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On the Flesh of Christ

Tertullian

Chapter 23

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXIII.—Simeon’s “Sign that Should Be Contradicted,” Applied to the Heretical Gainsaying of the True Birth of Christ. One of the Heretics’ Paradoxes Turned in Support of Catholic Truth.

We acknowledge, however, that the prophetic declaration of Simeon

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

is

fulfilled

,

which

he

spoke

over

the

recently

-

born

Saviour

:

“

Behold

,

this

child

is

set

for

the

fall

and

rising

again

of

many

in

Israel

,

and

for

a

sign

that

shall

be

spoken

against

.

”

The

sign

(

here

meant

)

is

that

of

the

birth

of

Christ

,

according

to

Isaiah

:

“

Therefore

the

Lord

Himself

shall

give

you

a

sign

:

behold

,

a

virgin

shall

conceive

and

bear

a

son

.

”

We

discover

,

then

,

what

the

sign

is

which

is

to

be

spoken

against

—

the

conception

and

the

parturition

of

the

Virgin

Mary

,

concerning

which

these

sophists

say

:

“

She

a

virgin

and

yet

not

a

virgin

bare

,

and

yet

did

not

bear

;

”

just

as

if

such

language

,

if

indeed

it

must

be

uttered

,

would

not

be

more

suitable

even

for

ourselves

to

use

!

For

“

she

bare

,

”

because

she

produced

offspring

of

her

own

flesh

and

“

yet

she

did

not

bear

,

”

since

she

produced

Him

not

from

a

husband’s

seed

;

she

was

“

a

virgin

,

”

so

far

as

(

abstinence

)

from

a

husband

went

,

and

“

yet

not

a

virgin

,

”

as

regards

her

bearing

a

child

.

There

is

not

,

however

,

that

parity

of

reasoning

which

the

heretics

affect

:

in

other

words

it

does

not

follow

that

for

the

reason

“

she

did

not

bear

,

”

she

who

was

“

not

a

virgin

”

was

“

yet

a

virgin

,

”

even

because

she

became

a

mother

without

any

fruit

of

her

own

womb

.

But

with

us

there

is

no

equivocation

,

nothing

twisted

into

a

double

sense

.

Light

is

light

;

and

darkness

,

darkness

;

yea

is

yea

;

and

nay

,

nay

;

“

whatsoever

is

more

than

these

cometh

of

evil

.

”

She

who

bare

(

really

)

bare

;

and

although

she

was

a

virgin

when

she

conceived

,

she

was

a

wife

when

she

brought

forth

her

son

.

Now

,

as

a

wife

,

she

was

under

the

very

law

of

“

opening

the

womb

,

”

wherein

it

was

quite

immaterial

whether

the

birth

of

the

male

was

by

virtue

of

a

husband’s

co

-

operation

or

not

;

it

was

the

same

sex

that

opened

her

womb

.

Indeed

,

hers

is

the

womb

on

account

of

which

it

is

written

of

others

also

:

“

Every

male

that

openeth

the

womb

shall

be

called

holy

to

the

Lord

.

”

For

who

is

really

holy

but

the

Son

of

God

?

Who

properly

opened

the

womb

but

He

who

opened

a

closed

one

?

But

it

is

marriage

which

opens

the

womb

in

all

cases

.

The

virgin’s

womb

,

therefore

,

was

especially

opened

,

because

it

was

especially

closed

.

Indeed

she

ought

rather

to

be

called

not

a

virgin

than

a

virgin

,

becoming

a

mother

at

a

leap

,

as

it

were

,

before

she

was

a

wife

.

And

what

must

be

said

more

on

this

point

?

Since

it

was

in

this

sense

that

the

apostle

declared

that

the

Son

of

God

was

born

not

of

a

virgin

,

but

“

of

a

woman

,

”

he

in

that

statement

recognised

the

condition

of

the

“

opened

womb

”

which

ensues

in

marriage

.

We

read

in

Ezekiel

of

“

a

heifer

which

brought

forth

,

and

still

did

not

bring

forth

.

”

Now

,

see

whether

it

was

not

in

view

of

your

own

future

contentions

about

the

womb

of

Mary

,

that

even

then

the

Holy

Ghost

set

His

mark

upon

you

in

this

passage

;

otherwise

He

would

not

,

contrary

to

His

usual

simplicity

of

style

(

in

this

prophet

)

,

have

uttered

a

sentence

of

such

doubtful

import

,

especially

when

Isaiah

says

,

“

She

shall

conceive

and

bear

a

son

.

”

Notes

1
Literally, “Lord.”
2
Luke ii. 34.
3
Isa. vii. 14.
4
Academici isti: “this school of theirs.”
5
i.e. “Because she produced not her son from her husband’s seed.”
6
Defensionem.
7
Matt. v. 37.
8
Nupsit.
9
Nupsit ipsa patefacti corporis lege.
10
De vi masculi admissi an emissi.
11
i.e. “The male.”
12
Ex. xiii. 2; Luke ii. 23.
13
Clausam: i.e. a virgin’s.
14
Magis.
15
Utique.
16
Nuptialem passionem.
17
Epiphanius (Hær. xxx. 30) quotes from the apocryphal Ezekiel this passage: Τέξεται ἡ δάμαλις, καὶ ἐροῦσιν—οὐ τέτοκεν. So Clem. Alex. Stromata, vii. Oehler.
18
Ceterum.
19
Isa. vii. 14.