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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 16

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 XVI—Analogy of Death and Sleep, and Consequent Argument for the Resurrection.

And let no one think it strange

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that

we

call

by

the

name

of

life

a

continuance

of

being

which

is

interrupted

by

death

and

corruption

;

but

let

him

consider

rather

that

this

word

has

not

one

meaning

only

,

nor

is

there

only

one

measure

of

continuance

,

because

the

nature

also

of

the

things

that

continue

is

not

one

.

For

if

each

of

the

things

that

continue

has

its

continuance

according

to

its

peculiar

nature

,

neither

in

the

case

of

those

who

are

wholly

incorruptible

and

immortal

shall

we

find

the

continuance

like

ours

,

because

the

natures

of

superior

beings

do

not

take

the

level

of

such

as

are

inferior

;

nor

in

men

is

it

proper

to

look

for

a

continuance

invariable

and

unchangeable

;

inasmuch

as

the

former

are

from

the

first

created

immortal

,

and

continue

to

exist

without

end

by

the

simple

will

of

their

Maker

,

and

men

,

in

respect

of

the

soul

,

have

from

their

first

origin

an

unchangeable

continuance

,

but

in

respect

of

the

body

obtain

immortality

by

means

of

change

.

This

is

what

is

meant

by

the

doctrine

of

the

resurrection

;

and

,

looking

to

this

,

we

both

await

the

dissolution

of

the

body

,

as

the

sequel

to

a

life

of

want

and

corruption

,

and

after

this

we

hope

for

a

continuance

with

immortality

,

not

putting

either

our

death

on

a

level

with

the

death

of

the

irrational

animals

,

or

the

continuance

of

man

with

the

continuance

of

immortals

,

lest

we

should

unawares

in

this

way

put

human

nature

and

life

on

a

level

with

things

with

which

it

is

not

proper

to

compare

them

.

It

ought

not

,

therefore

,

to

excite

dissatisfaction

,

if

some

inequality

appears

to

exist

in

regard

to

the

duration

of

men

;

nor

,

because

the

separation

of

the

soul

from

the

members

of

the

body

and

the

dissolution

of

its

parts

interrupts

the

continuity

of

life

,

must

we

therefore

despair

of

the

resurrection

.

For

although

the

relaxation

of

the

senses

and

of

the

physical

powers

,

which

naturally

takes

place

in

sleep

,

seems

to

interrupt

the

sensational

life

when

men

sleep

at

equal

intervals

of

time

,

and

,

as

it

were

,

come

back

to

life

again

,

yet

we

do

not

refuse

to

call

it

life

;

and

for

this

reason

,

I

suppose

,

some

call

sleep

the

brother

of

death

,

not

as

deriving

their

origin

from

the

same

ancestors

and

fathers

,

but

because

those

who

are

dead

and

those

who

sleep

are

subject

to

similar

states

,

as

regards

at

least

the

stillness

and

the

absence

of

all

sense

of

the

present

or

the

past

,

or

rather

of

existence

itself

and

their

own

life

.

If

,

therefore

,

we

do

not

refuse

to

call

by

the

name

of

life

the

life

of

men

full

of

such

inequality

from

birth

to

dissolution

,

and

interrupted

by

all

those

things

which

we

have

before

mentioned

,

neither

ought

we

to

despair

of

the

life

succeeding

to

dissolution

,

such

as

involves

the

resurrection

,

although

for

a

time

it

is

interrupted

by

the

separation

of

the

soul

from

the

body

.

Notes

9
[Job xix. 25. On which see St. Jerome, Ad Paulinum, cap. 10, tom. iv. 569, ed. Bened. And, on the text itself, see Pusey on Daniel, p. 504, London, 1864. A fine passage in Calvin, ad locum: “En igitur qualis debate esse nostra Fides,” etc. Opp., tom. ii. p. 260, ed. Amsterdam, 1676.]
10
[Homer, Iliad, b. xiv. 231, and Virgil, Æn., vi. 278.]