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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 56

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter LVI.—The Procedure of the Last Judgment, and Its Awards, Only Possible on the Identity of the Risen Body with Our Present Flesh.

For how absurd, and in truth how unjust,

‹ Chapter 55 Chapter 57 ›

and

in

both

respects

how

unworthy

of

God

,

for

one

substance

to

do

the

work

,

and

another

to

reap

the

reward

:

that

this

flesh

of

ours

should

be

torn

by

martyrdom

,

and

another

wear

the

crown

;

or

,

on

the

other

hand

,

that

this

flesh

of

ours

should

wallow

in

uncleanness

,

and

another

receive

the

condemnation

!

Is

it

not

better

to

renounce

all

faith

at

once

in

the

hope

of

the

resurrection

,

than

to

trifle

with

the

wisdom

and

justice

of

God

?

Better

that

Marcion

should

rise

again

than

Valentinus

.

For

it

cannot

be

believed

that

the

mind

,

or

the

memory

,

or

the

conscience

of

existing

man

is

abolished

by

putting

on

that

change

of

raiment

which

immortality

and

incorruption

supplies

;

for

in

that

case

all

the

gain

and

fruit

of

the

resurrection

,

and

the

permanent

effect

of

God’s

judgment

both

on

soul

and

body

,

would

certainly

fall

to

the

ground

.

If

I

remember

not

that

it

is

I

who

have

served

Him

,

how

shall

I

ascribe

glory

to

God

?

How

sing

to

Him

“

the

new

song

,

”

if

I

am

ignorant

that

it

is

I

who

owe

Him

thanks

?

But

why

is

exception

taken

only

against

the

change

of

the

flesh

,

and

not

of

the

soul

also

,

which

in

all

things

is

superior

to

the

flesh

?

How

happens

it

,

that

the

self

-

same

soul

which

in

our

present

flesh

has

gone

through

all

life’s

course

,

which

has

learnt

the

knowledge

of

God

,

and

put

on

Christ

,

and

sown

the

hope

of

salvation

in

this

flesh

,

must

reap

its

harvest

in

another

flesh

of

which

we

know

nothing

?

Verily

that

must

be

a

most

highly

favoured

flesh

,

which

shall

have

the

enjoyment

of

life

at

so

gratuitous

a

rate

!

But

if

the

soul

is

not

to

be

changed

also

,

then

there

is

no

resurrection

of

the

soul

;

nor

will

it

be

believed

to

have

itself

risen

,

unless

it

has

risen

some

different

thing

.

Notes

1
With Marcion.
2
With Valentinus.
3
Statu.
4
Utrobique.
5
Rev. v. 9; xiv. 3.