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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 20

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XX.—Figurative Senses Have Their Foundation in Literal Fact. Besides, the Allegorical Style is by No Means the Only One Found in the Prophetic Scriptures, as Alleged by the Heretics.

Now, to upset all conceits of this sort,

‹ Chapter 19 Chapter 21 ›

let

me

dispel

at

once

the

preliminary

idea

on

which

they

rest

—

their

assertion

that

the

prophets

make

all

their

announcements

in

figures

of

speech

.

Now

,

if

this

were

the

case

,

the

figures

themselves

could

not

possibly

have

been

distinguished

,

inasmuch

as

the

verities

would

not

have

been

declared

,

out

of

which

the

figurative

language

is

stretched

.

And

,

indeed

,

if

all

are

figures

,

where

will

be

that

of

which

they

are

the

figures

?

How

can

you

hold

up

a

mirror

for

your

face

,

if

the

face

nowhere

exists

?

But

,

in

truth

,

all

are

not

figures

,

but

there

are

also

literal

statements

;

nor

are

all

shadows

,

but

there

are

bodies

too

:

so

that

we

have

prophecies

about

the

Lord

Himself

even

,

which

are

clearer

than

the

day

.

For

it

was

not

figuratively

that

the

Virgin

conceived

in

her

womb

;

nor

in

a

trope

did

she

bear

Emmanuel

,

that

is

,

Jesus

,

God

with

us

.

Even

granting

that

He

was

figuratively

to

take

the

power

of

Damascus

and

the

spoils

of

Samaria

,

still

it

was

literally

that

He

was

to

“

enter

into

judgment

with

the

elders

and

princes

of

the

people

.

”

For

in

the

person

of

Pilate

“

the

heathen

raged

,

”

and

in

the

person

of

Israel

“

the

people

imagined

vain

things

;

”

“

the

kings

of

the

earth

”

in

Herod

,

and

the

rulers

in

Annas

and

Caiaphas

,

were

gathered

together

“

against

the

Lord

,

and

against

His

anointed

.

”

He

,

again

,

was

“

led

as

a

sheep

to

the

slaughter

,

and

as

a

sheep

before

the

shearer

,

”

that

is

,

Herod

,

“

is

dumb

,

so

He

opened

not

His

mouth

.

”

“

He

gave

His

back

to

scourges

,

and

His

cheeks

to

blows

,

not

turning

His

face

even

from

the

shame

of

spitting

.

”

“

He

was

numbered

with

the

transgressors

;

”

“

He

was

pierced

in

His

hands

and

His

feet

;

”

“

they

cast

lots

for

his

raiment

;

”

“

they

gave

Him

gall

,

and

made

Him

drink

vinegar

;

”

“

they

shook

their

heads

,

and

mocked

Him

;

”

“

He

was

appraised

by

the

traitor

in

thirty

pieces

of

silver

.

”

What

figures

of

speech

does

Isaiah

here

give

us

?

What

tropes

does

David

?

What

allegories

does

Jeremiah

?

Not

even

of

His

mighty

works

have

they

used

parabolic

language

.

Or

else

,

were

not

the

eyes

of

the

blind

opened

?

did

not

the

tongue

of

the

dumb

recover

speech

?

did

not

the

relaxed

hands

and

palsied

knees

become

strong

,

and

the

lame

leap

as

an

hart

?

No

doubt

we

are

accustomed

also

to

give

a

spiritual

significance

to

these

statements

of

prophecy

,

according

to

the

analogy

of

the

physical

diseases

which

were

healed

by

the

Lord

;

but

still

they

were

all

fulfilled

literally

:

thus

showing

that

the

prophets

foretold

both

senses

,

except

that

very

many

of

their

words

can

only

be

taken

in

a

pure

and

simple

signification

,

and

free

from

all

allegorical

obscurity

;

as

when

we

hear

of

the

downfall

of

nations

and

cities

,

of

Tyre

and

Egypt

,

and

Babylon

and

Edom

,

and

the

navy

of

Carthage

;

also

when

they

foretell

Israel’s

own

chastisements

and

pardons

,

its

captivities

,

restorations

,

and

at

last

its

final

dispersion

.

Who

would

prefer

affixing

a

metaphorical

interpretation

to

all

these

events

,

instead

of

accepting

their

literal

truth

?

The

realities

are

involved

in

the

words

,

just

as

the

words

are

read

in

the

realities

.

Thus

,

then

,

(

we

find

that

)

the

allegorical

style

is

not

used

in

all

parts

of

the

prophetic

record

,

although

it

occasionally

occurs

in

certain

portions

of

it

.

Notes

1
Isa. vii. 14; Matt. i. 23.
2
Isa. viii. 4.
3
Isa. iii. 13.
4
Ps. ii. 1, 2.
5
Isa. liii. 7.
6
Isa. l. 6, Sept.
7
Isa. liii. 12.
8
Ps. xxii. 17.
9
Ver. 18.
10
Ps. lxix. 22. Tertullian only briefly gives the sense in two words: et potus amaros.
11
Ps. xxii. 8.
12
Zech. xi. 12.
13
Isa. xxxv. 5.
14
Ver. 3.
15
Ver. 6.