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Tertullian

Chapter 13

About this work

Author: Tertullian

But how Paul, an apostle, from being a persecutor, who

‹ Chapter 12 Chapter 14 ›

first

of

all

shed

the

blood

of

the

church

,

though

afterwards

he

exchanged

the

sword

for

the

pen

,

and

turned

the

dagger

into

a

plough

,

being

first

a

ravening

wolf

of

Benjamin

,

then

himself

supplying

food

as

did

Jacob

,

—

how

he

,

(

I

say

,

)

speaks

in

favour

of

martyrdoms

,

now

to

be

chosen

by

himself

also

,

when

,

rejoicing

over

the

Thessalonians

,

he

says

,

“

So

that

we

glory

in

you

in

the

churches

of

God

,

for

your

patience

and

faith

in

all

your

persecutions

and

tribulations

,

in

which

ye

endure

a

manifestation

of

the

righteous

judgment

of

God

,

that

ye

may

be

accounted

worthy

of

His

kingdom

,

for

which

ye

also

suffer

!

”

As

also

in

his

Epistle

to

the

Romans

:

“

And

not

only

so

,

but

we

glory

in

tribulations

also

,

being

sure

that

tribulation

worketh

patience

,

and

patience

experience

,

and

experience

hope

;

and

hope

maketh

not

ashamed

.

”

And

again

:

“

And

if

children

,

then

heirs

,

heirs

indeed

of

God

,

and

joint

-

heirs

with

Christ

:

if

so

be

that

we

suffer

with

Him

,

that

we

may

be

also

glorified

together

.

For

I

reckon

that

the

sufferings

of

this

time

are

not

worthy

to

be

compared

with

the

glory

which

shall

be

revealed

in

us

.

”

And

therefore

he

afterward

says

:

“

Who

shall

separate

us

from

the

love

of

God

?

Shall

tribulation

,

or

distress

,

or

famine

,

or

nakedness

,

or

peril

,

or

sword

?

(

As

it

is

written

:

For

Thy

sake

we

are

killed

all

the

day

long

;

we

have

been

counted

as

sheep

for

the

slaughter

.

)

Nay

,

in

all

these

things

we

are

more

than

conquerors

,

through

Him

who

loved

us

.

For

we

are

persuaded

,

that

neither

death

,

nor

life

,

nor

power

,

nor

height

,

nor

depth

,

nor

any

other

creature

,

shall

be

able

to

separate

us

from

the

love

of

God

,

which

is

in

Christ

Jesus

our

Lord

.

”

But

further

,

in

recounting

his

own

sufferings

to

the

Corinthians

,

he

certainly

decided

that

suffering

must

be

borne

:

“

In

labours

,

(

he

says

,

)

more

abundant

,

in

prisons

very

frequent

,

in

deaths

oft

.

Of

the

Jews

five

times

received

I

forty

stripes

,

save

one

;

thrice

was

I

beaten

with

rods

;

once

was

I

stoned

,

”

and

the

rest

.

And

if

these

severities

will

seem

to

be

more

grievous

than

martyrdoms

,

yet

once

more

he

says

:

“

Therefore

I

take

pleasure

in

infirmities

,

in

reproaches

,

in

necessities

,

in

persecutions

,

in

distresses

for

Christ’s

sake

.

”

He

also

says

,

in

verses

occurring

in

a

previous

part

of

the

epistle

:

“

Our

condition

is

such

,

that

we

are

troubled

on

every

side

,

yet

not

distressed

;

and

are

in

need

,

but

not

in

utter

want

;

since

we

are

harassed

by

persecutions

,

but

not

forsaken

;

it

is

such

that

we

are

cast

down

,

but

not

destroyed

;

always

bearing

about

in

our

body

the

dying

of

Christ

.

”

“

But

though

,

”

says

he

,

“

our

outward

man

perisheth

”

—

the

flesh

doubtless

,

by

the

violence

of

persecutions

—

“

yet

the

inward

man

is

renewed

day

by

day

”

—

the

soul

,

doubtless

,

by

hope

in

the

promises

.

“

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

,

but

at

the

things

which

are

not

seen

.

For

the

things

which

are

seen

are

temporal

”

—

he

is

speaking

of

troubles

;

“

but

the

things

which

are

not

seen

are

eternal

”

—

he

is

promising

rewards

.

But

writing

in

bonds

to

the

Thessalonians

,

he

certainly

affirmed

that

they

were

blessed

,

since

to

them

it

had

been

given

not

only

to

believe

on

Christ

,

but

also

to

suffer

for

His

sake

.

“

Having

,

”

says

he

,

“

the

same

conflict

which

ye

both

saw

in

me

,

and

now

hear

to

be

in

me

.

”

“

For

though

I

am

offered

upon

the

sacrifice

,

I

joy

and

rejoice

with

you

all

;

in

like

manner

do

ye

also

joy

and

rejoice

with

me

.

”

You

see

what

he

decides

the

bliss

of

martyrdom

to

be

,

in

honour

of

which

he

is

providing

a

festival

of

mutual

joy

.

When

at

length

he

had

come

to

be

very

near

the

attainment

of

his

desire

,

greatly

rejoicing

in

what

he

saw

before

him

,

he

writes

in

these

terms

to

Timothy

:

“

For

I

am

already

being

offered

,

and

the

time

of

my

departure

is

at

hand

.

I

have

fought

the

good

fight

,

I

have

finished

my

course

,

I

have

kept

the

faith

;

there

is

laid

up

for

me

the

crown

which

the

Lord

will

give

me

on

that

day

”

—

doubtless

of

his

suffering

.

Admonition

enough

did

he

for

his

part

also

give

in

preceding

passages

:

“

It

is

a

faithful

saying

:

For

if

we

are

dead

with

Christ

,

we

shall

also

live

with

Him

;

if

we

suffer

,

we

shall

also

reign

with

Him

;

if

we

deny

Him

,

He

also

will

deny

us

;

if

we

believe

not

,

yet

He

is

faithful

:

He

cannot

deny

Himself

.

”

“

Be

not

thou

,

therefore

,

ashamed

of

the

testimony

of

our

Lord

,

nor

of

me

His

prisoner

;

”

for

he

had

said

before

:

“

For

God

hath

not

given

us

the

spirit

of

fear

,

but

of

power

,

and

of

love

,

and

of

a

sound

mind

.

”

For

we

suffer

with

power

from

love

toward

God

,

and

with

a

sound

mind

,

when

we

suffer

for

our

blamelessness

.

But

further

,

if

He

anywhere

enjoins

endurance

,

for

what

more

than

for

sufferings

is

He

providing

it

?

If

anywhere

He

tears

men

away

from

idolatry

,

what

more

than

martyrdoms

takes

the

lead

,

in

tearing

them

away

to

its

injury

?

Notes

1
Gen. xxv. 34; xxvii. 25.
2
2 Thess. i. 4.
3
Rom. v. 3.
4
Rom. viii. 17.
5
Rom. viii. 35.
6
2 Cor. xi. 23.
7
2 Cor. xii. 10.
8
2 Cor. iv. 8.
9
Should be Philippians: i.e. Phil. i. 29, 30.
10
Phil. ii. 17.
11
2 Tim. iv. 6.
12
2 Tim ii. 11.
13
2 Tim. i. 8.
14
2 Tim. i. 7.