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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 40

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XL.—Sundry Passages of St. Paul Which Attest Our Doctrine Rescued from the Perversions of Heresy.

Now it is no matter of surprise if arguments are

‹ Chapter 39 Chapter 41 ›

captiously

taken

from

the

writings

of

(

the

apostle

)

himself

,

inasmuch

as

there

“

must

needs

be

heresies

;

”

but

these

could

not

be

,

if

the

Scriptures

were

not

capable

of

a

false

interpretation

.

Well

,

then

,

heresies

finding

that

the

apostle

had

mentioned

two

“

men

”

—

“

the

inner

man

,

”

that

is

,

the

soul

,

and

“

the

outward

man

,

”

that

is

,

the

flesh

—

awarded

salvation

to

the

soul

or

inward

man

,

and

destruction

to

the

flesh

or

outward

man

,

because

it

is

written

(

in

the

Epistle

)

to

the

Corinthians

:

“

Though

our

outward

man

decayeth

,

yet

the

inward

man

is

renewed

day

by

day

.

”

Now

,

neither

the

soul

by

itself

alone

is

“

man

”

(

it

was

subsequently

implanted

in

the

clayey

mould

to

which

the

name

man

had

been

already

given

)

,

nor

is

the

flesh

without

the

soul

“

man

”

:

for

after

the

exile

of

the

soul

from

it

,

it

has

the

title

of

corpse

.

Thus

the

designation

man

is

,

in

a

certain

sense

,

the

bond

between

the

two

closely

united

substances

,

under

which

designation

they

cannot

but

be

coherent

natures

.

As

for

the

inward

man

,

indeed

,

the

apostle

prefers

its

being

regarded

as

the

mind

and

heart

rather

than

the

soul

;

in

other

words

,

not

so

much

the

substance

itself

as

the

savour

of

the

substance

.

Thus

when

,

writing

to

the

Ephesians

,

he

spoke

of

“

Christ

dwelling

in

their

inner

man

,

”

he

meant

,

no

doubt

,

that

the

Lord

ought

to

be

admitted

into

their

senses

.

He

then

added

,

“

in

your

hearts

by

faith

,

rooted

and

grounded

in

love

,

”

—

making

“

faith

”

and

“

love

”

not

substantial

parts

,

but

only

conceptions

of

the

soul

.

But

when

he

used

the

phrase

“

in

your

hearts

,

”

seeing

that

these

are

substantial

parts

of

the

flesh

,

he

at

once

assigned

to

the

flesh

the

actual

“

inward

man

,

”

which

he

placed

in

the

heart

.

Consider

now

in

what

sense

he

alleged

that

“

the

outward

man

decayeth

,

while

the

inward

man

is

renewed

day

by

day

.

”

You

certainly

would

not

maintain

that

he

could

mean

that

corruption

of

the

flesh

which

it

undergoes

from

the

moment

of

death

,

in

its

appointed

state

of

perpetual

decay

;

but

the

wear

and

tear

which

for

the

name

of

Christ

it

experiences

during

its

course

of

life

before

and

until

death

,

in

harassing

cares

and

tribulations

as

well

as

in

tortures

and

persecutions

.

Now

the

inward

man

will

have

,

of

course

,

to

be

renewed

by

the

suggestion

of

the

Spirit

,

advancing

by

faith

and

holiness

day

after

day

,

here

in

this

life

,

not

there

after

the

resurrection

,

were

our

renewal

is

not

a

gradual

process

from

day

to

day

,

but

a

consummation

once

for

all

complete

.

You

may

learn

this

,

too

,

from

the

following

passage

,

where

the

apostle

says

:

“

For

our

light

affliction

,

which

is

but

for

a

moment

,

worketh

for

us

a

far

more

exceeding

and

eternal

weight

of

glory

;

while

we

look

not

at

the

things

which

are

seen

,

”

that

is

,

our

sufferings

,

“

but

at

the

things

which

are

not

seen

,

”

that

is

,

our

rewards

:

“

for

the

things

which

are

seen

are

temporal

,

but

the

things

which

are

not

seen

are

eternal

.

”

For

the

afflictions

and

injuries

wherewith

the

outward

man

is

worn

away

,

he

affirms

to

be

only

worthy

of

being

despised

by

us

,

as

being

light

and

temporary

;

preferring

those

eternal

recompenses

which

are

also

invisible

,

and

that

“

weight

of

glory

”

which

will

be

a

counterpoise

for

the

labours

in

the

endurance

of

which

the

flesh

here

suffers

decay

.

So

that

the

subject

in

this

passage

is

not

that

corruption

which

they

ascribe

to

the

outward

man

in

the

utter

destruction

of

the

flesh

,

with

the

view

of

nullifying

the

resurrection

.

So

also

he

says

elsewhere

:

“

If

so

be

that

we

suffer

with

Him

,

that

we

may

be

also

glorified

together

;

for

I

reckon

that

the

sufferings

of

the

present

time

are

not

worthy

to

be

compared

with

the

glory

that

shall

be

revealed

in

us

.

”

Here

again

he

shows

us

that

our

sufferings

are

less

than

their

rewards

.

Now

,

since

it

is

through

the

flesh

that

we

suffer

with

Christ

—

for

it

is

the

property

of

the

flesh

to

be

worn

by

sufferings

—

to

the

same

flesh

belongs

the

recompense

which

is

promised

for

suffering

with

Christ

.

Accordingly

,

when

he

is

going

to

assign

afflictions

to

the

flesh

as

its

especial

liability

—

according

to

the

statement

he

had

already

made

—

he

says

,

“

When

we

were

come

into

Macedonia

,

our

flesh

had

no

rest

;

”

then

,

in

order

to

make

the

soul

a

fellow

-

sufferer

with

the

body

,

he

adds

,

“

We

were

troubled

on

every

side

;

without

were

fightings

,

”

which

of

course

warred

down

the

flesh

,

“

within

were

fears

,

”

which

afflicted

the

soul

.

Although

,

therefore

,

the

outward

man

decays

—

not

in

the

sense

of

missing

the

resurrection

,

but

of

enduring

tribulation

—

it

will

be

understood

from

this

scripture

that

it

is

not

exposed

to

its

suffering

without

the

inward

man

.

Both

therefore

,

will

be

glorified

together

,

even

as

they

have

suffered

together

.

Parallel

with

their

participation

in

troubles

,

must

necessarily

run

their

association

also

in

rewards

.

Notes

1
1 Cor. xi. 19.
2
2 Cor. iv. 16.
3
Animum.
4
Animam.
5
Eph. iii. 17.
6
2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.
7
Rom. viii. 17, 18.
8
2 Cor. vii. 5.
9
Same verse.