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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 23

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXIII.—Sundry Passages of St. Paul, Which Speak of a Spiritual Resurrection, Compatible with the Future Resurrection of the Body, Which is Even Assumed in Them.

The apostle indeed teaches, in his Epistle to the

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

Colossians

,

that

we

were

once

dead

,

alienated

,

and

enemies

to

the

Lord

in

our

minds

,

whilst

we

were

living

in

wicked

works

;

that

we

were

then

buried

with

Christ

in

baptism

,

and

also

raised

again

with

Him

through

the

faith

of

the

operation

of

God

,

who

hath

raised

Him

from

the

dead

.

“

And

you

,

(

adds

he

)

,

when

ye

were

dead

in

sins

and

the

uncircumcision

of

your

flesh

,

hath

He

quickened

together

with

Him

,

having

forgiven

you

all

trespasses

.

”

And

again

:

“

If

ye

are

dead

with

Christ

from

the

elements

of

the

world

,

why

,

as

though

living

in

the

world

,

are

ye

subject

to

ordinances

?

”

Now

,

since

he

makes

us

spiritually

dead

—

in

such

a

way

,

however

,

as

to

allow

that

we

shall

one

day

have

to

undergo

a

bodily

death

,

—

so

,

considering

indeed

that

we

have

been

also

raised

in

a

like

spiritual

sense

,

he

equally

allows

that

we

shall

further

have

to

undergo

a

bodily

resurrection

.

In

so

many

words

he

says

:

“

Since

ye

are

risen

with

Christ

,

seek

those

things

which

are

above

,

where

Christ

sitteth

at

the

right

hand

of

God

.

Set

your

affection

on

things

above

,

not

on

things

on

the

earth

.

”

Accordingly

,

it

is

in

our

mind

that

he

shows

that

we

rise

(

with

Christ

)

,

since

it

is

by

this

alone

that

we

are

as

yet

able

to

reach

to

heavenly

objects

.

These

we

should

not

“

seek

,

”

nor

“

set

our

affection

on

,

”

if

we

had

them

already

in

our

possession

.

He

also

adds

:

“

For

ye

are

dead

”

—

to

your

sins

,

he

means

,

not

to

yourselves

—

“

and

your

life

is

hid

with

Christ

in

God

.

”

Now

that

life

is

not

yet

apprehended

which

is

hidden

.

In

like

manner

John

says

:

“

And

it

doth

not

yet

appear

what

we

shall

be

:

we

know

,

however

,

that

when

He

shall

be

manifest

,

we

shall

be

like

Him

.

”

We

are

far

indeed

from

being

already

what

we

know

not

of

;

we

should

,

of

course

,

be

sure

to

know

it

if

we

were

already

(

like

Him

)

.

It

is

therefore

the

contemplation

of

our

blessed

hope

even

in

this

life

by

faith

(

that

he

speaks

of

)

—

not

its

presence

nor

its

possession

,

but

only

its

expectation

.

Concerning

this

expectation

and

hope

Paul

writes

to

the

Galatians

:

“

For

we

through

the

Spirit

wait

for

the

hope

of

righteousness

by

faith

.

”

He

says

“

we

wait

for

it

,

”

not

we

are

in

possession

of

it

.

By

the

righteousness

of

God

,

he

means

that

judgment

which

we

shall

have

to

undergo

as

the

recompense

of

our

deeds

.

It

is

in

expectation

of

this

for

himself

that

the

apostle

writes

to

the

Philippians

:

“

If

by

any

means

,

”

says

he

,

“

I

might

attain

to

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

.

Not

as

though

I

had

already

attained

,

or

were

already

perfect

.

”

And

yet

he

had

believed

,

and

had

known

all

mysteries

,

as

an

elect

vessel

and

the

great

teacher

of

the

Gentiles

;

but

for

all

that

he

goes

on

to

say

:

“

I

,

however

,

follow

on

,

if

so

be

I

may

apprehend

that

for

which

I

also

am

apprehended

of

Christ

.

”

Nay

,

more

:

“

Brethren

,

”

(

he

adds

)

,

“

I

count

not

myself

to

have

apprehended

:

but

this

one

thing

(

I

do

)

,

forgetting

those

things

which

are

behind

,

and

reaching

forth

unto

those

things

which

are

before

,

I

press

toward

the

mark

for

the

prize

of

blamelessness

,

whereby

I

may

attain

it

;

”

meaning

the

resurrection

from

the

dead

in

its

proper

time

.

Even

as

he

says

to

the

Galatians

:

“

Let

us

not

be

weary

in

well

-

doing

:

for

in

due

season

we

shall

reap

.

”

Similarly

,

concerning

Onesiphorus

,

does

he

also

write

to

Timothy

:

“

The

Lord

grant

unto

him

that

he

may

find

mercy

in

that

day

;

”

unto

which

day

and

time

he

charges

Timothy

himself

“

to

keep

what

had

been

committed

to

his

care

,

without

spot

,

unrebukable

,

until

the

appearing

of

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

:

which

in

His

times

He

shall

show

,

who

is

the

blessed

and

only

Potentate

,

the

King

of

kings

and

Lord

of

lords

,

”

speaking

of

(

Him

as

)

God

.

It

is

to

these

same

times

that

Peter

in

the

Acts

refers

,

when

he

says

:

“

Repent

ye

therefore

,

and

be

converted

,

that

your

sins

may

be

blotted

out

,

when

the

times

of

refreshing

shall

come

from

the

presence

of

the

Lord

;

and

He

shall

send

Jesus

Christ

,

which

before

was

preached

unto

you

:

whom

the

heaven

must

receive

until

the

times

of

restitution

of

all

things

,

which

God

hath

spoken

by

the

mouth

of

His

holy

prophets

.

”

Notes

1
Col. i. 21.
2
Col. ii. 12.
3
Ver. 13.
4
Ver. 20. The last clause in Tertullian is, “Quomodo sententiam fertis?”
5
Denique.
6
Col. iii. 1, 2.
7
Ver. 3.
8
1 John iii. 2.
9
Gal. v. 5.
10
Phil. iii. 11, 12.
11
Ver. 12.
12
Vers. 13, 14. In the last clause Tertullian reads τῆς ἀνεγκλήσεως blamelessness, or purity, instead of τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως "our high calling.”
13
Gal. vi. 9.
14
2 Tim. i. 18.
15
1 Tim. vi. 14, 15, 20.
16
Acts iii. 19–21.