Chapter VII.—The body valuable in God’s sight.

But the proof of the possibility of the resurrection of the flesh I have sufficiently demonstrated, in answer to men of the world. And if the resurrection of the flesh is not found impossible on the principles even of unbelievers, how much more will it be found in accordance with the mind of believers! But following our order, we must now speak with respect to those who think meanly of the flesh, and say that it is not worthy of the resurrection nor of the heavenly economy,13    Or, “citizenship.” because, first, its substance is earth; and besides, because it is full of all wickedness, so that it forces the soul to sin along with it. But these persons seem to be ignorant of the whole work of God, both of the genesis and formation of man at the first, and why the things in the world were made.14    This might also be rendered, “and the things in the world, on account of which he was made;” but the subsequent argument shows the propriety of the above rendering. For does not the word say, “Let Us make man in our image, and after our likeness?”15    Gen. i. 26. What kind of man? Manifestly He means fleshly man, For the word says, “And God took dust of the earth, and made man.”16    Gen. ii. 7. It is evident, therefore, that man made in the image of God was of flesh. Is it not, then, absurd to say, that the flesh made by God in His own image is contemptible, and worth nothing? But that the flesh is with God a precious possession is manifest, first from its being formed by Him, if at least the image is valuable to the former and artist; and besides, its value can be gathered from the creation of the rest of the world. For that on account of which the rest is made, is the most precious of all to the maker.

Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν περὶ τοῦ δυνατὴν εἶναι τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν ἱκανῶς ἀποδέδεικταί μοι λόγος κατὰ τοὺς ἐθνικούς. Εἰ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς ἀπίστους οὐχ εὑρίσκεται ἀδύνατος ἡ ἀνάστασις τῆς σαρκός, πόσῳ μᾶλλον κατὰ τοὺς πιστούς! Ἑξῆς δὲ λεκτέον πρὸς τοὺς ἀτιμάζοντας τὴν σάρκα καὶ φάσκοντας μὴ ἀξίαν εἶναι τῆς ἀναστάσεως μηδὲ τῆς ἐπουρανίου πολιτείας: ὅτι πρῶτον αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἡ οὐσία γῆ, μετέπειτα δὲ καὶ μεστὴ γέγονε πάσης ἁμαρτίας, ὥστε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναγκάσαι συναμαρτάνειν. Ἐοίκασι δὲ οὗτοι τὴν ὅλην τοῦ θεοῦ πραγματείαν ἀγνοεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς γένεσιν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πλάσιν, καὶ τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ ὧν ἕνεκα γέγονεν. Ἢ γὰρ οὔ φησιν ὁ λόγος: Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν; Ποῖον; Σαρκικὸν δῆλον ὅτι λέγει ἄνθρωπον. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ λόγος: Καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ θεὸς χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔπλασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Δῆλον οὖν ὡς κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ πλασσόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν σαρκικός. Εἶτα πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον τὴν ὑπὸ θεοῦ σάρκα πλασθεῖσαν κατ' εἰκόνα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φάσκειν ἄτιμον εἶναι καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀξίαν; Ὅτι δὲ τίμιον κτῆμα ἡ σὰρξ παρὰ θεῷ δῆλον πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοῦ πεπλᾶσθαι, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκὼν τῷ πλάστῃ καὶ ζωγράφῳ τιμία γινομένη: καὶ ἐκ τῆς λοιπῆς δὲ κοσμοποιΐας μαθεῖν πάρεστιν: οὗ γὰρ ἕνεκεν γέγονε τὰ λοιπά, τοῦτο πάντων τῷ ποιήσαντι τιμιώτατον.