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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 26

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXVI.—Even the Metaphorical Descriptions of This Subject in the Scriptures Point to the Bodily Resurrection, the Only Sense Which Secures Their Consistency and Dignity.

To a preceding objection, that the Scriptures are allegorical

‹ Chapter 25 Chapter 27 ›

,

I

have

still

one

answer

to

make

—

that

it

is

open

to

us

also

to

defend

the

bodily

character

of

the

resurrection

by

means

of

the

language

of

the

prophets

,

which

is

equally

figurative

.

For

consider

that

primeval

sentence

which

God

spake

when

He

called

man

earth

;

saying

,

“

Earth

thou

art

,

and

to

earth

shalt

thou

return

.

”

In

respect

,

of

course

,

to

his

fleshly

substance

,

which

had

been

taken

out

of

the

ground

,

and

which

was

the

first

to

receive

the

name

of

man

,

as

we

have

already

shown

,

does

not

this

passage

give

one

instruction

to

interpret

in

relation

to

the

flesh

also

whatever

of

wrath

or

of

grace

God

has

determined

for

the

earth

,

because

,

strictly

speaking

,

the

earth

is

not

exposed

to

His

judgment

,

since

it

has

never

done

any

good

or

evil

?

“

Cursed

,

”

no

doubt

,

it

was

,

for

it

drank

the

blood

of

man

;

but

even

this

was

as

a

figure

of

homicidal

flesh

.

For

if

the

earth

has

to

suffer

either

joy

or

injury

,

it

is

simply

on

man’s

account

,

that

he

may

suffer

the

joy

or

the

sorrow

through

the

events

which

happen

to

his

dwelling

-

place

,

whereby

he

will

rather

have

to

pay

the

penalty

which

,

simply

on

his

account

,

even

the

earth

must

suffer

.

When

,

therefore

,

God

even

threatens

the

earth

,

I

would

prefer

saying

that

He

threatens

the

flesh

:

so

likewise

,

when

He

makes

a

promise

to

the

earth

,

I

would

rather

understand

Him

as

promising

the

flesh

;

as

in

that

passage

of

David

:

“

The

Lord

is

King

,

let

the

earth

be

glad

,

”

—

meaning

the

flesh

of

the

saints

,

to

which

appertains

the

enjoyment

of

the

kingdom

of

God

.

Then

he

afterwards

says

:

“

The

earth

saw

and

trembled

;

the

mountains

melted

like

wax

at

the

presence

of

the

Lord

,

”

—

meaning

,

no

doubt

the

flesh

of

the

wicked

;

and

(

in

a

similar

sense

)

it

is

written

:

“

For

they

shall

look

on

Him

whom

they

pierced

.

”

If

indeed

it

will

be

thought

that

both

these

passages

were

pronounced

simply

of

the

element

earth

,

how

can

it

be

consistent

that

it

should

shake

and

melt

at

the

presence

of

the

Lord

,

at

whose

royal

dignity

it

before

exulted

?

So

again

in

Isaiah

,

“

Ye

shall

eat

the

good

of

the

land

,

”

the

expression

means

the

blessings

which

await

the

flesh

when

in

the

kingdom

of

God

it

shall

be

renewed

,

and

made

like

the

angels

,

and

waiting

to

obtain

the

things

“

which

neither

eye

hath

seen

,

nor

ear

heard

,

and

which

have

not

entered

into

the

heart

of

man

.

”

Otherwise

,

how

vain

that

God

should

invite

men

to

obedience

by

the

fruits

of

the

field

and

the

elements

of

this

life

,

when

He

dispenses

these

to

even

irreligious

men

and

blasphemers

;

on

a

general

condition

once

for

all

made

to

man

,

“

sending

rain

on

the

good

and

on

the

evil

,

and

making

His

sun

to

shine

on

the

just

and

on

the

unjust

!

”

Happy

,

no

doubt

,

is

faith

,

if

it

is

to

obtain

gifts

which

the

enemies

of

God

and

Christ

not

only

use

,

but

even

abuse

,

“

worshipping

the

creature

itself

in

opposition

to

the

Creator

!

”

You

will

reckon

,

(

I

suppose

)

onions

and

truffles

among

earth’s

bounties

,

since

the

Lord

declares

that

“

man

shall

not

live

on

bread

alone

!

”

In

this

way

the

Jews

lose

heavenly

blessings

,

by

confining

their

hopes

to

earthly

ones

,

being

ignorant

of

the

promise

of

heavenly

bread

,

and

of

the

oil

of

God’s

unction

,

and

the

wine

of

the

Spirit

,

and

of

that

water

of

life

which

has

its

vigour

from

the

vine

of

Christ

.

On

exactly

the

same

principle

,

they

consider

the

special

soil

of

Judæa

to

be

that

very

holy

land

,

which

ought

rather

to

be

interpreted

of

the

Lord’s

flesh

,

which

,

in

all

those

who

put

on

Christ

,

is

thenceforward

the

holy

land

;

holy

indeed

by

the

indwelling

of

the

Holy

Ghost

,

truly

flowing

with

milk

and

honey

by

the

sweetness

of

His

assurance

,

truly

Judæan

by

reason

of

the

friendship

of

God

.

For

“

he

is

not

a

Jew

which

is

one

outwardly

,

but

he

who

is

one

inwardly

.

”

In

the

same

way

it

is

that

both

God’s

temple

and

Jerusalem

(

must

be

understood

)

when

it

is

said

by

Isaiah

:

“

Awake

,

awake

,

O

Jerusalem

!

put

on

the

strength

of

thine

arm

;

awake

,

as

in

thine

earliest

time

,

”

that

is

to

say

,

in

that

innocence

which

preceded

the

fall

into

sin

.

For

how

can

words

of

this

kind

of

exhortation

and

invitation

be

suitable

for

that

Jerusalem

which

killed

the

prophets

,

and

stoned

those

that

were

sent

to

them

,

and

at

last

crucified

its

very

Lord

?

Neither

indeed

is

salvation

promised

to

any

one

land

at

all

,

which

must

needs

pass

away

with

the

fashion

of

the

whole

world

.

Even

if

anybody

should

venture

strongly

to

contend

that

paradise

is

the

holy

land

,

which

it

may

be

possible

to

designate

as

the

land

of

our

first

parents

Adam

and

Eve

,

it

will

even

then

follow

that

the

restoration

of

paradise

will

seem

to

be

promised

to

the

flesh

,

whose

lot

it

was

to

inhabit

and

keep

it

,

in

order

that

man

may

be

recalled

thereto

just

such

as

he

was

driven

from

it

.

Notes

1
Gen. iii. 19.
2
See above, ch. v.
3
Gen. iv. 11.
4
Ps. xcvii. 1.
5
Zech. xii. 10.
6
Isa. i. 19.
7
1 Cor. ii. 9.
8
Matt. v. 45.
9
Rom. i. 25.
10
Matt. iv. 4.
11
Rom. ii. 28, 29.
12
Isa. li. 9, Sept.