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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 26

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXVI.—The Three Several Natures—The Material, the Animal, and the Spiritual, and Their Several Destinations. The Strange Valentinian Opinion About the Structure of Soter’s Nature.

In like manner they assign to each of them a

‹ Chapter 25 Chapter 27 ›

separate

end

.

To

the

material

,

that

is

to

say

the

carnal

(

nature

)

,

which

they

also

call

“

the

left

-

handed

,

”

they

assign

undoubted

destruction

;

to

the

animal

(

nature

)

,

which

they

also

call

“

the

right

-

handed

,

”

a

doubtful

issue

,

inasmuch

as

it

oscillates

between

the

material

and

the

spiritual

,

and

is

sure

to

fall

at

last

on

the

side

to

which

it

has

mainly

gravitated

.

As

regards

the

spiritual

,

however

,

(

they

say

)

that

it

enters

into

the

formation

of

the

animal

,

in

order

that

it

may

be

educated

in

company

with

it

and

be

disciplined

by

repeated

intercourse

with

it

.

For

the

animal

(

nature

)

was

in

want

of

training

even

by

the

senses

:

for

this

purpose

,

accordingly

,

was

the

whole

structure

of

the

world

provided

;

for

this

purpose

also

did

Soter

(

the

Saviour

)

present

Himself

in

the

world

—

even

for

the

salvation

of

the

animal

(

nature

)

.

By

yet

another

arrangement

they

will

have

it

that

He

,

in

some

prodigious

way

,

clothed

Himself

with

the

primary

portions

of

those

substances

,

the

whole

of

which

He

was

going

to

restore

to

salvation

;

in

such

wise

that

He

assumed

the

spiritual

nature

from

Achamoth

,

whilst

He

derived

the

animal

(

being

)

,

Christ

,

afterwards

from

the

Demiurge

;

His

corporal

substance

,

however

,

which

was

constructed

of

an

animal

nature

(

only

with

wonderful

and

indescribable

skill

)

,

He

wore

for

a

dispensational

purpose

,

in

order

that

He

might

,

in

spite

of

His

own

unwillingness

,

be

capable

of

meeting

persons

,

and

of

being

seen

and

touched

by

them

,

and

even

of

dying

.

But

there

was

nothing

material

assumed

by

Him

,

inasmuch

as

that

was

incapable

of

salvation

.

As

if

He

could

possibly

have

been

more

required

by

any

others

than

by

those

who

were

in

want

of

salvation

!

And

all

this

,

in

order

that

by

severing

the

condition

of

our

flesh

from

Christ

they

may

also

deprive

it

of

the

hope

of

salvation

!

Notes

1
Exitum.
2
Monstruosum illum.
3
Prosicias induisse. Irenæus says, “Assumed the first-fruits,” τὰς ἀπαρχάς.
4
Ingratis.