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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 17

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XVII.—The Flesh Will Be Associated with the Soul in Enduring the Penal Sentences of the Final Judgment.

“Every uneducated person who agrees with our opinion will

‹ Chapter 16 Chapter 18 ›

be

apt

to

suppose

that

the

flesh

will

have

to

be

present

at

the

final

judgment

even

on

this

account

,

because

otherwise

the

soul

would

be

incapable

of

suffering

pain

or

pleasure

,

as

being

incorporeal

;

for

this

is

the

common

opinion

.

We

on

our

part

,

however

,

do

here

maintain

,

and

in

a

special

treatise

on

the

subject

prove

,

that

the

soul

is

corporeal

,

possessing

a

peculiar

kind

of

solidity

in

its

nature

,

such

as

enables

it

both

to

perceive

and

suffer

.

That

souls

are

even

now

susceptible

of

torment

and

of

blessing

in

Hades

,

though

they

are

disembodied

,

and

notwithstanding

their

banishment

from

the

flesh

,

is

proved

by

the

case

of

Lazarus

.

I

have

no

doubt

given

to

my

opponent

room

to

say

:

Since

,

then

,

the

soul

has

a

bodily

substance

of

its

own

,

it

will

be

sufficiently

endowed

with

the

faculty

of

suffering

and

sense

,

so

as

not

to

require

the

presence

of

the

flesh

.

No

,

no

,

(

is

my

reply

)

:

it

will

still

need

the

flesh

;

not

as

being

unable

to

feel

anything

without

the

help

of

the

flesh

,

but

because

it

is

necessary

that

it

should

possess

such

a

faculty

along

with

the

flesh

.

For

in

as

far

as

it

has

a

sufficiency

of

its

own

for

action

,

in

so

far

has

it

likewise

a

capacity

for

suffering

.

But

the

truth

is

,

in

respect

of

action

,

it

labours

under

some

amount

of

incapacity

;

for

in

its

own

nature

it

has

simply

the

ability

to

think

,

to

will

,

to

desire

,

to

dispose

:

for

fully

carrying

out

the

purpose

,

it

looks

for

the

assistance

of

the

flesh

.

In

like

manner

,

it

also

requires

the

conjunction

of

the

flesh

to

endure

suffering

,

in

order

that

by

its

aid

it

may

be

as

fully

able

to

suffer

,

as

without

its

assistance

it

was

not

fully

able

to

act

.

In

respect

,

indeed

,

of

those

sins

,

such

as

concupiscence

,

and

thought

,

and

wish

,

which

it

has

a

competency

of

its

own

to

commit

,

it

at

once

pays

the

penalty

of

them

.

Now

,

no

doubt

,

if

these

were

alone

sufficient

to

constitute

absolute

desert

without

requiring

the

addition

of

acts

,

the

soul

would

suffice

in

itself

to

encounter

the

full

responsibility

of

the

judgment

,

being

to

be

judged

for

those

things

in

the

doing

of

which

it

alone

had

possessed

a

sufficiency

.

Since

,

however

,

acts

too

are

indissolubly

attached

to

deserts

;

since

also

acts

are

ministerially

effected

by

the

flesh

,

it

is

no

longer

enough

that

the

soul

apart

from

the

flesh

be

requited

with

pleasure

or

pain

for

what

are

actually

works

of

the

flesh

,

although

it

has

a

body

(

of

its

own

)

,

although

it

has

members

(

of

its

own

)

,

which

in

like

manner

are

insufficient

for

its

full

perception

,

just

as

they

are

also

for

its

perfect

action

.

Therefore

as

it

has

acted

in

each

several

instance

,

so

proportionably

does

it

suffer

in

Hades

,

being

the

first

to

taste

of

judgment

as

it

was

the

first

to

induce

to

the

commission

of

sin

;

but

still

it

is

waiting

for

the

flesh

in

order

that

it

may

through

the

flesh

also

compensate

for

its

deeds

,

inasmuch

as

it

laid

upon

the

flesh

the

execution

of

its

own

thoughts

.

This

,

in

short

,

will

be

the

process

of

that

judgment

which

is

postponed

to

the

last

great

day

,

in

order

that

by

the

exhibition

of

the

flesh

the

entire

course

of

the

divine

vengeance

may

be

accomplished

.

Besides

,

(

it

is

obvious

to

remark

)

there

would

be

no

delaying

to

the

end

of

that

doom

which

souls

are

already

tasting

in

Hades

,

if

it

was

destined

for

souls

alone

.

Notes

1
Simplicior.
2
Interim.