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On the Resurrection, Fragments

Justin Martyr

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter II.—Objections to the resurrection of the flesh.

They who maintain the wrong opinion say that there is

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no

resurrection

of

the

flesh

;

giving

as

their

reason

that

it

is

impossible

that

what

is

corrupted

and

dissolved

should

be

restored

to

the

same

as

it

had

been

.

And

besides

the

impossibility

,

they

say

that

the

salvation

of

the

flesh

is

disadvantageous

;

and

they

abuse

the

flesh

,

adducing

its

infirmities

,

and

declare

that

it

only

is

the

cause

of

our

sins

,

so

that

if

the

flesh

,

say

they

,

rise

again

,

our

infirmities

also

rise

with

it

.

And

such

sophistical

reasons

as

the

following

they

elaborate

:

If

the

flesh

rise

again

,

it

must

rise

either

entire

and

possessed

of

all

its

parts

,

or

imperfect

.

But

its

rising

imperfect

argues

a

want

of

power

on

God’s

part

,

if

some

parts

could

be

saved

,

and

others

not

;

but

if

all

the

parts

are

saved

,

then

the

body

will

manifestly

have

all

its

members

.

But

is

it

not

absurd

to

say

that

these

members

will

exist

after

the

resurrection

from

the

dead

,

since

the

Saviour

said

,

“

They

neither

marry

,

nor

are

given

in

marriage

,

but

shall

be

as

the

angels

in

heaven

?

”

And

the

angels

,

say

they

,

have

neither

flesh

,

nor

do

they

eat

,

nor

have

sexual

intercourse

;

therefore

there

shall

be

no

resurrection

of

the

flesh

.

By

these

and

such

like

arguments

,

they

attempt

to

distract

men

from

the

faith

.

And

there

are

some

who

maintain

that

even

Jesus

Himself

appeared

only

as

spiritual

,

and

not

in

flesh

,

but

presented

merely

the

appearance

of

flesh

:

these

persons

seek

to

rob

the

flesh

of

the

promise

.

First

,

then

,

let

us

solve

those

things

which

seem

to

them

to

be

insoluble

;

then

we

will

introduce

in

an

orderly

manner

the

demonstration

concerning

the

flesh

,

proving

that

it

partakes

of

salvation

.

Notes

1
Mark xii. 25.