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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 46

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XLVI.—It is the Works of the Flesh, Not the Substance of the Flesh, Which St. Paul Always Condemns.

You may notice that the apostle everywhere condemns the works

‹ Chapter 45 Chapter 47 ›

of

the

flesh

in

such

a

way

as

to

appear

to

condemn

the

flesh

;

but

no

one

can

suppose

him

to

have

any

such

view

as

this

,

since

he

goes

on

to

suggest

another

sense

,

even

though

somewhat

resembling

it

.

For

when

he

actually

declares

that

“

they

who

are

in

the

flesh

cannot

please

God

,

”

he

immediately

recalls

the

statement

from

an

heretical

sense

to

a

sound

one

,

by

adding

,

“

But

ye

are

not

in

the

flesh

,

but

in

the

Spirit

.

”

Now

,

by

denying

them

to

be

in

the

flesh

who

yet

obviously

were

in

the

flesh

,

he

showed

that

they

were

not

living

amidst

the

works

of

the

flesh

,

and

therefore

that

they

who

could

not

please

God

were

not

those

who

were

in

the

flesh

,

but

only

those

who

were

living

after

the

flesh

;

whereas

they

pleased

God

,

who

,

although

existing

in

the

flesh

,

were

yet

walking

after

the

Spirit

.

And

,

again

,

he

says

that

“

the

body

is

dead

;

”

but

it

is

“

because

of

sin

,

”

even

as

“

the

Spirit

is

life

because

of

righteousness

.

”

When

,

however

,

he

thus

sets

life

in

opposition

to

the

death

which

is

constituted

in

the

flesh

,

he

unquestionably

promises

the

life

of

righteousness

to

the

same

state

for

which

he

determined

the

death

of

sin

.

But

unmeaning

is

this

opposition

which

he

makes

between

the

“

life

”

and

the

“

death

,

”

if

the

life

is

not

there

where

that

very

thing

is

to

which

he

opposes

it

—

even

the

death

which

is

to

be

extirpated

of

course

from

the

body

.

Now

,

if

life

thus

extirpates

death

from

the

body

,

it

can

accomplish

this

only

by

penetrating

thither

where

that

is

which

it

is

excluding

.

But

why

am

I

resorting

to

knotty

arguments

,

when

the

apostle

treats

the

subject

with

perfect

plainness

?

“

For

if

,

”

says

he

,

“

the

Spirit

of

Him

that

raised

up

Jesus

from

the

dead

dwell

in

you

,

He

that

raised

up

Jesus

from

the

dead

shall

also

quicken

your

mortal

bodies

,

because

of

His

Spirit

that

dwelleth

in

you

;

”

so

that

even

if

a

person

were

to

assume

that

the

soul

is

“

the

mortal

body

,

”

he

would

(

since

he

cannot

possibly

deny

that

the

flesh

is

this

also

)

be

constrained

to

acknowledge

a

restoration

even

of

the

flesh

,

in

consequence

of

its

participation

in

the

selfsame

state

.

From

the

following

words

,

moreover

,

you

may

learn

that

it

is

the

works

of

the

flesh

which

are

condemned

,

and

not

the

flesh

itself

:

“

Therefore

,

brethren

,

we

are

debtors

,

not

to

the

flesh

,

to

live

after

the

flesh

:

for

if

ye

live

after

the

flesh

ye

shall

die

;

but

if

ye

,

through

the

Spirit

,

do

mortify

the

deeds

of

the

body

,

ye

shall

live

.

”

Now

(

that

I

may

answer

each

point

separately

)

,

since

salvation

is

promised

to

those

who

are

living

in

the

flesh

,

but

walking

after

the

Spirit

,

it

is

no

longer

the

flesh

which

is

an

adversary

to

salvation

,

but

the

working

of

the

flesh

.

When

,

however

,

this

operativeness

of

the

flesh

is

done

away

with

,

which

is

the

cause

of

death

,

the

flesh

is

shown

to

be

safe

,

since

it

is

freed

from

the

cause

of

death

.

“

For

the

law

,

”

says

he

,

“

of

the

Spirit

of

life

in

Christ

Jesus

hath

made

me

free

from

the

law

of

sin

and

death

,

”

—

that

,

surely

,

which

he

previously

mentioned

as

dwelling

in

our

members

.

Our

members

,

therefore

,

will

no

longer

be

subject

to

the

law

of

death

,

because

they

cease

to

serve

that

of

sin

,

from

both

which

they

have

been

set

free

.

“

For

what

the

law

could

not

do

,

in

that

it

was

weak

through

the

flesh

,

God

sending

His

own

Son

in

the

likeness

of

sinful

flesh

,

and

through

sin

condemned

sin

in

the

flesh

,

”

—

not

the

flesh

in

sin

,

for

the

house

is

not

to

be

condemned

with

its

inhabitant

.

He

said

,

indeed

,

that

“

sin

dwelleth

in

our

body

.

”

But

the

condemnation

of

sin

is

the

acquittal

of

the

flesh

,

just

as

its

non

-

condemnation

subjugates

it

to

the

law

of

sin

and

death

.

In

like

manner

,

he

called

“

the

carnal

mind

”

first

“

death

,

”

and

afterwards

“

enmity

against

God

;

”

but

he

never

predicated

this

of

the

flesh

itself

.

But

to

what

then

,

you

will

say

,

must

the

carnal

mind

be

ascribed

,

if

it

be

not

to

the

carnal

substance

itself

?

I

will

allow

your

objection

,

if

you

will

prove

to

me

that

the

flesh

has

any

discernment

of

its

own

.

If

,

however

,

it

has

no

conception

of

anything

without

the

soul

,

you

must

understand

that

the

carnal

mind

must

be

referred

to

the

soul

,

although

ascribed

sometimes

to

the

flesh

,

on

the

ground

that

it

is

ministered

to

for

the

flesh

and

through

the

flesh

.

And

therefore

(

the

apostle

)

says

that

“

sin

dwelleth

in

the

flesh

,

”

because

the

soul

by

which

sin

is

provoked

has

its

temporary

lodging

in

the

flesh

,

which

is

doomed

indeed

to

death

,

not

however

on

its

own

account

,

but

on

account

of

sin

.

For

he

says

in

another

passage

also

:

“

How

is

it

that

you

conduct

yourselves

as

if

you

were

even

now

living

in

the

world

?

”

where

he

is

not

writing

to

dead

persons

,

but

to

those

who

ought

to

have

ceased

to

live

after

the

ways

of

the

world

.

Notes

1
Rom. viii. 8, 9.
2
Ver. 10.
3
Nodosius.
4
Rom. viii. 11.
5
Vers. 12, 13.
6
Ver. 2.
7
Rom. vii. 17, 20, 23.
8
Per delinquentiam: see the De Carne Christi, xvi.
9
Rom. viii. 3.
10
Rom. vii. 20.
11
Rom. viii. 6.
12
Ver. 7.
13
Col. ii. 20.