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On the Resurrection, Fragments

Justin Martyr

Chapter 3

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter III.—If the members rise, must they discharge the same functions as now?

They say, then, if the body shall rise

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

entire

,

and

in

possession

of

all

its

members

,

it

necessarily

follows

that

the

functions

of

the

members

shall

also

be

in

existence

;

that

the

womb

shall

become

pregnant

,

and

the

male

also

discharge

his

function

of

generation

,

and

the

rest

of

the

members

in

like

manner

.

Now

let

this

argument

stand

or

fall

by

this

one

assertion

.

For

this

being

proved

false

,

their

whole

objection

will

be

removed

.

Now

it

is

indeed

evident

that

the

members

which

discharge

functions

discharge

those

functions

which

in

the

present

life

we

see

but

it

does

not

follow

that

they

necessarily

discharge

the

same

functions

from

the

beginning

.

And

that

this

may

be

more

clearly

seen

,

let

us

consider

it

thus

.

The

function

of

the

womb

is

to

become

pregnant

;

and

of

the

member

of

the

male

to

impregnate

.

But

as

,

though

these

members

are

destined

to

discharge

such

functions

,

it

is

not

therefore

necessary

that

they

from

the

beginning

discharge

them

(

since

we

see

many

women

who

do

not

become

pregnant

,

as

those

that

are

barren

,

even

though

they

have

wombs

)

,

so

pregnancy

is

not

the

immediate

and

necessary

consequence

of

having

a

womb

;

but

those

even

who

are

not

barren

abstain

from

sexual

intercourse

,

some

being

virgins

from

the

first

,

and

others

from

a

certain

time

.

And

we

see

men

also

keeping

themselves

virgins

,

some

from

the

first

,

and

some

from

a

certain

time

;

so

that

by

their

means

,

marriage

,

made

lawless

through

lust

,

is

destroyed

.

And

we

find

that

some

even

of

the

lower

animals

,

though

possessed

of

wombs

,

do

not

bear

,

such

as

the

mule

;

and

the

male

mules

do

not

beget

their

kind

.

So

that

both

in

the

case

of

men

and

the

irrational

animals

we

can

see

sexual

intercourse

abolished

;

and

this

,

too

,

before

the

future

world

.

And

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

was

born

of

a

virgin

,

for

no

other

reason

than

that

He

might

destroy

the

begetting

by

lawless

desire

,

and

might

show

to

the

ruler

that

the

formation

of

man

was

possible

to

God

without

human

intervention

.

And

when

He

had

been

born

,

and

had

submitted

to

the

other

conditions

of

the

flesh

,

—

I

mean

food

,

drink

,

and

clothing

,

—

this

one

condition

only

of

discharging

the

sexual

function

He

did

not

submit

to

;

for

,

regarding

the

desires

of

the

flesh

,

He

accepted

some

as

necessary

,

while

others

,

which

were

unnecessary

,

He

did

not

submit

to

.

For

if

the

flesh

were

deprived

of

food

,

drink

,

and

clothing

,

it

would

be

destroyed

;

but

being

deprived

of

lawless

desire

,

it

suffers

no

harm

.

And

at

the

same

time

He

foretold

that

,

in

the

future

world

,

sexual

intercourse

should

be

done

away

with

;

as

He

says

,

“

The

children

of

this

world

marry

,

and

are

given

in

marriage

;

but

the

children

of

the

world

to

come

neither

marry

nor

are

given

in

marriage

,

but

shall

be

like

the

angels

in

heaven

.

”

Let

not

,

then

,

those

that

are

unbelieving

marvel

,

if

in

the

world

to

come

He

do

away

with

those

acts

of

our

fleshly

members

which

even

in

this

present

life

are

abolished

.

Notes

2
That is to say, their lives are a protest against entering into marriage for any other purpose than that of begetting children.
3
i.e., to the devil. [St. John xii. 31, John xiv. 30, John xvi. 11.]
4
Luke xx. 34, 35.