Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 37

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXVII.—Christ’s Assertion About the Unprofitableness of the Flesh Explained Consistently with Our Doctrine.

He says, it is true, that “the

‹ Chapter 36 Chapter 38 ›

flesh

profiteth

nothing

;

”

but

then

,

as

in

the

former

case

,

the

meaning

must

be

regulated

by

the

subject

which

is

spoken

of

.

Now

,

because

they

thought

His

discourse

was

harsh

and

intolerable

,

supposing

that

He

had

really

and

literally

enjoined

on

them

to

eat

his

flesh

,

He

,

with

the

view

of

ordering

the

state

of

salvation

as

a

spiritual

thing

,

set

out

with

the

principle

,

“

It

is

the

spirit

that

quickeneth

;

”

and

then

added

,

“

The

flesh

profiteth

nothing

,

”

—

meaning

,

of

course

,

to

the

giving

of

life

.

He

also

goes

on

to

explain

what

He

would

have

us

to

understand

by

spirit

:

“

The

words

that

I

speak

unto

you

,

they

are

spirit

,

and

they

are

life

.

”

In

a

like

sense

He

had

previously

said

:

“

He

that

heareth

my

words

,

and

believeth

on

Him

that

sent

me

,

hath

everlasting

life

,

and

shall

not

come

into

condemnation

,

but

shall

pass

from

death

unto

life

.

”

Constituting

,

therefore

,

His

word

as

the

life

-

giving

principle

,

because

that

word

is

spirit

and

life

,

He

likewise

called

His

flesh

by

the

same

appellation

;

because

,

too

,

the

Word

had

become

flesh

,

we

ought

therefore

to

desire

Him

in

order

that

we

may

have

life

,

and

to

devour

Him

with

the

ear

,

and

to

ruminate

on

Him

with

the

understanding

,

and

to

digest

Him

by

faith

.

Now

,

just

before

(

the

passage

in

hand

)

,

He

had

declared

His

flesh

to

be

“

the

bread

which

cometh

down

from

heaven

,

”

impressing

on

(

His

hearers

)

constantly

under

the

figure

of

necessary

food

the

memory

of

their

forefathers

,

who

had

preferred

the

bread

and

flesh

of

Egypt

to

their

divine

calling

.

Then

,

turning

His

subject

to

their

reflections

,

because

He

perceived

that

they

were

going

to

be

scattered

from

Him

,

He

says

:

“

The

flesh

profiteth

nothing

.

”

Now

what

is

there

to

destroy

the

resurrection

of

the

flesh

?

As

if

there

might

not

reasonably

enough

be

something

which

,

although

it

“

profiteth

nothing

”

itself

,

might

yet

be

capable

of

being

profited

by

something

else

.

The

spirit

“

profiteth

,

”

for

it

imparts

life

.

The

flesh

profiteth

nothing

,

for

it

is

subject

to

death

.

Therefore

He

has

rather

put

the

two

propositions

in

a

way

which

favours

our

belief

:

for

by

showing

what

“

profits

,

”

and

what

“

does

not

profit

,

”

He

has

likewise

thrown

light

on

the

object

which

receives

as

well

as

the

subject

which

gives

the

“

profit

.

”

Thus

,

in

the

present

instance

,

we

have

the

Spirit

giving

life

to

the

flesh

which

has

been

subdued

by

death

;

for

“

the

hour

,

”

says

He

,

“

is

coming

,

when

the

dead

shall

hear

the

voice

of

the

Son

of

God

,

and

they

that

hear

shall

live

.

”

Now

,

what

is

“

the

dead

”

but

the

flesh

?

and

what

is

“

the

voice

of

God

”

but

the

Word

?

and

what

is

the

Word

but

the

Spirit

,

who

shall

justly

raise

the

flesh

which

He

had

once

Himself

become

,

and

that

too

from

death

,

which

He

Himself

suffered

,

and

from

the

grave

,

which

He

Himself

once

entered

?

Then

again

,

when

He

says

,

“

Marvel

not

at

this

:

for

the

hour

is

coming

,

in

which

all

that

are

in

the

graves

shall

hear

the

voice

of

the

Son

of

God

,

and

shall

come

forth

;

they

that

have

done

good

,

to

the

resurrection

of

life

;

and

they

that

have

done

evil

,

unto

the

resurrection

of

damnation

,

”

—

none

will

after

such

words

be

able

to

interpret

the

dead

“

that

are

in

the

graves

”

as

any

other

than

the

bodies

of

the

flesh

,

because

the

graves

themselves

are

nothing

but

the

resting

-

place

of

corpses

:

for

it

is

incontestable

that

even

those

who

partake

of

“

the

old

man

,

”

that

is

to

say

,

sinful

men

—

in

other

words

,

those

who

are

dead

through

their

ignorance

of

God

(

whom

our

heretics

,

forsooth

,

foolishly

insist

on

understanding

by

the

word

“

graves

”

)

—

are

plainly

here

spoken

of

as

having

to

come

from

their

graves

for

judgment

.

But

how

are

graves

to

come

forth

from

graves

?

Notes

1
John vi. 63.
2
John v. 24.
3
John i. 14.
4
John vi. 51.
5
John vi. 31, 49, 58.
6
John v. 25.
7
The divine nature of the Son. See our Anti-Marcion, pp. 129, 247, note 7, Edin.
8
John v. 28, 29.
9
Compare c. xix. above.