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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 24

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXIV.—Other Passages Quoted from St. Paul, Which Categorically Assert the Resurrection of the Flesh at the Final Judgment.

The character of these times learn, along with the

‹ Chapter 23 Chapter 25 ›

Thessalonians

.

For

we

read

:

“

How

ye

turned

from

idols

to

serve

the

living

and

true

God

,

and

to

wait

for

His

Son

from

heaven

,

whom

He

raised

from

the

dead

,

even

Jesus

.

”

And

again

:

“

For

what

is

our

hope

,

or

joy

,

or

crown

of

rejoicing

?

Are

not

even

ye

in

the

presence

of

our

Lord

God

,

Jesus

Christ

,

at

His

coming

?

”

Likewise

:

“

Before

God

,

even

our

Father

,

at

the

coming

of

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

with

the

whole

company

of

His

saints

.

”

He

teaches

them

that

they

must

“

not

sorrow

concerning

them

that

are

asleep

,

”

and

at

the

same

time

explains

to

them

the

times

of

the

resurrection

,

saying

,

“

For

if

we

believe

that

Jesus

died

and

rose

again

,

even

so

them

also

which

sleep

in

Jesus

shall

God

bring

with

Him

.

For

this

we

say

unto

you

by

the

word

of

the

Lord

,

that

we

which

are

alive

and

remain

unto

the

coming

of

our

Lord

,

shall

not

prevent

them

that

are

asleep

.

For

the

Lord

Himself

shall

descend

from

heaven

with

a

shout

,

with

the

voice

of

the

archangel

,

and

with

the

trump

of

God

;

and

the

dead

in

Christ

shall

rise

first

:

then

we

which

are

alive

and

remain

shall

be

caught

up

together

with

them

in

the

clouds

,

to

meet

the

Lord

in

the

air

;

and

so

shall

we

be

ever

with

the

Lord

.

”

What

archangel’s

voice

,

(

I

wonder

)

,

what

trump

of

God

is

now

heard

,

except

it

be

,

forsooth

,

in

the

entertainments

of

the

heretics

?

For

,

allowing

that

the

word

of

the

gospel

may

be

called

“

the

trump

of

God

,

”

since

it

was

still

calling

men

,

yet

they

must

at

that

time

either

be

dead

as

to

the

body

,

that

they

may

be

able

to

rise

again

;

and

then

how

are

they

alive

?

Or

else

caught

up

into

the

clouds

;

and

how

then

are

they

here

?

“

Most

miserable

,

”

no

doubt

,

as

the

apostle

declared

them

,

are

they

“

who

in

this

life

only

”

shall

be

found

to

have

hope

:

they

will

have

to

be

excluded

while

they

are

with

premature

haste

seizing

that

which

is

promised

after

this

life

;

erring

concerning

the

truth

,

no

less

than

Phygellus

and

Hermogenes

.

Hence

it

is

that

the

Holy

Ghost

,

in

His

greatness

,

foreseeing

clearly

all

such

interpretations

as

these

,

suggests

(

to

the

apostle

)

,

in

this

very

epistle

of

his

to

the

Thessalonians

,

as

follows

:

“

But

of

the

times

and

the

seasons

,

brethren

,

there

is

no

necessity

for

my

writing

unto

you

.

For

ye

yourselves

know

perfectly

,

that

the

day

of

the

Lord

cometh

as

a

thief

in

the

night

.

For

when

they

shall

say

,

‘

Peace

,

’

and

‘

All

things

are

safe

,

’

then

sudden

destruction

shall

come

upon

them

.

”

Again

,

in

the

second

epistle

he

addresses

them

with

even

greater

earnestness

:

“

Now

I

beseech

you

,

brethren

,

by

the

coming

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

and

by

our

gathering

together

unto

Him

,

that

ye

be

not

soon

shaken

in

mind

,

nor

be

troubled

,

either

by

spirit

,

or

by

word

,

”

that

is

,

the

word

of

false

prophets

,

“

or

by

letter

,

”

that

is

,

the

letter

of

false

apostles

,

“

as

if

from

us

,

as

that

the

day

of

the

Lord

is

at

hand

.

Let

no

man

deceive

you

by

any

means

.

For

that

day

shall

not

come

,

unless

indeed

there

first

come

a

falling

away

,

”

he

means

indeed

of

this

present

empire

,

“

and

that

man

of

sin

be

revealed

,

”

that

is

to

say

,

Antichrist

,

“

the

son

of

perdition

,

who

opposeth

and

exalteth

himself

above

all

that

is

called

God

or

religion

;

so

that

he

sitteth

in

the

temple

of

God

,

affirming

that

he

is

God

.

Remember

ye

not

,

that

when

I

was

with

you

,

I

used

to

tell

you

these

things

?

And

now

ye

know

what

detaineth

,

that

he

might

be

revealed

in

his

time

.

For

the

mystery

of

iniquity

doth

already

work

;

only

he

who

now

hinders

must

hinder

,

until

he

be

taken

out

of

the

way

.

”

What

obstacle

is

there

but

the

Roman

state

,

the

falling

away

of

which

,

by

being

scattered

into

ten

kingdoms

,

shall

introduce

Antichrist

upon

(

its

own

ruins

)

?

“

And

then

shall

be

revealed

the

wicked

one

,

whom

the

Lord

shall

consume

with

the

spirit

of

His

mouth

,

and

shall

destroy

with

the

brightness

of

His

coming

:

even

him

whose

coming

is

after

the

working

of

Satan

,

with

all

power

,

and

signs

,

and

lying

wonders

,

and

with

all

deceivableness

of

unrighteousness

in

them

that

perish

.

”

Notes

1
1 Thess. i. 9, 10.
2
1 Thess. ii. 19. Some mss. omit “God.”
3
1 Thess. iii. 13.
4
1 Thess. iv. 13–17.
5
1 Cor. xv. 19.
6
2 Tim. i. 15.
7
1 Thess. v. 1–3.
8
2 Thess. ii. 1–7.
9
2 Thess. ii. 8–10.