Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 18

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 XVIII.—Judgment Must Have Reference Both to Soul and Body: There Will Therefore Be a Resurrection.

The arguments I just now proposed for

‹ Chapter 17 Chapter 19 ›

examination

,

as

establishing

the

truth

of

the

resurrection

,

are

all

of

the

same

kind

,

since

they

all

start

from

the

same

point

;

for

their

starting

-

point

is

the

origin

of

the

first

men

by

creation

.

But

while

some

of

them

derive

their

strength

from

the

starting

-

point

itself

from

which

they

take

their

rise

,

others

,

consequent

upon

the

nature

and

the

life

of

men

,

acquire

their

credibility

from

the

superintendence

of

God

over

us

;

for

the

cause

according

to

which

,

and

on

account

of

which

,

men

have

come

into

being

,

being

closely

connected

with

the

nature

of

men

,

derives

its

force

from

creation

;

but

the

argument

from

rectitude

,

which

represents

God

as

judging

men

according

as

they

have

lived

well

or

ill

,

derives

its

force

from

the

end

of

their

existence

:

they

come

into

being

on

the

former

ground

,

but

their

state

depends

more

on

God’s

superintendence

.

And

now

that

the

matters

which

come

first

have

been

demonstrated

by

me

to

the

best

of

my

ability

,

it

will

be

well

to

prove

our

proposition

by

those

also

which

come

after

—

I

mean

by

the

reward

or

punishment

due

to

each

man

in

accordance

with

righteous

judgment

,

and

by

the

final

cause

of

human

existence

;

and

of

these

I

put

foremost

that

which

takes

the

lead

by

nature

,

and

inquire

first

into

the

argument

relating

to

the

judgment

:

premising

only

one

thing

,

from

concern

for

the

principle

which

appertains

to

the

matters

before

us

,

and

for

order

—

namely

,

that

it

is

incumbent

on

those

who

admit

God

to

be

the

Maker

of

this

universe

,

to

ascribe

to

His

wisdom

and

rectitude

the

preservation

and

care

of

all

that

has

been

created

,

if

they

wish

to

keep

to

their

own

principles

;

and

with

such

views

to

hold

that

nothing

either

in

earth

or

in

heaven

is

without

guardianship

or

providence

,

but

that

,

on

the

contrary

,

to

everything

,

invisible

and

visible

alike

,

small

and

great

,

the

attention

of

the

Creator

reaches

;

for

all

created

things

require

the

attention

of

the

Creator

,

and

each

one

in

particular

,

according

to

its

nature

and

the

end

for

which

it

was

made

:

though

I

think

it

would

be

a

useless

expenditure

of

trouble

to

go

through

the

list

now

,

or

distinguish

between

the

several

cases

,

or

mention

in

detail

what

is

suitable

to

each

nature

.

Man

,

at

all

events

,

of

whom

it

is

now

our

business

to

speak

,

as

being

in

want

,

requires

food

;

as

being

mortal

,

posterity

;

as

being

rational

,

a

process

of

judgment

.

But

if

each

of

these

things

belongs

to

man

by

nature

,

and

he

requires

food

for

his

life

,

and

requires

posterity

for

the

continuance

of

the

race

,

and

requires

a

judgment

in

order

that

food

and

posterity

may

be

according

to

law

,

it

of

course

follows

,

since

food

and

posterity

refer

to

both

together

,

that

the

judgment

must

be

referred

to

them

too

(

by

both

together

I

mean

man

,

consisting

of

soul

and

body

)

,

and

that

such

man

becomes

accountable

for

all

his

actions

,

and

receives

for

them

either

reward

or

punishment

.

Now

,

if

the

righteous

judgment

awards

to

both

together

its

retribution

for

the

deeds

wrought

;

and

if

it

is

not

proper

that

either

the

soul

alone

should

receive

the

wages

of

the

deeds

wrought

in

union

with

the

body

(

for

this

of

itself

has

no

inclination

to

the

faults

which

are

committed

in

connection

with

the

pleasure

or

food

and

culture

of

the

body

)

,

or

that

the

body

alone

should

(

for

this

of

itself

is

incapable

of

distinguishing

law

and

justice

)

,

but

man

,

composed

of

these

,

is

subjected

to

trial

for

each

of

the

deeds

wrought

by

him

;

and

if

reason

does

not

find

this

happening

either

in

this

life

(

for

the

award

according

to

merit

finds

no

place

in

the

present

existence

,

since

many

atheists

and

persons

who

practice

every

iniquity

and

wickedness

live

on

to

the

last

,

unvisited

by

calamity

,

whilst

,

on

the

contrary

,

those

who

have

manifestly

lived

an

exemplary

life

in

respect

of

every

virtue

,

live

in

pain

,

in

insult

,

in

calumny

and

outrage

,

and

suffering

of

all

kinds

)

or

after

death

(

for

both

together

no

longer

exist

,

the

soul

being

separated

from

the

body

,

and

the

body

itself

being

resolved

again

into

the

materials

out

of

which

it

was

composed

,

and

no

longer

retaining

anything

of

its

former

structure

or

form

,

much

less

the

remembrance

of

its

actions

)

:

the

result

of

all

this

is

very

plain

to

every

one

,

—

namely

,

that

,

in

the

language

of

the

apostle

,

“

this

corruptible

(

and

dissoluble

)

must

put

on

incorruption

,

”

in

order

that

those

who

were

dead

,

having

been

made

alive

by

the

resurrection

,

and

the

parts

that

were

separated

and

entirely

dissolved

having

been

again

united

,

each

one

may

,

in

accordance

with

justice

,

receive

what

he

has

done

by

the

body

,

whether

it

be

good

or

bad

.

Notes

11
[Noble testimony to a minute and particular Providence. Kaye, p. 191.]
12
1 Cor. xv. 54.