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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 60

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter LX.—All the Characteristics of Our Bodies—Sex, Various Limbs, Etc.—Will Be Retained, Whatever Change of Functions These May Have, of Which Point, However, We are No Judges. Analogy of the Repaired Ship.

But behold how persistently they still accumulate their cavils

‹ Chapter 59 Chapter 61 ›

against

the

flesh

,

especially

against

its

identity

,

deriving

their

arguments

even

from

the

functions

of

our

limbs

;

on

the

one

hand

saying

that

these

ought

to

continue

permanently

pursuing

their

labours

and

enjoyments

,

as

appendages

to

the

same

corporeal

frame

;

and

on

the

other

hand

contending

that

,

inasmuch

as

the

functions

of

the

limbs

shall

one

day

come

to

an

end

,

the

bodily

frame

itself

must

be

destroyed

,

its

permanence

without

its

limbs

being

deemed

to

be

as

inconceivable

,

as

that

of

the

limbs

themselves

without

their

functions

!

What

,

they

ask

,

will

then

be

the

use

of

the

cavity

of

our

mouth

,

and

its

rows

of

teeth

,

and

the

passage

of

the

throat

,

and

the

branch

-

way

of

the

stomach

,

and

the

gulf

of

the

belly

,

and

the

entangled

tissue

of

the

bowels

,

when

there

shall

no

longer

be

room

for

eating

and

drinking

?

What

more

will

there

be

for

these

members

to

take

in

,

masticate

,

swallow

,

secrete

,

digest

,

eject

?

Of

what

avail

will

be

our

very

hands

,

and

feet

,

and

all

our

labouring

limbs

,

when

even

all

care

about

food

shall

cease

?

What

purpose

can

be

served

by

loins

,

conscious

of

seminal

secretions

,

and

all

the

other

organs

of

generation

,

in

the

two

sexes

,

and

the

laboratories

of

embryos

,

and

the

fountains

of

the

breast

,

when

concubinage

,

and

pregnancy

,

and

infant

nurture

shall

cease

?

In

short

,

what

will

be

the

use

of

the

entire

body

,

when

the

entire

body

shall

become

useless

?

In

reply

to

all

this

,

we

have

then

already

settled

the

principle

that

the

dispensation

of

the

future

state

ought

not

to

be

compared

with

that

of

the

present

world

,

and

that

in

the

interval

between

them

a

change

will

take

place

;

and

we

now

add

the

remark

,

that

these

functions

of

our

bodily

limbs

will

continue

to

supply

the

needs

of

this

life

up

to

the

moment

when

life

itself

shall

pass

away

from

time

to

eternity

,

as

the

natural

body

gives

place

to

the

spiritual

,

until

“

this

mortal

puts

on

immorality

,

and

this

corruptible

puts

on

incorruption

:

”

so

that

when

life

shall

itself

become

freed

from

all

wants

,

our

limbs

shall

then

be

freed

also

from

their

services

,

and

therefore

will

be

no

longer

wanted

.

Still

,

although

liberated

from

their

offices

,

they

will

be

yet

preserved

for

judgment

,

“

that

every

one

may

receive

the

things

done

in

his

body

.

”

For

the

judgment

-

seat

of

God

requires

that

man

be

kept

entire

.

Entire

,

however

,

he

cannot

be

without

his

limbs

,

of

the

substance

of

which

,

not

the

functions

,

he

consists

;

unless

,

forsooth

,

you

will

be

bold

enough

to

maintain

that

a

ship

is

perfect

without

her

keel

,

or

her

bow

,

or

her

stern

,

and

without

the

solidity

of

her

entire

frame

.

And

yet

how

often

have

we

seen

the

same

ship

,

after

being

shattered

with

the

storm

and

broken

by

decay

,

with

all

her

timbers

repaired

and

restored

,

gallantly

riding

on

the

wave

in

all

the

beauty

of

a

renewed

fabric

!

Do

we

then

disquiet

ourselves

with

doubt

about

God’s

skill

,

and

will

,

and

rights

?

Besides

,

if

a

wealthy

shipowner

,

who

does

not

grudge

money

merely

for

his

amusement

or

show

,

thoroughly

repairs

his

ship

,

and

then

chooses

that

she

should

make

no

further

voyages

,

will

you

contend

that

the

old

form

and

finish

is

still

not

necessary

to

the

vessel

,

although

she

is

no

longer

meant

for

actual

service

,

when

the

mere

safety

of

a

ship

requires

such

completeness

irrespective

of

service

?

The

sole

question

,

therefore

,

which

is

enough

for

us

to

consider

here

,

is

whether

the

Lord

,

when

He

ordains

salvation

for

man

,

intends

it

for

his

flesh

;

whether

it

is

His

will

that

the

selfsame

flesh

shall

be

renewed

.

If

so

,

it

will

be

improper

for

you

to

rule

,

from

the

inutility

of

its

limbs

in

the

future

state

,

that

the

flesh

will

be

incapable

of

renovation

.

For

a

thing

may

be

renewed

,

and

yet

be

useless

from

having

nothing

to

do

;

but

it

cannot

be

said

to

be

useless

if

it

has

no

existence

.

If

,

indeed

,

it

has

existence

,

it

will

be

quite

possible

for

it

also

not

to

be

useless

;

it

may

possibly

have

something

to

do

;

for

in

the

presence

of

God

there

will

be

no

idleness

.

Notes

1
1 Cor. xv. 53.
2
2 Cor. v. 10.