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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 17

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 XVII.—The Series of Changes We Can Now Trace in Man Renders a Resurrection Probable.

For this nature of men, which

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has

inequality

allotted

to

it

from

the

first

,

and

according

to

the

purpose

of

its

Maker

,

has

an

unequal

life

and

continuance

,

interrupted

sometimes

by

sleep

,

at

another

time

by

death

,

and

by

the

changes

incident

to

each

period

of

life

,

whilst

those

which

follow

the

first

are

not

clearly

seen

beforehand

.

Would

any

one

have

believed

,

unless

taught

by

experience

,

that

in

the

soft

seed

alike

in

all

its

parts

there

was

deposited

such

a

variety

and

number

of

great

powers

,

or

of

masses

,

which

in

this

way

arise

and

become

consolidated

—

I

mean

of

bones

,

and

nerves

,

and

cartilages

,

of

muscles

too

,

and

flesh

,

and

intestines

,

and

the

other

parts

of

the

body

?

For

neither

in

the

yet

moist

seed

is

anything

of

this

kind

to

be

seen

,

nor

even

in

infants

do

any

of

those

things

make

their

appearance

which

pertain

to

adults

,

or

in

the

adult

period

what

belongs

to

those

who

are

past

their

prime

,

or

in

these

what

belongs

to

such

as

have

grown

old

.

But

although

some

of

the

things

I

have

said

exhibit

not

at

all

,

and

others

but

faintly

,

the

natural

sequence

and

the

changes

that

come

upon

the

nature

of

men

,

yet

all

who

are

not

blinded

in

their

judgment

of

these

matters

by

vice

or

sloth

,

know

that

there

must

be

first

the

depositing

of

the

seed

,

and

that

when

this

is

completely

organized

in

respect

of

every

member

and

part

and

the

progeny

comes

forth

to

the

light

,

there

comes

the

growth

belonging

to

the

first

period

of

life

,

and

the

maturity

which

attends

growth

,

and

after

the

maturity

the

slackening

of

the

physical

powers

till

old

age

,

and

then

,

when

the

body

is

worn

out

,

its

dissolution

.

As

,

therefore

,

in

this

matter

,

though

neither

the

seed

has

inscribed

upon

it

the

life

or

form

of

men

,

nor

the

life

the

dissolution

into

the

primary

elements

;

the

succession

of

natural

occurrences

makes

things

credible

which

have

no

credibility

from

the

phenomena

themselves

,

much

more

does

reason

,

tracing

out

the

truth

from

the

natural

sequence

,

afford

ground

for

believing

in

the

resurrection

,

since

it

is

safer

and

stronger

than

experience

for

establishing

the

truth

.