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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 62

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter LXII.—Our Destined Likeness to the Angels in the Glorious Life of the Resurrection.

To this discussion, however, our Lord’s declaration puts

‹ Chapter 61 Chapter 63 ›

an

effectual

end

:

“

They

shall

be

,

”

says

He

,

“

equal

unto

the

angels

.

”

As

by

not

marrying

,

because

of

not

dying

,

so

,

of

course

,

by

not

having

to

yield

to

any

like

necessity

of

our

bodily

state

;

even

as

the

angels

,

too

,

sometimes

.

were

“

equal

unto

”

men

,

by

eating

and

drinking

,

and

submitting

their

feet

to

the

washing

of

the

bath

—

having

clothed

themselves

in

human

guise

,

without

the

loss

of

their

own

intrinsic

nature

.

If

therefore

angels

,

when

they

became

as

men

,

submitted

in

their

own

unaltered

substance

of

spirit

to

be

treated

as

if

they

were

flesh

,

why

shall

not

men

in

like

manner

,

when

they

become

“

equal

unto

the

angels

,

”

undergo

in

their

unchanged

substance

of

flesh

the

treatment

of

spiritual

beings

,

no

more

exposed

to

the

usual

solicitations

of

the

flesh

in

their

angelic

garb

,

than

were

the

angels

once

to

those

of

the

spirit

when

encompassed

in

human

form

?

We

shall

not

therefore

cease

to

continue

in

the

flesh

,

because

we

cease

to

be

importuned

by

the

usual

wants

of

the

flesh

;

just

as

the

angels

ceased

not

therefore

to

remain

in

their

spiritual

substance

,

because

of

the

suspension

of

their

spiritual

incidents

.

Lastly

,

Christ

said

not

,

“

They

shall

be

angels

,

”

in

order

not

to

repeal

their

existence

as

men

;

but

He

said

,

“

They

shall

be

equal

unto

the

angels

,

”

that

He

might

preserve

their

humanity

unimpaired

.

When

He

ascribed

an

angelic

likeness

to

the

flesh

,

He

took

not

from

it

its

proper

substance

.

Notes

1
Luke xx. 36; Matt. xxii. 30.
2
ἰσάγγελοι.
3
Cui.