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Address to the Greeks

Tatian

Chapter 15

About this work

Tatian attacks Greek claims to cultural and philosophical superiority, defends Christian teaching about God, creation, resurrection, and ethics, and argues for the antiquity of biblical wisdom.

Author: Tatian
Date: c. AD 165–175
Origin: Rome or the eastern Mediterranean
Genre: Apology

Necessity of a Union with the Holy Spirit.

But further, it becomes us now to seek for

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

what

we

once

had

,

but

have

lost

,

to

unite

the

soul

with

the

Holy

Spirit

,

and

to

strive

after

union

with

God

.

The

human

soul

consists

of

many

parts

,

and

is

not

simple

;

it

is

composite

,

so

as

to

manifest

itself

through

the

body

;

for

neither

could

it

ever

appear

by

itself

without

the

body

,

nor

does

the

flesh

rise

again

without

the

soul

.

Man

is

not

,

as

the

croaking

philosophers

say

,

merely

a

rational

animal

,

capable

of

understanding

and

knowledge

;

for

,

according

to

them

,

even

irrational

creatures

appear

possessed

of

understanding

and

knowledge

.

But

man

alone

is

the

image

and

likeness

of

God

;

and

I

mean

by

man

,

not

one

who

performs

actions

similar

to

those

of

animals

,

but

one

who

has

advanced

far

beyond

mere

humanity

—

to

God

Himself

.

This

question

we

have

discussed

more

minutely

in

the

treatise

concerning

animals

.

But

the

principal

point

to

be

spoken

of

now

is

,

what

is

intended

by

the

image

and

likeness

of

God

.

That

which

cannot

be

compared

is

no

other

than

abstract

being

;

but

that

which

is

compared

is

no

other

than

that

which

is

like

.

The

perfect

God

is

without

flesh

;

but

man

is

flesh

.

The

bond

of

the

flesh

is

the

soul

;

that

which

encloses

the

soul

is

the

flesh

.

Such

is

the

nature

of

man’s

constitution

;

and

,

if

it

be

like

a

temple

,

God

is

pleased

to

dwell

in

it

by

the

spirit

,

His

representative

;

but

,

if

it

be

not

such

a

habitation

,

man

excels

the

wild

beasts

in

articulate

language

only

,

—

in

other

respects

his

manner

of

life

is

like

theirs

,

as

one

who

is

not

a

likeness

of

God

.

But

none

of

the

demons

possess

flesh

;

their

structure

is

spiritual

,

like

that

of

fire

or

air

.

And

only

by

those

whom

the

Spirit

of

God

dwells

in

and

fortifies

are

the

bodies

of

the

demons

easily

seen

,

not

at

all

by

others

,

—

I

mean

those

who

possess

only

soul

;

for

the

inferior

has

not

the

ability

to

apprehend

the

superior

.

On

this

account

the

nature

of

the

demons

has

no

place

for

repentance

;

for

they

are

the

reflection

of

matter

and

of

wickedness

.

But

matter

desired

to

exercise

lordship

over

the

soul

;

and

according

to

their

free

-

will

these

gave

laws

of

death

to

men

;

but

men

,

after

the

loss

of

immortality

,

have

conquered

death

by

submitting

to

death

in

faith

;

and

by

repentance

a

call

has

been

given

to

them

,

according

to

the

word

which

says

,

“

Since

they

were

made

a

little

lower

than

the

angels

.

”

And

,

for

every

one

who

has

been

conquered

,

it

is

possible

again

to

conquer

,

if

he

rejects

the

condition

which

brings

death

.

And

what

that

is

,

may

be

easily

seen

by

men

who

long

for

immortality

.

Notes

45
[δεσμὸς δὲ τοῦ σαρκὸς ψυχὴ.]
46
Comp. 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15. [The ψυχικοὶ, of whom we are to hear so much in Tertullian. Comp. cap. xii., supra, p. 70.]
47
[But Kaye would translate, “by dying to the world through faith.”]
48
Ps. viii. 5.