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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 41

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XLI.—The Dissolution of Our Tabernacle Consistent with the Resurrection of Our Bodies.

It is still the same sentiment which he follows up

‹ Chapter 40 Chapter 42 ›

in

the

passage

in

which

he

puts

the

recompense

above

the

sufferings

:

“

for

we

know

;

”

he

says

,

“

that

if

our

earthly

house

of

this

tabernacle

were

dissolved

,

we

have

a

house

not

made

with

hands

,

eternal

in

the

heavens

;

”

in

other

words

,

owing

to

the

fact

that

our

flesh

is

undergoing

dissolution

through

its

sufferings

,

we

shall

be

provided

with

a

home

in

heaven

.

He

remembered

the

award

(

which

the

Lord

assigns

)

in

the

Gospel

:

“

Blessed

are

they

who

are

persecuted

for

righteousness

’

sake

,

for

theirs

is

the

kingdom

of

heaven

.

”

Yet

,

when

he

thus

contrasted

the

recompense

of

the

reward

,

he

did

not

deny

the

flesh’s

restoration

;

since

the

recompense

is

due

to

the

same

substance

to

which

the

dissolution

is

attributed

,

—

that

is

,

of

course

,

the

flesh

.

Because

,

however

,

he

had

called

the

flesh

a

house

,

he

wished

elegantly

to

use

the

same

term

in

his

comparison

of

the

ultimate

reward

;

promising

to

the

very

house

,

which

undergoes

dissolution

through

suffering

,

a

better

house

through

the

resurrection

.

Just

as

the

Lord

also

promises

us

many

mansions

as

of

a

house

in

His

Father’s

home

;

although

this

may

possibly

be

understood

of

the

domicile

of

this

world

,

on

the

dissolution

of

whose

fabric

an

eternal

abode

is

promised

in

heaven

,

inasmuch

as

the

following

context

,

having

a

manifest

reference

to

the

flesh

,

seems

to

show

that

these

preceding

words

have

no

such

reference

.

For

the

apostle

makes

a

distinction

,

when

he

goes

on

to

say

,

“

For

in

this

we

groan

,

earnestly

desiring

to

be

clothed

upon

with

our

house

which

is

from

heaven

,

if

so

be

that

being

clothed

we

shall

not

be

found

naked

;

”

which

means

,

before

we

put

off

the

garment

of

the

flesh

,

we

wish

to

be

clothed

with

the

celestial

glory

of

immortality

.

Now

the

privilege

of

this

favour

awaits

those

who

shall

at

the

coming

of

the

Lord

be

found

in

the

flesh

,

and

who

shall

,

owing

to

the

oppressions

of

the

time

of

Antichrist

,

deserve

by

an

instantaneous

death

,

which

is

accomplished

by

a

sudden

change

,

to

become

qualified

to

join

the

rising

saints

;

as

he

writes

to

the

Thessalonians

:

“

For

this

we

say

unto

you

by

the

word

of

the

Lord

,

that

we

which

are

alive

and

remain

unto

the

coming

of

the

Lord

shall

not

prevent

them

which

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

too

shall

ourselves

be

caught

up

together

with

them

in

the

clouds

,

to

meet

the

Lord

in

the

air

:

and

so

shall

we

ever

be

with

the

Lord

.

”

Notes

1
2 Cor. v. 1.
2
Matt. v. 10.
3
John xiv. 2.
4
2 Cor. v. 2, 3.
5
Compendio mortis. Compare our Anti-Marcion for the same thoughts and words, v. 12. [p. 455, supra.]
6
1 Thess. iv. 15–17.