Беседа 42

The state of bodies after the resurrection. - A call for correction. 1 Corinthians 15:47. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second person is the Lord from heaven. 1. Having said that the first man is natural, and the second spiritual, now (Paul) presents another distinction, calling one earthly and the other heavenly. The former distinction referred to the present and future life, and this to the time before grace and after grace. He presents such a difference in order to instill a virtuous life. So that the listeners, as I said, hoping for the resurrection, do not begin to neglect life and piety, here again he calls them to exploits and exhorts them to be virtuous: “The first man,” he says, “is from the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven,” calling both of them a man in general, but in one indicating his higher side, and in the other his lower. “As is he that is earthy, so are they that are earthy”—they will also perish and die; and: “as he is in heaven, so are those in heaven” - they will also remain immortal and bright (1 Cor. 15:48). But didn’t the last one die too? He died, but not only did he not suffer any harm from it, but he also destroyed death in this way. Do you see how here (the apostle) by death himself confirms the doctrine of the resurrection? When there is, as I said before, the first fruit and the head, then do not doubt about the whole body. Moreover, here he offers an excellent exhortation to a virtuous life, presenting examples of both a high and wise life, and the opposite of that, and indicating the beginnings of both, the first in Christ, and the second in Adam. Therefore, he did not just say: from the earth, but: “earthly”, i.e. carnal, attached to the present; and about Christ, on the contrary: “Lord from heaven.” If some people draw the conclusion from the expression “from heaven” that the Lord does not have a body, then what was said before is enough to block their lips, and now nothing prevents them from being refuted. What does it mean: “The Lord is from heaven”? Is the apostle talking about a being, or about a higher life? Obviously about life. That’s why he adds: “and how we bore the image of the earthy one,” i.e. just as we did evil, “let us also bear the image of heavenly things,” i.e. let us do good (1 Cor. 15:49). In addition, I would like to ask you, is it said about the creature in the words: “from the earth, earthy”, and: “The Lord from heaven”? Yes, you say. Well, was Adam only “earthly,” or did he have some other essence, akin to higher and incorporeal beings, which Scripture calls soul and spirit? Without any doubt, (had) her too. Consequently, the Lord was not only from above, although it is said that He was “from heaven,” but He also took on flesh. The meaning of the words (of the apostle) is as follows: just as we bore the image of earthly things - evil deeds, so we will bear the image of heavenly things - heavenly life. And if we were talking about a being here, then the matter would not require conviction and advice; and therefore it is obvious that life is being spoken here. That is why (the apostle) speaks about this in the form of an exhortation and points to an image, and thereby again shows that he is talking about activity, and not about essence; We became earthy because we began to commit evil deeds; We are dusty not because we were created this way, but because we have sinned, since first there is sin, and then death: “you are dust and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:19); This is where many passions came from. It is not the origin only from the earth that makes a person earthy - because the Lord was from the same body and the same composition - but the performance of earthly deeds; Equally, what makes one heavenly is a life worthy of heaven. However, why work in vain to prove this? (Paul) himself, continuing his speech, reveals his thought to us and says this: “But I tell you this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption does not inherit incorruptibility” (1 Cor. 15:50). Do you see how he explains himself, saving us from difficulty? He does this often. Here he calls evil deeds flesh, as in other places, when, for example, he says: “You do not live according to the flesh” (Rom. 8:9); and again: “those who live according to the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8); so when he says: “But I will say this,” his words contain nothing more than the following: I said this so that you know that evil deeds do not enter the kingdom. From the resurrection he immediately passes to the kingdom and adds: “and corruption does not inherit incorruption,” i.e. evil does not inherit glory and incorruptible blessings. He often calls evil by this name; for example: “he who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption” (Gal.6:8). If he had spoken about the body, and not about vicious activity, he would not have called it corruption; He nowhere calls the body corruption: it is not corruption, but perishable. Therefore, further, when discussing it, he does not call it corruption, but perishable: “This corruptible must put on incorruptibility” (1 Cor. 15:53). Having finished his exhortation regarding life, he then, according to his usual custom, connecting one subject to another, goes back to the doctrine of the resurrection of bodies and says: “I tell you a mystery” (1 Cor. 15:51). 2. The apostle intends to speak about the terrible and ineffable, about what not everyone knows, and does them great honor by talking with them about ineffable subjects. What is this? “We will not all die, but we will all change.” The meaning of his words is as follows: “we will not all die, but we will all change,” even those who will not die, despite the fact that they are mortal. So, when you die, do not be afraid because of this, as if you will not be resurrected; There are, undoubtedly, those who will escape death, but for the resurrection this will not be enough for them, but it is necessary that the bodies of those who do not die change and become incorruptible. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:52). After much has been said about the resurrection, he now reveals very wondrous things about it in good time. It is not only amazing, he says, that the bodies will first rot and then rise, and not that those who rise after the decay will be better than those present, and not that they will go into a much better state, and not that everyone will receive their own, and not someone else’s body, but also that so many and such great deeds, surpassing all mind and all understanding, will be accomplished: soon, i.e. in a moment of time, or, as he puts it more clearly, in the blink of an eye - (as quickly) as eyelashes blink. Then, since he said something great and amazing, i.e. that so many and such great things will happen so soon, he also provides evidence to certify the truth of the event: “for the trumpet will sound,” he says, “and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed.” The word “we”, here he refers not to himself, but to those who will then be alive. “For this corruptible must put on incorruption” (1 Cor. 15:52–53). So that anyone, hearing that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God, does not think that bodies will not be resurrected, he adds: “This corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality.” The corruptible is a body, and the dead is also a body; the body remains because it is what is clothed, but mortality and corruption disappear when it is clothed in immortality and incorruptibility. Therefore, do not doubt how the body will live forever when you hear that it will be incorruptible. “When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). Since he spoke about great and unspeakable deeds, he also confirms his words with the prophecy: “death is swallowed up in victory,” i.e. finally, so that there will be no trace of her, no hope of return when corruption is swallowed up by incorruption. "Death! where is your sting? hell! where is your victory? (1 Cor. 15:55). Do you see the greatness of his soul? As if celebrating a victory, he becomes inspired and, contemplating the future, as if already accomplished, he admires and tramples underfoot the deposed death, and over the head of the defeated one utters a victorious cry, loudly calling out: “Death! where is your sting? hell! where is your victory? She passed, died and disappeared completely - everything was rendered futile. (The Lord) not only disarmed and defeated death, but destroyed it and turned it into nothing. “The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56). Do you see that we are talking about bodily death here? Therefore, about the resurrection of the body. If (the bodies) are not resurrected, how will death be swallowed up? And again: how is the power of sin law? That the sting of death is sin, which is even heavier than it, and that in it it has power, this is known; and how does the law constitute the power of sin? Without the law, sin was weak; it was committed, but could not be condemned in this way, because evil (before the law) although existed, was not revealed with such clarity. Therefore, the law contributed a lot, both to a greater knowledge of sin and to an increase in punishment. If, with the goal of limiting the sin, he made it more serious, then the fault lies not with the doctor, but with the one who used medicine poorly. So the coming of Christ served as a great burden for the Jews; but we do not blame him for this, but on the contrary, we are still surprised at him, and condemn them all the more because they received harm from something that should have benefited them. That it was not (the law) itself that imparted power to sin, (it is evident from the fact that) Christ fulfilled everything, and yet was a stranger to sin. Look how through this (the apostle) proves the resurrection: if sin is the cause of death, and Christ, having come, destroyed sin and delivered us from it through baptism, and the law, the violation of which consists of sin, also ceased with sin, then how can one doubt the resurrection after this? How strong will death be now? Law? But it has been discontinued. Sin? But it is destroyed. “Thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57). 3. The trophy was erected by Christ himself, and he awarded us crowns, not out of duty, but out of love for mankind alone. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be strong and immovable” (1 Cor. 15:58). This admonition is fair and timely: nothing shakes you so much as the thought that you are working in vain and in vain. “Always abound in the work of the Lord,” i.e. in a pure life. He did not say: doing good, but: “prosper”, i.e. so that good is done abundantly and above the prescribed limits. “Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” What are you saying? Labor again? But this work is rewarded with crowns and (performed) for heaven. The first, after heaven, is punishment for sins; and this is the basis of future rewards. Therefore, it might not be called work - both for this reason and because it is rewarded with great help from above. That is why (the apostle) adds: “before the Lord.” The first is in order for us to suffer punishment, and the last is in order to receive future benefits. Let us not, beloved, indulge in sleep: it is impossible, absolutely impossible, to be worthy of the kingdom of heaven for those who are careless, equally devoted to luxury and intemperance. Rather, by exhausting and exhausting our body and enduring countless labors, we can obtain heavenly blessings. Don’t you see what a distance there is between heaven and earth, what kind of battle lies ahead, how inclined man is to evil, how sin surrounds him and what snares he lays? Why do we bring upon ourselves so many worries other than those that are natural, cause ourselves so much worry and impose such great burdens on ourselves? Don't we have enough worries about our stomach, clothes and home? Isn't it enough to take care of (things) necessary? Meanwhile, Christ removes these (concerns) from us: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25). If there is no need to worry about the necessary food and clothing, and even about the coming day, will those who impose such a great burden on themselves and bury themselves under it ever be able to rise up? Have you not heard what Paul says: “No soldier binds himself to the affairs of this life” (2 Tim. 2:4)? And we indulge in luxury, overeating and drunkenness, we work hard on foreign objects, and when it comes to heavenly objects we turn out to be weak. Don't you know that what is promised to us is higher than human? He who walks on earth cannot ascend to the heights of heaven; and we don’t even try to live like humans, but have become worse than the most dumb. Do you not know what judgment we will face? Don't you remember that we must give an account of our words and thoughts? And we don’t even care about business! “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully,” says (the Lord), “has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28); and people who must give account even for an immodest look do not hesitate to rot in this very sin. “Whoever says, “You are a fool,” will be subject to fiery hell” (Matthew 5:22); and we do not cease to shame our brothers with countless insults and various slander. He who loves a lover is no better than a pagan (Matthew 5:46); and we hate even those who love. What kind of forgiveness will we receive when, being obliged to exceed the limits prescribed by the ancients, we spend our lives even below these limits? What can we say in our defense? Who will appear and help us when we are punished? No one: but with screams and sobs, gnashing our teeth and tormented, we will inevitably be thrown into impenetrable darkness, into (a place of) inevitable torment and unbearable executions. Therefore, I exhort, I ask and, touching your knees, I beg: while there is still a short period of life left, accept my words with contrition, convert, correct yourself, so that after death, like the rich man, you do not cry uselessly and do not grieve hopelessly. Whether your father, or son, or friend, or whoever else has boldness before God, no one will then deliver you from (the torment) deserved by your own deeds. This is the judgment seat there: it judges only by deeds, and it is impossible to be saved there otherwise. I say this not to sadden or lead to despair, but so that we, nourishing vain and cold hopes and relying on one or the other, do not become negligent about our own virtue. If we are careless, then no one will protect us - not a righteous man, not a prophet, not an apostle; If we are zealous, having sufficient protection in our own affairs, then with boldness we will be rewarded with the blessings prepared for those who love God, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Antioch around 390. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: