Discourse on the Resurrection of the Dead

“Discourse on the Resurrection of the Dead” (8 chapters) delivered by St. John Chrysostom in Antioch in 387-388. The treatise touches on issues of Christian eschatology: the Last Judgment, retribution and rewards in the future life, resurrection, in which the body, freed from corruption and death, will unite with the soul and the whole person will be resurrected. The essay reveals the essence of the doctrine of Divine Providence, talks about the perishability of earthly goods and the need to direct life according to the will of God. St. John Chrysostom in his doctrine of the resurrection relies on the words of the Apostle Paul. In chapter 1 of St. John answers the question why “the chaste and meek are in poverty, but the intemperate and depraved prosper”: “The present life is a struggle, a feat, a race, and the future is a reward, a crown, a reward.” After the resurrection, everyone will receive their reward: the wicked - punishment, the righteous - riches of goods. If you are godly and subject to temptation, then you need to be more patient in your hopes for the future. If you are wicked, then it is necessary to retreat from a sinful life and keep yourself chaste for fear of future punishment. Chapters 2-4 talk about patiently enduring temptation. When ascetics of the faith endured suffering and difficulties, the Apostle Paul, wanting to encourage them in their work, often spoke to them not only about the resurrection, but also about his own suffering. “Thus, from grief we receive quite a lot of benefit even before the resurrection, in that our soul becomes more experienced, wiser and more intelligent, and gets rid of all timidity.” In Chapter 5, earthly worldly blessings are called temporary, perishable, and future ones are called eternal. A person should strive for them. Chapters 6-8 talk about the resurrection of the body. The human body is destroyed after death in order to rise in eternity more brilliant and brighter. “The life to come destroys and destroys not the body, but the corruption and death attached to it.” The bodies of sinners will rise incorruptible and immortal, but for them this will be punishment and torment: they will rise incorruptible in order to constantly burn. One of the guarantees of the future resurrection of St. John calls the grace of the Holy Spirit, which God has given to us already in this earthly life: “If there were no guarantee of the Spirit even now, then baptism would not exist, ... we would not receive adoption, we would not be partakers of the sacraments, ... there could not be the mystical Body and Blood; We wouldn’t have priests either, because without His inspiration there can be no ordination.” *The title of the work in Greek is Περ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως. *The title of the work in Latin is De resurrectione mortuorum. 1. Previously, we talked with you about the dogmas and the glory of the Only Begotten Son of God, stopping the lips of those who humiliated His dignity and alienated Him from the Parent. 1 Today I want to deal with teaching primarily moral and offer teaching in general about life and behavior; or rather, this conversation will be not only moral, but also dogmatic, since I intend to expound the doctrine of the resurrection. This subject is multifaceted; even in dogmas it serves as a guide for us, improves our life, and frees the Providence of God from any accusation. Just as disbelief in it upsets our life, fills it with countless disasters and overthrows everything, so belief convinces us of the existence of Providence, disposes us to carefully take care of virtue and avoid vice with great zeal, and fills everything with calm and peace. In fact, whoever does not expect the resurrection and does not believe that he will give an account for his deeds here, but thinks that everything we have is limited to this present life and there is nothing else beyond it, will not care about virtue - and how will he care when he does not expect any reward for his labors? - will not lag behind evil, not expecting any punishment for his evil deeds; but, indulging in shameful passions, he will fall into vices of all kinds. And whoever is convinced of the future judgment and has before his eyes that terrible judgment, an inevitable account of his deeds and an incorruptible verdict, he will try in every possible way to observe chastity and meekness and other virtues, and to avoid intemperance and insolence and any other vice; Through this, he will be able to stop the lips of those who accuse God’s Providence without any difficulty. Indeed, some, seeing that meek, chaste and living in truth suffer poverty, are oppressed, are subject to slander, barely have the necessary food, often suffer from prolonged illness and serious illnesses, and do not receive any help, while deceivers, wicked people and devotees of various vices abound in wealth, live in luxury, dress in shiny clothes, are accompanied by a huge crowd servants, serve as an object of surprise, use power, have great boldness before the king himself - seeing this, some blame God’s Providence and say: where is Providence here? Where is the righteous judgment? The chaste and meek are in misery, but the intemperate and depraved prosper; they are surprised at this, but they despise this; the one enjoys great luxury, while the other is in poverty and extreme hardship. He who doubts the future life will remain silent and say absolutely nothing, but he who knows how to philosophize about the resurrection will easily stop the blasphemy and say to those indignant at this: stop sharpening your tongue against the God who created you; our affairs are not limited to this life, but we strive for another life, much longer, or - better - without end; and there this poor man, who lives virtuously, will certainly receive reward for his labors, and the libertine and deceiver will be punished for his wickedness and unrighteous pleasures. So, let us not judge God’s Providence only by the present, but we will also judge by the future. The present life is a struggle, a feat, a field, and the future is a reward, a crown, a reward. Just as a warrior in a fight needs to fight in sweat, in dust, in heat, in labor and suffering, so the righteous here needs to endure a lot and endure everything generously if he wants to receive bright crowns there. And if anyone is disturbed by the prosperity of the wicked, let him also imagine that, just as robbers, and tomb robbers, and murderers, and sea pirates, before they get to the court of justice, enjoy abundance, acquiring their prosperity from the misfortunes of others, collecting unrighteous wealth and drinking every day, and when they are subject to the judge’s sentence, then for all this they receive punishment - so those who buy harlots, they arrange sybaritic feasts, raise their eyebrows proudly, boast in the marketplace and oppress the poor; and they, at the time when the Only Begotten Son of God comes with His angels, sits on the throne and sets the whole universe before Him, being brought naked and without any pomp, having no protector or patron in anyone, without any mercy they will be cast into rivers of fire. Therefore, do not please them for their pleasures here, but weep for the punishment that awaits them, and do not call the righteous unfortunate for his poverty here, but please them for the future wealth of good things, and root in your soul the doctrine of the resurrection, so that if you are pious and are subject to temptations, you may become more patient, drawing more zeal in hopes for the future, and if you are wicked, you may retreat. from wickedness, keeping himself chaste for fear of future punishment. 2. Therefore, Paul constantly repeats to us the teaching about the resurrection, just as today you have heard his words: “For we know that if our earthly church of the body is destroyed, the church of God is imams, ... not made with hands, eternal in heaven” (2 Cor. 5: 1). However, let us turn to what was said above and see how he moved on to the doctrine of the resurrection. It is not without reason and no coincidence that he constantly puts forward this teaching, but with the intention of teaching the future and at the same time wanting to strengthen the ascetics of piety. Now, however, by the grace of God, we enjoy complete peace, since kings live in piety, and rulers have learned the truth, and common people and cities and nations, freed from error, all worship Christ; but then, at the beginning of the sermon, when the seeds of piety were just being sown, there was a strong, heterogeneous war. The rulers, the kings, the household, the relatives, and everyone rebelled against the faithful; Even contrary to nature itself, this war was waged, often a father betrayed his son, a mother - a daughter, a master - a slave. And not only cities, not only countries, but often even houses rebelled against each other, and the confusion at that time was worse than any internecine war, since property was plundered, and freedom was taken away, and life itself was in danger, and not because the barbarians attacked and oppressed, but because those themselves who were considered rulers and bosses were worse disposed toward their subordinates than any enemies. And Paul, pointing to this, said: “I endured many struggles in the face of suffering, for I was reproached and afflicted by shame, but those who lived in community were so, because I suffered with my bonds, and accepted the plunder of your possessions with joy” (Heb. 10:32-34). And he says to the Galatians: “Too much have suffered; even to the point and tuna” (Gal.3:4); and to the Thessalonians and Philippians, and to everyone in general to whom he sends letters, he testifies to many similar things. And not only was it difficult that a cruel and constant war was being erected from the outside, but also that some temptations, disputes, competitions, and disagreements arose between the believers themselves; expressing this very thing, Paul said: “outside warfare, inside fear” (2 Cor. 7:5). And this war was much harder than the external one for both students and teachers. That is why Paul was not so afraid of the machinations of his enemies as of internal failures and crimes among his own. Thus, when a man among the Corinthians fell into fornication, he spent all his time lamenting about the criminal, tormented in his heart and weeping bitterly. There was also a third circumstance that weighed on the believers no less than those mentioned above, namely, the very nature of the matter, which required a lot of effort and labor. In fact, the path along which the apostles led them was neither easy nor convenient, but difficult and impenetrable, for which a wise, vigilant and in all respects impeccable soul was needed. That is why Christ called this path narrow and cramped. They could not live without fear, like the pagans, in shameful deeds, drunkenness, gluttony, luxury and pomp; they needed to curb anger, and tame obscene desires, and despise wealth, and disdain fame, and be above envy and slander. And what kind of work such feats require is known to those who struggle with passions every day. What, tell me, is more fierce than unclean lust, which, like a mad dog, constantly rushes at us, worries us every day and requires a soul constantly awake? What is more painful than anger? It is nice to take revenge on someone who has offended you, but this was not allowed. And what am I saying: it was not allowed to take revenge on the offender? It was necessary to do good to those who offend, to bless those who slander, and not to utter even a single offensive word. Chastity was required to be demonstrated not only in deeds, but also in thoughts themselves; it was necessary to refrain not only from unclean deeds, but also from (unclean) glances, and not even to look with pleasure at the faces of beautiful women, since even for such a glance one could be subject to extreme punishment. So great was the war on the outside, great the fear within, and a lot of work in doing virtuous deeds. Added to this was a fourth circumstance - the inexperience of those who had to strive for such a great feat. The apostles accepted people who did not inherit piety from their ancestors, but were brought up in bliss, luxury, drunkenness, debauchery and intemperance. And this made the exploits quite difficult, that is, they did not learn such wisdom from ancient times and not from their ancestors, but only now began to undertake these exploits. 3. So, when the ascetics faced so many difficulties, the apostle, wanting to encourage them in their work, often spoke about the resurrection. And not only with this does he exhort and strengthen the warriors, but also with the narration of his own suffering. Therefore, before talking about the resurrection, he sets out his sufferings, saying this: “in all things afflicting, but not suffering; we are not anxious, but not in despair; we are persecuted, but not forsaken; we are cast down, but not perishing” (2 Cor. 4:8-9), indicating by this the daily deaths, i.e., that the ascetics were, as it were, the living dead, daily given over to death. Having instilled this in them, he then talks about the resurrection. “For we believe,” he says, “that He has raised up our Lord Jesus Christ, and He will raise us up with Jesus and present you with you... so let us not be discouraged” (2 Cor. 4:13,14,16), having the greatest consolation in our exploits is the hope of future blessings. And he did not say to them: “Therefore do not be cold”; but what? “Even so, we don’t feel cold,” expressing that he himself is constantly engaged in exploits. At the Olympic competitions, the warrior struggles inside, while the manager, sitting at a distance, gives help with words, and only helps the warrior as much as he can shout and exclaim; and no law allows him to come closer and offer help with his hands. But in deeds of piety this is not the case; but here one and the same person is both the leader of the struggle and at the same time the warrior. Therefore, he does not sit outside the field, but enters into the very competitions and strengthens those who fight with him, saying: “Even so, we will not be cold.” He didn’t say, “I don’t feel the cold,” but, “We don’t feel the cold,” wanting to encourage them with praise. “But even if our outer man decays, yet our inner man is renewed all the days” (2 Cor. 4:16). Look at the apostolic wisdom: first he encouraged them with their very sufferings, saying: “in all things tribulation, but not in cold”; he also encouraged him with the resurrection of Jesus, saying: “he who raised up... Jesus... will raise up us too.” Then he uses another method of consolation. Since many of the people, cowardly, weak and pitiful, although they believe in the resurrection, pay little attention to it, due to the distance of time, hesitate and fall, before the resurrection he points them to another reward and reward. What exactly is this last point? “Even though our outer man decays, yet our inner man is renewed every day.” He calls the body the external man, and the soul the internal man. The meaning of his words is as follows: even before the resurrection and the enjoyment of future glory, we already receive no small reward for our labors in that from the very sorrows our soul is renewed, becomes wiser and more reverent, acquires greater patience, becomes firmer and stronger. Just as those who perform physical exploits, even before crowns and rewards, receive a great reward in the exercise and struggle itself, making their bodies healthier and stronger through exercise and avoiding any illness, so in the same way in the exploits of virtue, even before heaven opens, before the Son of God comes, before we receive reward, we receive a great reward from them in the fact that our soul becomes more wise. Just as those who sailed a lot on the seas, experienced a lot of excitement, fought with many animals, withstood many storms, even before the benefits of trade itself, receive no small benefit from such a long journey in that they acquire courage and courage at sea, and fearlessly and with pleasure make sea journeys - so in the present life, the one who endured many sorrows for Christ, who suffered many disasters, even before the Kingdom of Heaven receives a great reward in what he gains already boldness before God makes one’s soul more exalted, so that one finally laughs at all disasters. And to make what has been said more obvious, I want to explain this with an example. It was Paul himself, who experienced many disasters, who received no small reward in the fact that he laughed at the tormentors, stood up to the frantic people, despised all torment, remained adamant before animals, and before iron, and before the seas, and before abysses, and before disturbances, and before intrigues, and before all disasters; and what can compare with this? In fact, an inexperienced person who has not endured any misfortune is usually embarrassed by unimportant matters, or - better - not only by the affairs themselves, but also by the mere expectation of them; what am I saying: one expectation? – even shadows frighten and intimidate such a person. On the contrary, he who begins his exploits, having experienced everything and endured countless calamities, is above them all and laughs at those who threaten him, like at cawing crows. This crown is not small, this reward is important, when nothing human can sadden him, when what is terrible for others becomes unworthy of attention for him, when he can laugh at what others fear and tremble, having achieved the wisdom of the powers of angels by the power of his patience. Truly, if we please the body, which can endure cold, heat, hunger, lack, travel, and other labors without pain, then much more should we please the soul, which can courageously and undauntedly endure all the blows of adversity, and in all circumstances keep its mind free from slavery. Such a person is more royal than the kings themselves, because the king can be harmed a lot by their plans and atrocities, both his squires, his friends, and his enemies, but the one who has such a soul, as I just said, cannot be harmed by either the king, nor the squire, nor the servant, nor the friend, nor the enemy, nor the devil himself: and how would this be possible when he has learned not to recognize as a disaster anything that is considered a disaster by others? 4. Such was Blessed Paul; That’s why he said: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ; whether sorrow, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or sword; as it is written: For for Your sake we are put to death all the day long, being counted as sheep of the slaughter: but in all these we are overcome because of those we love” (Rom. 8:35-37). He expressed the same thing there, saying: “even if... our outer man decays, yet the inner man is renewed all the days” (2 Cor. 4:16). The body becomes weaker, as it were, he says, but the soul becomes stronger and stronger and more inspired. Just as a warrior who carries a heavy weapon, no matter how courageous and brave he is, cannot be terrible for the enemy, because the weight of the weapon impedes the speed of his legs and military dexterity, and if he takes a weapon that is light and easy to carry, he swoops down on his opponents like a bird, so the one who does not fatten his flesh with drunkenness, or indolence, or luxury, but with fasting, prayers and great patience in sorrow makes it lighter and as thin as a bird flying from above, with great swiftness it attacks the regiments of demons, easily overthrows the opposing forces and subjugates them to itself. So Paul, having received many beatings, ended up in prison and was chained in the stocks, had a body already exhausted from labor, but a strong and strong soul, and was so strong in chains that with one voice he shook the foundations of the prison, brought the prisoner free from the bonds to his feet and opened the locked doors. So, Paul gave us no small consolation even before the resurrection by the fact that temptations make us better and more wise. That’s why he says: “Tribulation makes endurance work, but patience makes perfect, and skill makes hope; but hope does not put to shame” (Rom. 5:3-5). And someone else says: an inexperienced man is unskilled, and an inexperienced man has no value (Sir.34:10). Thus, we receive quite a lot of benefit from grief even before the resurrection, in that our soul becomes more experienced, wiser and more intelligent, and gets rid of all timidity. That’s why he says: “even if our outer man decays, yet our inner man is renewed all the days.” How, tell me, is it updated? So that all cowardice is driven out, obscene desires, love of money, vanity are suppressed, and other generally corrupt thoughts are destroyed. Just as a soul devoted to inaction and carelessness is easily mastered by these passions, so a soul, constantly occupied with deeds of piety, does not even have the leisure to ever think about them, because preoccupation with deeds distracts it from all passions. That is why he said: “it is renewed all the days.” Then, wanting to further console the souls who grieve amidst the calamities that befall them and who do not know how to be wise, he encourages them with hope for the future, saying this: “For even now the lightness of sorrow, after being multiplied into prosperity, will bring us the burden of eternal glory, even though we do not look at the things that are visible, but the things that are unseen: the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17,18). The meaning of his words is as follows: grief brings us many benefits here, making our soul more reasonable and wise, but after that it will bring us countless benefits in the future, benefits that are not equivalent to labor, but far superior to feats both in quantity and quality. Explaining, I say, both, Paul compares the importance of dangers with the importance of rewards, and contrasts the short-term with the eternal, the easy with the heavy, and the sorrow with glory. Sorrow, he says, is temporary and light, but peace—however, he did not say peace, but “glory,” which is much greater than peace—is eternal, constant and great. “By burden” here he expressed not burdensomeness and difficulty, but value and importance, according to the custom of those many who usually call what is valuable and weighty. So, when he says: “burden of glory,” he means the greatness of glory. Don’t just think about that, as if he were saying so, that you are tormented and persecuted, but also about crowns and rewards, which are much greater and more brilliant than the real ones good, and have no end or limit. But these goods, you will say, are in hope; these are visible, distant and high. But although they are not visible, what do I say: more clearly? You can see them better than these; because these ones pass, and those always remain. what is visible is temporary, but what is invisible is eternal.” 5. If you say: How can I look at the unseen and not look at the visible? - then I will try to lead you to believe in this through everyday affairs. And no one would soon begin to deal with the corruptible things that are in the world if he did not look at the invisible before the visible. For example: a merchant endures many storms, unrest, shipwrecks and various difficulties, but becomes rich after the storms, when he puts away his goods and carries out trade for a long time. Thus the storms come first, and the goods come after; the seas and waves already appear to him when he leaves the pier, but the profit is not yet visible - she is still in hope. And yet, if he had not seen in advance this implicit and non-inherent profit, which is not in the hands, but only in hope, then he would not have touched (this) inherent and visible. So the farmer harnesses the oxen, drags the plow, makes a deep furrow, throws seeds, spends everything he has, endures frost, frost, rain, and many other troubles, and after this labor he expects to see a rich harvest and a threshing floor full of grain. Do you see how here, too, there is labor in advance, and then a reward, and, moreover, the reward is unknown, but the labor is known and obvious, this one in hope, and this one in experience? However, if he had not looked in advance at the unknown, implicit and invisible reward with bodily eyes, then not only would he not have harnessed the oxen, would not have pulled the plow, would not have thrown seeds, but he would never have left the house for such work. So, isn’t it foolish to look at the hidden before the obvious in the affairs of everyday life, to endure labor before the rewards, to endure all the inconveniences first, and then expect benefits from it, and, prompted by the hope of the invisible, to take the visible, and in the affairs of God to hesitate and be perplexed, to demand rewards before the labor, to be more cowardly than both farmers and sailors? And not only do we turn out to be worse than them because we do not trust the future, but no less for another reason. Why exactly? Because those, even without any confidence in the successful completion of their affairs, do not stop working, and you, having a reliable guarantor for the crowns, despite this, do not imitate their patience. In fact, a farmer, having sowed seeds, cultivated the land and seen rich fields, often loses the fruits of his labor from hail, or from harmful dew, or from locusts, or from some other similar misfortune, and after many efforts returns home empty-handed. Likewise, a merchant, having sailed a wide sea with a ship filled with goods, often at the very entrance to the pier, being attacked by the winds, hits some rock, barely saving only his body, he comes out naked (to the shore). And in general, in all everyday affairs, at the end, many similar disasters often happen. But this does not happen in your exploits; but whoever strives, who sows piety and endures much labor, will certainly reach the end, because God entrusted the rewards for these labors not to the fickleness of the air and not to the rush of the winds, but placed them in heaven, in inaccessible treasuries. That's why Paul said: “Tribulation makes patience complete, but endurance is skill, and skill is hope; but hope does not put to shame” (Rom. 5:3-5). So, do not say that the future is not obvious, because if you want to carefully explore, then it is much more visible than what is in your hands. This is what Paul shows us when he calls some goods eternal and others temporary, by “temporality” meaning their perishability. And in fact, as soon as they appear, they fly away; As soon as they come, they run away; their changes are quick, their possession is incorrect. This happens (as you can see) with wealth, and fame, and power, and the beauty of bodies, and strength, and in general with everything in life. Therefore, the prophet, denouncing those who live luxuriously and are furiously addicted to wealth and all other empty things, says: “As this thing stands, and not as it runs” (Am. 6:5); just as it is impossible to hold a shadow, so too are everyday objects - some of them are destroyed at death, while others, even before death, float away faster than any stream. The future is not like that; it does not know change, does not allow a revolution, does not experience old age, does not tolerate any change, but constantly blooms and remains in the same splendor. Thus, if it is necessary to call something implicit, unknown and untrue, then this should be called real goods, which do not remain with those who acquired them, but change owners and pass every day from one to another, and from another to a third. Having explained all this to us and therefore calling the present temporary and the future eternal, Paul begins his speech about the resurrection and says this: “For we know that if our earthly church of the body is destroyed, the church of God is imams, not made with hands, eternal in heaven” (2 Cor. 5:1). 6. Look again here, what precise expressions he uses, revealing the power of thoughts by their very names. In fact, it was not for nothing that he called the body the abode of the soul, but he points out to us the temporary nature of real life and announces a change for the better, as if saying: why do you sigh and cry, beloved, that you are beaten, persecuted and imprisoned? Why do you mourn these particular disasters, when you need to undergo the complete destruction of the body, or - better - not just the body, but the corruption that is in the body? And in order to prove that these particular disasters not only should not sadden us, but also delight us, he declares that general and final destruction is an object of desire for us, so calling it destruction through death. And further: “For in this body we groan; we are willing to be clothed in our heavenly habitation” (2 Cor. 5:2). In two words: “church of the body” - he either calls the body itself, or by the church of the body he means the houses in which we live, cities, the outward appearance of real life. And he didn’t just say: “Wem”, but: “Wem”, also referring to the knowledge of the listeners; I am talking, as he says, not about doubtful and unknown subjects, but about what you have already accepted by faith, having believed in the resurrection of the Lord. That is why we call the bodies of the dead churches. Look again at the precise expression he used; did not say: it will be destroyed and destroyed, but: “it will be ruined,” showing that it - the body is destroyed in order to rise more brilliant and brighter. Then, just as he compared labors with rewards in quality, duration and quantity, he does the same here, calling the collapsing body “dwelling”, and the rising one “dwelling”, and not just a dwelling, but “eternal”, and not just eternal, but “heavenly”, showing its superiority both in duration and in place; this is earthly, and this is heavenly; this is temporary, this is eternal. Now, due to carnal weakness, we have need of both body and home; and then one and the same will be both body and dwelling, having no need for a roof or any coverings, because for him incorruptibility will be sufficient instead of everything. Further, showing the superiority of the blessings observed for us, he says: “for... in this body we groan” (2 Cor. 5:4). He didn’t say “I sigh,” but he generalizes this thought. “For... in... everything,” he says, “we groan,” wanting to attract listeners to his wisdom and make them sharers of his judgment. “For in this we groan; we long for our heavenly habitation.” He didn’t just say, “be clothed,” but added, “be clothed,” and added, “even if you have clothed yourself, you will find yourself” (2 Cor. 5:3). These words seem unclear; but they become clear from the addition that follows them: “For we who are in this body groan heavily; for we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed” (2 Cor. 5:4). Do you see how he does not forget his words, and does not call this body a dwelling place, but again - a dwelling place: “We do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed”? Here he deals a mortal blow to those who humiliate the physical nature and condemn our flesh. When he said, we “groan” and do not want to be “laboured”, so that you do not think that he is running away from the body as from evil, the cause of wickedness, an enemy and adversary, listen to how he warns against this opinion, firstly, with the words: “we sigh, let us be clothed in our heavenly habitation if we wish” (2 Cor. 5:2), because the one who puts on something else puts on something else; then with the words: “we sigh in aggravation, because we do not want to be deprived, but to be despondent.” The meaning of his words is as follows: It is not the flesh, as he says, that we want to lay off, but corruption; not the body, but death. The other is the body and the other is death; another – body and other corruption; neither the body is corruption; neither corruption is the body; the body, it is true, is perishable, but the body is not corruption; the body is mortal, yet the body is not death; but the body was the work of God, and corruption and death were introduced by sin. So, I want, he says, to take off what is alien, not mine; and what is alien is not the body, but corruption; That’s why he says: “We do not want to be taken together,” that is, of the body, “but to be endowed with incorruptibility” in the body. The body is a mean between corruption and incorruption. It puts off corruption and puts on incorruption; he casts off what he has received from sin and acquires what the grace of God has bestowed. And so that you can be convinced that he refers the word: “being taken together” not to the body, but to corruption and death, listen to what is added immediately after that. Having said: “We do not want to lose consciousness, but to become illuminating,” he did not say: “Let the body be consumed by incorporeality,” but what? - “let the dead thing be consumed with the belly,” that is, so that it is destroyed, so that it is destroyed, so that, therefore, he is not talking about the destruction of the body, but of death and corruption. The life to come destroys and destroys not the body, but the decay and death attached to it. So, groaning occurs not for the sake of the body, but for the sake of the corruption inherent in it. The body is, in fact, burdensome, burdensome and rude, not by its own nature, but because of the mortality that later attached itself to it; the body itself is not perishable, but incorruptible. Its nobility is such that even in its very decay it shows its dignity. The shadow, for example, of the apostles drove away incorporeal forces; their dust and ashes defeated demons; and the clothes that were on their bodies destroyed diseases and restored health. 7. Do not tell me about phlegm, bile, sweat, uncleanness, and other things that those who blame the body point to, because these did not belong to the nature of the body, but to the corruption that came after. If you want to be convinced of the dignity, then look into the arrangement of all its parts, their appearance, actions and mutual consent, and you will see that the attitude of these members towards each other is more correct than in any city that is governed by good laws and where all the citizens are wise people. If you, leaving this without attention, begin to point only to its perishability and mortality, then here too we will not find it difficult to present an excuse. That not only does no harm come from here, but also great benefit for the human race, is obvious from the following: all the saints, being in this body, showed angelic life, and there was no harm from it for them on the path of virtue; and those inclined to wickedness in the corruption of the body had no small obstacle to the continuation of their iniquity. If many of the people, having been clothed in this corruptible and passionate body, dreamed of their equality with God and made a lot of efforts to acquire such glory for themselves, then if they did not have a passionate and corruptible body, an exposer of their weakness, which foolish person would they not deceive? So, when the body is an obstacle to wickedness, which is the last limit of evil, and gives the saints a reason to show spiritual courage, then what excuse can those who blame and slander him have? And not only this we can say about it, but also that it helps us in the knowledge of God. If in the age itself “what is invisible to Him from the creation of the world is understood by the things that are created” (Rom. 1:20), and “faith comes by hearing” (Rom. 10:17), then it is obvious that the soul, through the eyes and ears, is led to the knowledge of the God who created it. That is why Paul himself loves him and exclaims, saying that “we do not want to be taken away from him, but to be endowed with him” into immortality (2 Cor. 5:4). And don’t tell me: how can the body rise again and become incorruptible? When the power of God is at work, there should be no “how.” But what am I saying about God? He arranged that you yourself perform the resurrection, sometimes in seeds, sometimes in arts, sometimes in metallic substances. So the seeds, if they do not die first, do not rot and do not decay, then they will not grow an ear. Thus, just as there, looking at the rotting and decaying grain, you do not doubt its uprising, but consider this to be the clearest proof for yourself - because if it had not become rotting and decaying, it would never have risen - so reason about your body: when you see corruption, then think especially about the resurrection. Death, indeed, is nothing other than the complete destruction of corruption, because death destroys not just the body, but its corruption. This can also be seen on metallic substances. Those experienced in these matters take gold-bearing soil and, throwing it into a furnace, produce gold; Pure glass is also made from a mixture of sand and other substances. Now, tell me, will the grace of God really not be able to do what the power of fire does? Who with any intelligence can say this? Consider how God created you in the beginning, and do not doubt the resurrection. Didn’t He then take the earth and form it? What is more difficult: to create from the earth flesh, veins, skin, bones, nerves, veins, arteries, organic and simple bodies, eyes, ears, nostrils, legs, hands, and to impart to each of these members a special and general activity, or to make something that has undergone corruption immortal? Don't you see how the earth is monotonous, but the body is heterogeneous and diverse in actions, color, composition, properties, and everything else? How, tell me, do you doubt the future? But what need is there to talk about bodies? How, tell me, did God create countless powers and hosts of angels, archangels and their highest ranks? I am not able to indicate any other way than that it was enough for Him to just want to. Is it really that he who created so many incorporeal armies cannot again renew the decayed human body and bestow upon it the highest dignity? Who is so foolish as to doubt this and deny the resurrection? Truly, if the body is not resurrected, then man will not be resurrected, because man is not only a soul, but a soul and a body. Therefore, if only the soul is resurrected, then the being will be resurrected half, and not entirely; Moreover, in relation to the soul, it is actually impossible to talk about resurrection, since resurrection is characteristic of the dead and decomposed, and it is not the soul that decomposes, but the body. What does the saying mean: “Even though we have put on the truth, we will not find ourselves” (2 Cor. 5:3)? Here we are offered a great and ineffable mystery. Which one exactly? The one about which the apostle speaks in his letter to the Corinthians: “We will all rise again, each in his own order” (1 Cor. 15:22,23). What do these words mean? The fact that the Greek, the Jew, the heretic, and every person who comes into this world will be resurrected on that day. Pointing to this very thing, he said: “For we will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51,52). 8. Since the resurrection will be for everyone in general, for pious and wicked, evil and good people, so that in view of this you do not think that an unjust judgment will occur, and do not say to yourself: what is this: I will be resurrected, who worked so hard and suffered so much, and the pagan, and the ungodly, and the one who worshiped idols and did not know Christ, will also be resurrected, and will enjoy the same honor? - So that you are not embarrassed when you say this, listen to what the apostle says: “Even if you put on the truth, you will not find it” (2 Cor. 5:3). But how, you say, can one who has clothed himself with incorruptibility and immortality be naked? How? When we will be strangers to glory and will lose our boldness before God. The bodies of sinners will indeed rise incorruptible and immortal; but this honor will be for them a means to punishment and torment: they will rise incorruptible in order to constantly burn, because if that fire is unquenchable, then it also requires bodies that can never be destroyed. That’s why he says: “even if I have put on the Nazis, we will not find them.” Not only, in fact, it is desirable that we should be resurrected and put on immortality, but that, having been resurrected and put on immortality, we should not appear deprived of glory and boldness before God, so that we would not be given over to the fire. That’s why he says: “even if we put on the Nazis, we will not find ourselves.” Further, wanting to make the doctrine of the resurrection more reliable and saying that “the life of death will be consumed, he added: God created us for this very thing” (2 Cor. 5: 4-5). The meaning of his words is as follows: at first God created man not so that he would perish, but so that he would march towards incorruption, so that even when He allowed death, He allowed it with the thought that you would be admonished by this punishment and, having become better, could again achieve immortality. Such was the will and thought of God from ancient times and from the beginning, and with such a determination He created the first man; He showed this to us right away at the very beginning. In fact, if He had not wanted to first open the doors of resurrection to us, He would not have allowed Abel, who was adorned with all the virtues and was dear to Him, to endure what he endured; now, showing us that we are moving towards another life and there is some other age of the righteous, in which rewards and crowns are prepared, He allowed the first righteous man to leave here without receiving rewards for his labors here, so that through his suffering he would cry out and tell everyone that after this life there is some reward, reward and retribution. That is why He sent Enoch away and took Elijah away in order to instill in us the doctrine of the resurrection. Thus, the power of the Creator is sufficient to verify this; but if any of the weakest desires to receive another proof and guarantee of the future resurrection, then God has granted this too with great generosity, sending down the grace of the Spirit in great abundance. Therefore, Paul, having confirmed the doctrine of the resurrection by the resurrection of Christ and the fact that God is the Author, added the following saying: “And he will give us a betrothal - (pledge), not money, not gold and silver, but the betrothal of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 5:5); and the pledge is a part of everything and a guarantee for everything. Just as in contracts, the one who received the pledge does not doubt and is confident in everything else, so you, having received the pledge, that is, the gifts of the Spirit, no longer doubt the good things prepared for you. If you raise the dead, heal the blind, cast out demons, cleanse lepers, heal illnesses, destroy death, and can do so many such things in a weak and mortal body, then how will you receive forgiveness if you doubt the resurrection? If now, when the time of retribution has not yet come, but deeds are still continuing, God rewarded us with such crowns, then imagine what benefits He will give you during the time of retribution. If someone says: now we do not see such signs and do not have such power, then I will notice that there is no difference whether this happened now or before. And that this was done before - under the apostles - is evidenced by churches throughout the universe, peoples, cities and tribes that flocked to ordinary people and fishermen. In fact, uneducated, poor, poor and humiliated people would not have conquered the universe if they had not had the help of signs. However, you also did not remain alien to the grace of the Spirit, but even now there are many signs of this gift, which are much more important and amazing even than those listed above, because it is not the same thing to resurrect a dead body, or to deliver from destruction a soul killed by sins, which is accomplished through Baptism; It is not the same thing to drive away the diseases of the flesh or to lay down the burden of sins; It is not the same thing to correct a damaged eye or to illuminate a darkened soul with light. Thus, if there were no pledge of the Spirit even now, then there would be no baptism, there would be no remission of sins, no justification and sanctification, we would not receive adoption, we would not be partakers of the sacraments - because without the grace of the Spirit there could not be the mystical Body and Blood; We would not have priests either, because without His influx there can be no ordinations. Many other signs of the Spirit's grace could be pointed out. Thus, you also have the deposit of the Spirit, put away the deadness of the soul and wrongness of thoughts and leave behind an unclean life. Let us not doubt the future, having received such pledges; Having fully grasped the teaching of the resurrection, we will show a life worthy of this teaching in order to achieve unchanging blessings that surpass every word and human mind, of which may we all be worthy, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen. It refers to conversations against the Anomeans and, since the conversations against the Anomeans were said in 386, then the conversation about the resurrection of the dead should be attributed to the next time, most likely to the beginning of 387. You might be interested in: