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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 9

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IX.—God’s Love for the Flesh of Man, as Developed in the Grace of Christ Towards It. The Flesh the Best Means of Displaying the Bounty and Power of God.

To recapitulate, then: Shall that very flesh,

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which

the

Divine

Creator

formed

with

His

own

hands

in

the

image

of

God

;

which

He

animated

with

His

own

afflatus

,

after

the

likeness

of

His

own

vital

vigour

;

which

He

set

over

all

the

works

of

His

hand

,

to

dwell

amongst

,

to

enjoy

,

and

to

rule

them

;

which

He

clothed

with

His

sacraments

and

His

instructions

;

whose

purity

He

loves

,

whose

mortifications

He

approves

;

whose

sufferings

for

Himself

He

deems

precious

;

—

(

shall

that

flesh

,

I

say

)

,

so

often

brought

near

to

God

,

not

rise

again

?

God

forbid

,

God

forbid

,

(

I

repeat

)

,

that

He

should

abandon

to

everlasting

destruction

the

labour

of

His

own

hands

,

the

care

of

His

own

thoughts

,

the

receptacle

of

His

own

Spirit

,

the

queen

of

His

creation

,

the

inheritor

of

His

own

liberality

,

the

priestess

of

His

religion

,

the

champion

of

His

testimony

,

the

sister

of

His

Christ

!

We

know

by

experience

the

goodness

of

God

;

from

His

Christ

we

learn

that

He

is

the

only

God

,

and

the

very

good

.

Now

,

as

He

requires

from

us

love

to

our

neighbour

after

love

to

Himself

,

so

He

will

Himself

do

that

which

He

has

commanded

.

He

will

love

the

flesh

which

is

,

so

very

closely

and

in

so

many

ways

,

His

neighbour

—

(

He

will

love

it

)

,

although

infirm

,

since

His

strength

is

made

perfect

in

weakness

;

although

disordered

,

since

“

they

that

are

whole

need

not

the

physician

,

but

they

that

are

sick

;

”

although

not

honourable

,

since

“

we

bestow

more

abundant

honour

upon

the

less

honourable

members

;

”

although

ruined

,

since

He

says

,

“

I

am

come

to

save

that

which

was

lost

;

”

although

sinful

,

since

He

says

,

“

I

desire

rather

the

salvation

of

the

sinner

than

his

death

;

”

although

condemned

,

for

says

He

,

“

I

shall

wound

,

and

also

heal

.

”

Why

reproach

the

flesh

with

those

conditions

which

wait

for

God

,

which

hope

in

God

,

which

receive

honour

from

God

,

which

He

succours

?

I

venture

to

declare

,

that

if

such

casualties

as

these

had

never

befallen

the

flesh

,

the

bounty

,

the

grace

,

the

mercy

,

(

and

indeed

)

all

the

beneficent

power

of

God

,

would

have

had

no

opportunity

to

work

.

Notes

1
Afflatus.
2
Matt. xxii. 37–40.
3
2 Cor. xii. 9.
4
Luke v. 31.
5
1 Cor. xii. 23.
6
Luke xix. 10.
7
Ezek. xviii. 23.
8
Deut. xxxii. 39.
9
Vacuisset.