain

is

the

understanding

,

in

vain

is

wisdom

,

and

the

observance

of

rectitude

,

or

even

the

practice

of

every

virtue

,

and

the

enactment

and

enforcement

of

laws

,

—

to

say

all

in

a

word

,

whatever

is

noble

in

men

or

for

men’s

sake

,

or

rather

the

very

creation

and

nature

of

men

.

But

if

vanity

is

utterly

excluded

from

all

the

works

of

God

,

and

from

all

the

gifts

bestowed

by

Him

,

the

conclusion

is

unavoidable

,

that

,

along

with

the

interminable

duration

of

the

soul

,

there

will

be

a

perpetual

continuance

of

the

body

according

to

its

proper

nature

.