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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 18

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XVIII.—Scripture Phrases and Passages Clearly Assert “The Resurrection of the Dead.” The Force of This Very Phrase Explained as Indicating the Prominent Place of the Flesh in the General Resurrection.

Thus far it has been my object by prefatory

‹ Chapter 17 Chapter 19 ›

remarks

to

lay

a

foundation

for

the

defence

of

all

the

Scriptures

which

promise

a

resurrection

of

the

flesh

.

Now

,

inasmuch

as

this

verity

is

supported

by

so

many

just

and

reasonable

considerations

—

I

mean

the

dignity

of

the

flesh

itself

,

the

power

and

might

of

God

,

the

analogous

cases

in

which

these

are

displayed

,

as

well

as

the

good

reasons

for

the

judgment

,

and

the

need

thereof

—

it

will

of

course

be

only

right

and

proper

that

the

Scriptures

should

be

understood

in

the

sense

suggested

by

such

authoritative

considerations

,

and

not

after

the

conceits

of

the

heretics

,

which

arise

from

infidelity

solely

,

because

it

is

deemed

incredible

that

the

flesh

should

be

recovered

from

death

and

restored

to

life

;

not

because

(

such

a

restoration

)

is

either

unattainable

by

the

flesh

itself

,

or

impossible

for

God

to

effect

,

or

unsuitable

to

the

final

judgment

.

Incredible

,

no

doubt

,

it

might

be

,

if

it

had

not

been

revealed

in

the

word

of

God

;

except

that

,

even

if

it

had

not

been

thus

first

announced

by

God

,

it

might

have

been

fairly

enough

assumed

,

that

the

revelation

of

it

had

been

withheld

,

simply

because

so

many

strong

presumptions

in

its

favour

had

been

already

furnished

.

Since

,

however

,

(

the

great

fact

)

is

proclaimed

in

so

many

inspired

passages

,

that

is

so

far

a

dissuasive

against

understanding

it

in

a

sense

different

from

that

which

is

attested

by

such

arguments

as

persuade

us

to

its

reception

,

even

irrespective

of

the

testimonies

of

revelation

.

Let

us

see

,

then

,

first

of

all

in

what

title

this

hope

of

ours

is

held

out

to

our

view

.

There

is

,

I

imagine

,

one

divine

edict

which

is

exposed

to

the

gaze

of

all

men

:

it

is

“

The

Resurrection

of

the

Dead

.

”

These

words

are

prompt

,

decisive

,

clear

.

I

mean

to

take

these

very

terms

,

discuss

them

,

and

discover

to

what

substance

they

apply

.

As

to

the

word

resurrectio

,

whenever

I

hear

of

its

impending

over

a

human

being

,

I

am

forced

to

inquire

what

part

of

him

has

been

destined

to

fall

,

since

nothing

can

be

expected

to

rise

again

,

unless

it

has

first

been

prostrated

.

It

is

only

the

man

who

is

ignorant

of

the

fact

that

the

flesh

falls

by

death

,

that

can

fail

to

discover

that

it

stands

erect

by

means

of

life

.

Nature

pronounces

God’s

sentence

:

“

Dust

thou

art

,

and

unto

dust

shalt

thou

return

.

”

Even

the

man

who

has

not

heard

the

sentence

,

sees

the

fact

.

No

death

but

is

the

ruin

of

our

limbs

.

This

destiny

of

the

body

the

Lord

also

described

,

when

,

clothed

as

He

was

in

its

very

substance

,

He

said

,

“

Destroy

this

temple

,

and

in

three

days

I

will

raise

it

up

again

.

”

For

He

showed

to

what

belongs

(

the

incidents

of

)

being

destroyed

,

thrown

down

,

and

kept

down

—

even

to

that

to

which

it

also

appertains

to

be

lifted

and

raised

up

again

;

although

He

was

at

the

same

time

bearing

about

with

Him

“

a

soul

that

was

trembling

even

unto

death

,

”

but

which

did

not

fall

through

death

,

because

even

the

Scripture

informs

us

that

“

He

spoke

of

His

body

.

”

So

that

it

is

the

flesh

which

falls

by

death

;

and

accordingly

it

derives

its

name

,

cadaver

,

from

cadendo

.

The

soul

,

however

,

has

no

trace

of

a

fall

in

its

designation

,

as

indeed

there

is

no

mortality

in

its

condition

.

Nay

it

is

the

soul

which

communicates

its

ruin

to

the

body

when

it

is

breathed

out

of

it

,

just

as

it

is

also

destined

to

raise

it

up

again

from

the

earth

when

it

shall

re

-

enter

it

.

That

cannot

fall

which

by

its

entrance

raises

;

nor

can

that

droop

which

by

its

departure

causes

ruin

.

I

will

go

further

,

and

say

that

the

soul

does

not

even

fall

into

sleep

along

with

the

body

,

nor

does

it

with

its

companion

even

lie

down

in

repose

.

For

it

is

agitated

in

dreams

,

and

disturbed

:

it

might

,

however

,

rest

,

if

it

lay

down

;

and

lie

down

it

certainly

would

,

if

it

fell

.

Thus

that

which

does

not

fall

even

into

the

likeness

of

death

,

does

not

succumb

to

the

reality

thereof

.

Passing

now

to

the

other

word

mortuorum

,

I

wish

you

to

look

carefully

,

and

see

to

what

substance

it

is

applicable

.

Were

we

to

allow

,

under

this

head

,

as

is

sometimes

held

by

the

heretics

,

that

the

soul

is

mortal

,

so

that

being

mortal

it

shall

attain

to

a

resurrection

;

this

would

afford

a

presumption

that

the

flesh

also

,

being

no

less

mortal

,

would

share

in

the

same

resurrection

.

But

our

present

point

is

to

derive

from

the

proper

signification

of

this

word

an

idea

of

the

destiny

which

it

indicates

.

Now

,

just

as

the

term

resurrection

is

predicated

of

that

which

falls

—

that

is

,

the

flesh

—

so

will

there

be

the

same

application

of

the

word

dead

,

because

what

is

called

“

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

”

indicates

the

rising

up

again

of

that

which

is

fallen

down

.

We

learn

this

from

the

case

of

Abraham

,

the

father

of

the

faithful

,

a

man

who

enjoyed

close

intercourse

with

God

.

For

when

he

requested

of

the

sons

of

Heth

a

spot

to

bury

Sarah

in

,

he

said

to

them

,

“

Give

me

the

possession

of

a

burying

place

with

you

,

that

I

may

bury

my

dead

,

”

—

meaning

,

of

course

,

her

flesh

;

for

he

could

not

have

desired

a

place

to

bury

her

soul

in

,

even

if

the

soul

is

to

be

deemed

mortal

,

and

even

if

it

could

bear

to

be

described

by

the

word

“

dead

.

”

Since

,

then

,

this

word

indicates

the

body

,

it

follows

that

when

“

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

”

is

spoken

of

,

it

is

the

rising

again

of

men’s

bodies

that

is

meant

.

Notes

1
As stated in ch. v.–ix.
2
See ch. xi.
3
As stated in ch. xii. and xiii.
4
See ch. xiv.–xvii.
5
Divinitus.
6
Proscripta.
7
Resurrectio Mortuorum.
8
Gen. iii. 19.
9
John ii. 19.
10
Matt. xxvi. 38.
11
John ii. 21.
12
“Corpse from falling.” This, of course, does not show the connection of the words, like the Latin. [Elucidation I.]
13
Gen. xxiii. 4.