Chapter XXIII.—Sundry Passages of St. Paul, Which Speak of a Spiritual Resurrection, Compatible with the Future Resurrection of the Body, Which is Even Assumed in Them.

The apostle indeed teaches, in his Epistle to the Colossians, that we were once dead, alienated, and enemies to the Lord in our minds, whilst we were living in wicked works;146    Col. i. 21. that we were then buried with Christ in baptism, and also raised again with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.147    Col. ii. 12. “And you, (adds he), when ye were dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”148    Ver. 13. And again:  “If ye are dead with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?”149    Ver. 20. The last clause in Tertullian is, “Quomodo sententiam fertis?” Now, since he makes us spiritually dead—in such a way, however, as to allow that we shall one day have to undergo a bodily death,—so, considering indeed that we have been also raised in a like spiritual sense, he equally allows that we shall further have to undergo a bodily resurrection. In so many words150    Denique. he says: “Since ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”151    Col. iii. 1, 2. Accordingly, it is in our mind that he shows that we rise (with Christ), since it is by this alone that we are as yet able to reach to heavenly objects. These we should not “seek,” nor “set our affection on,” if we had them already in our possession. He also adds: “For ye are dead”—to your sins, he means, not to yourselves—“and your life is hid with Christ in God.”152    Ver. 3. Now that life is not yet apprehended which is hidden. In like manner John says: “And it doth not yet appear what we shall be: we know, however, that when He shall be manifest, we shall be like Him.”153    1 John iii. 2. We are far indeed from being already what we know not of; we should, of course, be sure to know it if we were already (like Him). It is therefore the contemplation of our blessed hope even in this life by faith (that he speaks of)—not its presence nor its possession, but only its expectation. Concerning this expectation and hope Paul writes to the Galatians: “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”154    Gal. v. 5. He says “we wait for it,” not we are in possession of it. By the righteousness of God, he means that judgment which we shall have to undergo as the recompense of our deeds. It is in expectation of this for himself that the apostle writes to the Philippians:  “If by any means,” says he, “I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect.”155    Phil. iii. 11, 12. And yet he had believed, and had known all mysteries, as an elect vessel and the great teacher of the Gentiles; but for all that he goes on to say: “I, however, follow on, if so be I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ.”156    Ver. 12. Nay, more:  “Brethren,” (he adds), “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing (I do), forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of blamelessness,157    Vers. 13, 14. In the last clause Tertullian reads τῆς ἀνεγκλήσεως = blamelessness, or purity, instead of τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως ="our high calling.” whereby I may attain it;” meaning the resurrection from the dead in its proper time. Even as he says to the Galatians: “Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap.”158    Gal. vi. 9. Similarly, concerning Onesiphorus, does he also write to Timothy: “The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy in that day;”159    2 Tim. i. 18. unto which day and time he charges Timothy himself “to keep what had been committed to his care, without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ: which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,”160    1 Tim. vi. 14, 15, 20. speaking of (Him as) God. It is to these same times that Peter in the Acts refers, when he says: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets.”161    Acts iii. 19–21.

CAPUT XXIII.

Docet quidem Apostolus, Colossensibus scribens 0826A (Col. I, 29), mortuos fuisse nos aliquando alienatos, et inimicos sensus Domini, cum in operibus pessimis agebamus; dehinc, consepultos Christo in baptismate, et conresuscitatos in eo per fidem efficaciae Dei, qui illum suscitarit a mortuis. Et vos cum mortui essetis in delictis et praeputiatione carnis vestrae, vivificavit cum eo, donatis vobis omnibus delictis. Et rursus: Si cum Christo mortui estis ab elementis mundi, quomodo quidam, quasi viventes in mundo, sententiam fertis? Sed cum ita nos mortuos faciat spiritaliter, ut tamen et corporaliter quandoque morituros agnoscat, utique et resuscitatos proinde spiritaliter deputans, aeque non negat etiam corporaliter resurrecturos. Denique: Si resurrexistis, inquit, cum Christo, ea quae sursum 0826B sunt quaerite, ubi est Christus in dextera Dei residens: ea quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae deorsum. Ita animo ostendit resurgere, quo solo adhuc possumus coelestia attingere; quae non quaereremus , nec saperemus, si possideremus. Subjicit etiam: Mortui enim estis, scilicet delictis, non vobis; et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Nondum ergo apprehensa est, quae abscondita est. Sic et Joannes: Et nondum, ait, manifestatum est, quid futuri simus . Scimus quia si manifestaverit , similes ejus erimus. Tanto abest, ut simus jam quod nescimus: utique scituri, si jam essemus. Adeo contemplatio est spei in hoc spatio per fidem, non repraesentatio , nec possessio, sed exspectatio. De qua spe et exspectatione Paulus ad Galatas (Gal. V): Nos 0826C enim spiritu ex fide spem justitiae exspectamus: non ait, tenemus. Justitiae autem Dei dicit, ex judicio, quo judicabimur de mercede. Ad quam pendens et ipse, cum Philippensibus scribit (Philip. III): Si qua , inquit, concurram in resuscitationem quae est a mortuis: non, quia jam accepi, aut consummatus 0827A sum. Et utique crediderat, et omnia sacramenta cognoverat, vas electionis, doctor nationum; et tamen adjicit: Persequor autem si apprehendam in quo sum apprrehensus a Christo. Eo amplius: Ego me, fratres, non puto apprehendisse. Unum plane: oblitus posteriorum, in priora me extendens, secundum scopum persequor ad palmam incriminationis, per quam concurrerem: utique in resuscitationem a mortuis; suo tamen tempore, sicut ad Galatas (Gal. VI): Bene autem facientes ne taedeat: tempore enim suo metemus . Sicut et ad Timotheum (II Tim. I) de Onesiphoro: Det illi Dominus invenire misericordiam in illo die. In quem diem ac tempus, et ipsi praecipit (I Tim. VI) custodire mandatum immaculatum, irreprehensibile, in apparentiam Domini Jesu Christi, 0827B quam suis temporibus ostendet beatus et solus potentator, et rex regnantium, et dominus dominantium; de Deo dicens. De quibus temporibus et Petrus in Actis (Act. III): Poeniteat itaque vos, et resipiscite ad abolenda delicta vestra, ut tempora vobis superveniant refrigerii ex persona Dei, et mittat praedesignatum vobis Christum; quem oportet accipere coelos, adusque tempora exhibitionis omnium, quae locutus est Deus, ore sanctorum prophetarum.