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On the Resurrection, Fragments

Justin Martyr

Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter VI.—The resurrection consistent with the opinions of the philosophers.

Those, then, who are called natural philosophers,

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

say

,

some

of

them

,

as

Plato

,

that

the

universe

is

matter

and

God

;

others

,

as

Epicurus

,

that

it

is

atoms

and

the

void

;

others

,

like

the

Stoics

,

that

it

is

these

four

—

fire

,

water

,

air

,

earth

.

For

it

is

sufficient

to

mention

the

most

prevalent

opinions

.

And

Plato

says

that

all

things

are

made

from

matter

by

God

,

and

according

to

His

design

;

but

Epicures

and

his

followers

say

that

all

things

are

made

from

the

atom

and

the

void

by

some

kind

of

self

-

regulating

action

of

the

natural

movement

of

the

bodies

;

and

the

Stoics

,

that

all

are

made

of

the

four

elements

,

God

pervading

them

.

But

while

there

is

such

discrepancy

among

them

,

there

are

some

doctrines

acknowledged

by

them

all

in

common

,

one

of

which

is

that

neither

can

anything

be

produced

from

what

is

not

in

being

,

nor

anything

be

destroyed

or

dissolved

into

what

has

not

any

being

,

and

that

the

elements

exist

indestructible

out

of

which

all

things

are

generated

.

And

this

being

so

,

the

regeneration

of

the

flesh

will

,

according

to

all

these

philosophers

,

appear

to

be

possible

.

For

if

,

according

to

Plato

,

it

is

matter

and

God

,

both

these

are

indestructible

and

God

;

and

God

indeed

occupies

the

position

of

an

artificer

,

to

wit

,

a

potter

;

and

matter

occupies

the

place

of

clay

or

wax

,

or

some

such

thing

.

That

,

then

,

which

is

formed

of

matter

,

be

it

an

image

or

a

statue

,

is

destructible

;

but

the

matter

itself

is

indestructible

,

such

as

clay

or

wax

,

or

any

other

such

kind

of

matter

.

Thus

the

artist

designs

in

the

clay

or

wax

,

and

makes

the

form

of

a

living

animal

;

and

again

,

if

his

handiwork

be

destroyed

,

it

is

not

impossible

for

him

to

make

the

same

form

,

by

working

up

the

same

material

,

and

fashioning

it

anew

.

So

that

,

according

to

Plato

,

neither

will

it

be

impossible

for

God

,

who

is

Himself

indestructible

,

and

has

also

indestructible

material

,

even

after

that

which

has

been

first

formed

of

it

has

been

destroyed

,

to

make

it

anew

again

,

and

to

make

the

same

form

just

as

it

was

before

.

But

according

to

the

Stoics

even

,

the

body

being

produced

by

the

mixture

of

the

four

elementary

substances

,

when

this

body

has

been

dissolved

into

the

four

elements

,

these

remaining

indestructible

,

it

is

possible

that

they

receive

a

second

time

the

same

fusion

and

composition

,

from

God

pervading

them

,

and

so

re

-

make

the

body

which

they

formerly

made

.

Like

as

if

a

man

shall

make

a

composition

of

gold

and

silver

,

and

brass

and

tin

,

and

then

shall

wish

to

dissolve

it

again

,

so

that

each

element

exist

separately

,

having

again

mixed

them

,

he

may

,

if

he

pleases

,

make

the

very

same

composition

as

he

had

formerly

made. Again, according to Epicurus, the atoms and the void being indestructible, it is by a definite arrangement and adjustment of the atoms as they come together, that both all other formations are produced, and the body itself; and it being in course of time dissolved, is dissolved again into those atoms from which it was also produced. And as these remain indestructible, it is not at all impossible, that by coming together again, and receiving the same arrangement and position, they should make a body of like nature to what was formerly produced by them; as if a jeweller should make in mosaic the form of an animal, and the stones should be scattered by time or by the man himself who made them, he having still in his possession the scattered stones, may gather them together again, and having gathered, may dispose them in the same way, and make the same form of an animal. And shall not God be able to collect again the decomposed members of the flesh, and make the same body as was formerly produced by Him?

Notes

12
τὸ κενόν, the void of space in which the infinity of atoms moved.