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On Modesty

Tertullian

Chapter 17

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XVII.—Consistency of the Apostle in His Other Epistles.

Challenge me to front the apostolic line of battle; look at his

‹ Chapter 16 Chapter 18 ›

Epistles

:

they

all

keep

guard

in

defence

of

modesty

,

of

chastity

,

of

sanctity

;

they

all

aim

their

missiles

against

the

interests

of

luxury

,

and

lasciviousness

,

and

lust

.

What

,

in

short

,

does

he

write

to

the

Thessalonians

withal

?

“

For

our

consolation

(

originated

)

not

of

seduction

,

nor

of

impurity

:

”

and

,

“

This

is

the

will

of

God

,

your

sanctification

,

that

ye

abstain

from

fornication

;

that

each

one

know

how

to

possess

his

vessel

in

sanctification

and

honour

,

not

in

the

lust

of

concupiscence

,

as

(

do

)

the

nations

which

are

ignorant

of

God

.

”

What

do

the

Galatians

read

?

“

Manifest

are

the

works

of

the

flesh

.

”

What

are

these

?

Among

the

first

he

has

set

“

fornication

,

impurity

,

lasciviousness

:

”

“

(

concerning

)

which

I

foretell

you

,

as

I

have

foretold

,

that

whoever

do

such

acts

are

not

to

attain

by

inheritance

the

kingdom

of

God

.

”

The

Romans

,

moreover

,

—

what

learning

is

more

impressed

upon

them

than

that

there

must

be

no

dereliction

of

the

Lord

after

believing

?

“

What

,

then

,

say

we

?

Do

we

persevere

in

sin

,

in

order

that

grace

may

superabound

?

Far

be

it

.

We

,

who

are

dead

to

sin

,

how

shall

we

live

in

it

still

?

Are

ye

ignorant

that

we

who

have

been

baptized

in

Christ

have

been

baptized

into

His

death

?

Buried

with

Him

,

then

,

we

have

been

,

through

the

baptism

into

the

death

,

in

order

that

,

as

Christ

hath

risen

again

from

the

dead

,

so

we

too

may

walk

in

newness

of

life

.

For

if

we

have

been

buried

together

in

the

likeness

of

His

death

,

why

,

we

shall

be

(

in

that

)

of

(

His

)

resurrection

too

;

knowing

this

,

that

our

old

man

hath

been

crucified

together

with

Him

.

But

if

we

died

with

Christ

,

we

believe

that

we

shall

live

,

too

,

with

Him

;

knowing

that

Christ

,

having

been

raised

from

the

dead

,

no

more

dieth

,

(

that

)

death

no

more

hath

domination

over

Him

.

For

in

that

He

died

to

sin

,

He

died

once

for

all

;

but

in

that

He

liveth

,

to

God

He

liveth

.

Thus

,

too

,

repute

ye

yourselves

dead

indeed

to

sin

,

but

living

to

God

through

Christ

Jesus

.

”

Therefore

,

Christ

being

once

for

all

dead

,

none

who

,

subsequently

to

Christ

,

has

died

,

can

live

again

to

sin

,

and

especially

to

so

heinous

a

sin

.

Else

,

if

fornication

and

adultery

may

by

possibility

be

anew

admissible

,

Christ

withal

will

be

able

anew

to

die

.

Moreover

,

the

apostle

is

urgent

in

prohibiting

“

sin

from

reigning

in

our

mortal

body

,

”

whose

“

infirmity

of

the

flesh

”

he

knew

.

“

For

as

ye

have

tendered

your

members

to

servile

impurity

and

iniquity

,

so

too

now

tender

them

servants

to

righteousness

unto

holiness

.

”

For

even

if

he

has

affirmed

that

“

good

dwelleth

not

in

his

flesh

,

”

yet

(

he

means

)

according

to

“

the

law

of

the

letter

,

”

in

which

he

“

was

:

”

but

according

to

“

the

law

of

the

Spirit

,

”

to

which

he

annexes

us

,

he

frees

us

from

the

“

infirmity

of

the

flesh

.

”

“

For

the

law

,

”

he

says

,

“

of

the

Spirit

of

life

hath

manumitted

thee

from

the

law

of

sin

and

of

death

.

”

For

albeit

he

may

appear

to

be

partly

disputing

from

the

standpoint

of

Judaism

,

yet

it

is

to

us

that

he

is

directing

the

integrity

and

plenitude

of

the

rules

of

discipline

,

—

(

us

)

,

for

whose

sake

soever

,

labouring

(

as

we

were

)

in

the

law

,

“

God

hath

sent

,

through

flesh

,

His

own

Son

,

in

similitude

of

flesh

of

sin

;

and

,

because

of

sin

,

hath

condemned

sin

in

the

flesh

;

in

order

that

the

righteousness

of

the

law

,

”

he

says

,

“

might

be

fulfilled

in

us

,

who

walk

not

according

to

flesh

,

but

according

to

(

the

)

Spirit

.

For

they

who

walk

according

to

flesh

are

sensible

as

to

those

things

which

are

the

flesh’s

,

and

they

who

(

walk

)

according

to

(

the

)

Spirit

those

which

(

are

)

the

Spirit’s

.

”

Moreover

,

he

has

affirmed

the

“

sense

of

the

flesh

”

to

be

“

death

;

”

hence

too

,

“

enmity

,

”

and

enmity

toward

God

;

and

that

“

they

who

are

in

the

flesh

,

”

that

is

,

in

the

sense

of

the

flesh

,

“

cannot

please

God

:

”

and

,

“

If

ye

live

according

to

flesh

,

”

he

says

,

“

it

will

come

to

pass

that

ye

die

.

”

But

what

do

we

understand

“

the

sense

of

the

flesh

”

and

“

the

life

of

the

flesh

”

(

to

mean

)

,

except

whatever

“

it

shames

(

one

)

to

pronounce

?

”

for

the

other

(

works

)

of

the

flesh

even

an

apostle

would

have

named

.

Similarly

,

too

,

(

when

writing

)

to

the

Ephesians

,

while

recalling

past

(

deeds

)

,

he

warns

(

them

)

concerning

the

future

:

“

In

which

we

too

had

our

conversation

,

doing

the

concupiscences

and

pleasures

of

the

flesh

.

”

Branding

,

in

fine

,

such

as

had

denied

themselves

—

Christians

,

to

wit

—

on

the

score

of

having

“

delivered

themselves

up

to

the

working

of

every

impurity

,

”

“

But

ye

,

”

he

says

,

“

not

so

have

learnt

Christ

.

”

And

again

he

says

thus

:

“

Let

him

who

was

wont

to

steal

,

steal

no

more

.

”

But

,

similarly

,

let

him

who

was

wont

to

commit

adultery

hitherto

,

not

commit

adultery

;

and

he

who

was

wont

to

fornicate

hitherto

,

not

fornicate

:

for

he

would

have

added

these

(

admonitions

)

too

,

had

he

been

in

the

habit

of

extending

pardon

to

such

,

or

at

all

willed

it

to

be

extended

—

(

he

)

who

,

not

willing

pollution

to

be

contracted

even

by

a

word

,

says

,

“

Let

no

base

speech

proceed

out

of

your

mouth

.

”

Again

:

“

But

let

fornication

and

every

impurity

not

be

even

named

among

you

,

as

becometh

saints

,

”

—

so

far

is

it

from

being

excused

,

—

“

knowing

this

,

that

every

fornicator

or

impure

(

person

)

hath

not

God’s

kingdom

.

Let

none

seduce

you

with

empty

words

:

on

this

account

cometh

the

wrath

of

God

upon

the

sons

of

unbelief

.

”

Who

“

seduces

with

empty

words

”

but

he

who

states

in

a

public

harangue

that

adultery

is

remissible

?

not

seeing

into

the

fact

that

its

very

foundations

have

been

dug

out

by

the

apostle

,

when

he

puts

restraints

upon

drunkennesses

and

revellings

,

as

withal

here

:

“

And

be

not

inebriated

with

wine

,

in

which

is

voluptuousness

.

”

He

demonstrates

,

too

,

to

the

Colossians

what

“

members

”

they

are

to

“

mortify

”

upon

earth

:

“

fornication

,

impurity

,

lust

,

evil

concupiscence

,

”

and

“

base

talk

.

”

Yield

up

,

by

this

time

,

to

so

many

and

such

sentences

,

the

one

(

passage

)

to

which

you

cling

.

Paucity

is

cast

into

the

shade

by

multitude

,

doubt

by

certainty

,

obscurity

by

plainness

.

Even

if

,

for

certain

,

the

apostle

had

granted

pardon

of

fornication

to

that

Corinthian

,

it

would

be

another

instance

of

his

once

for

all

contravening

his

own

practice

to

meet

the

requirement

of

the

time

.

He

circumcised

Timotheus

alone

,

and

yet

did

away

with

circumcision

.

Notes

1
1 Thess. ii. 3, omitting the last clause.
2
1 Thess. iv. 3–5.
3
Gal. v. 19–21.
4
Rom. vi. 1–11.
5
Ver. 12.
6
See Rom. vii. 18.
7
This exact expression does not occur; but comp. 2 Cor. iii. 6.
8
Comp. the last reference and Rom. viii. 2.
9
Rom. viii. 2, omitting ἐν Χριστῷ ᾽Ιησοῦ, and substituting (unless it be a misprint) “te” for μέ.
10
Rom. viii. 3–5.
11
Ver. 6.
12
Ver. 7.
13
Ver. 8.
14
Ver. 12.
15
See Eph. v. 12.
16
As he did to the Galatians: see Gal. v. 19–21.
17
Eph. ii. 3, briefly, and not literally.
18
Eph. iv. 17–20.
19
Ver. 28.
20
Ver. 29 ad init.
21
Eph. v. 3.
22
Vers. 5, 6, not accurately.
23
Ver. 18.
24
See Col. iii. 5, 8.
25
Comp. Acts xvi. 1–3 with Gal. v. 2–6, and similar passages.