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On the Resurrection, Fragments

Justin Martyr

Chapter 7

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter VII.—The body valuable in God’s sight.

But the proof of the possibility of the resurrection of

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

the

flesh

I

have

sufficiently

demonstrated

,

in

answer

to

men

of

the

world

.

And

if

the

resurrection

of

the

flesh

is

not

found

impossible

on

the

principles

even

of

unbelievers

,

how

much

more

will

it

be

found

in

accordance

with

the

mind

of

believers

!

But

following

our

order

,

we

must

now

speak

with

respect

to

those

who

think

meanly

of

the

flesh

,

and

say

that

it

is

not

worthy

of

the

resurrection

nor

of

the

heavenly

economy

,

because

,

first

,

its

substance

is

earth

;

and

besides

,

because

it

is

full

of

all

wickedness

,

so

that

it

forces

the

soul

to

sin

along

with

it

.

But

these

persons

seem

to

be

ignorant

of

the

whole

work

of

God

,

both

of

the

genesis

and

formation

of

man

at

the

first

,

and

why

the

things

in

the

world

were

made

.

For

does

not

the

word

say

,

“

Let

Us

make

man

in

our

image

,

and

after

our

likeness

?

”

What

kind

of

man

?

Manifestly

He

means

fleshly

man

,

For

the

word

says

,

“

And

God

took

dust

of

the

earth

,

and

made

man

.

”

It

is

evident

,

therefore

,

that

man

made

in

the

image

of

God

was

of

flesh

.

Is

it

not

,

then

,

absurd

to

say

,

that

the

flesh

made

by

God

in

His

own

image

is

contemptible

,

and

worth

nothing

?

But

that

the

flesh

is

with

God

a

precious

possession

is

manifest

,

first

from

its

being

formed

by

Him

,

if

at

least

the

image

is

valuable

to

the

former

and

artist

;

and

besides

,

its

value

can

be

gathered

from

the

creation

of

the

rest

of

the

world

.

For

that

on

account

of

which

the

rest

is

made

,

is

the

most

precious

of

all

to

the

maker

.

Notes

13
Or, “citizenship.”
14
This might also be rendered, “and the things in the world, on account of which he was made;” but the subsequent argument shows the propriety of the above rendering.
15
Gen. i. 26.
16
Gen. ii. 7.