§30. The reality of the resurrection proved by facts: (1) the victory over death described above: (2) the Wonders of Grace are the work of One Living, of One who is God: (3) if the gods be (as alleged) real and living, a fortiori He Who shatters their power is alive.

What we have so far said, then, is no small proof that death has been brought to naught, and that the Cross of the Lord is a sign of victory over him. But of the Resurrection of the body to immortality thereupon accomplished by Christ, the common Saviour and true Life of all, the demonstration by facts is clearer than arguments to those whose mental vision is sound. 2. For if, as our argument shewed, death has been brought to nought, and because of Christ all tread him under foot, much more did He Himself first tread him down with His own body, and bring him to nought. But supposing death slain by Him, what could have happened save the rising again of His body, and its being displayed as a monument of victory against death? or how could death have been shewn to be brought to nought unless the Lord’s body had risen? But if this demonstration of the Resurrection seem to any one insufficient, let him be assured of what is said even from what takes place before his eyes. 3. For whereas on a man’s decease he can put forth no power, but his influence lasts to the grave and thenceforth ceases; and actions, and power over men, belong to the living only; let him who will, see and be judge, confessing the truth from what appears to sight. 4. For now that the Saviour works so great things among men, and day by day is invisibly persuading so great a multitude from every side, both from them that dwell in Greece and in foreign lands, to come over to His faith, and all to obey His teaching, will any one still hold his mind in doubt whether a Resurrection has been accomplished by the Saviour, and whether Christ is alive, or rather is Himself the Life? 5. Or is it like a dead man to be pricking the consciences of men, so that they deny their hereditary laws and bow before the teaching of Christ? Or how, if he is no longer active (for this is proper to one dead), does he stay from their activity those who are active and alive, so that the adulterer no longer commits adultery, and the murderer murders no more, nor is the inflicter of wrong any longer grasping, and the profane is henceforth religious? Or how, if He be not risen but is dead, does He drive away, and pursue, and cast down those false gods said by the unbelievers to be alive, and the demons they worship? 6. For where Christ is named, and His faith, there all idolatry is deposed and all imposture of evil spirits is exposed, and any spirit is unable to endure even the name, nay even on barely hearing it flies and disappears. But this work is not that of one dead, but of one that lives—and especially of God. 7. In particular, it would be ridiculous to say that while the spirits cast out by Him and the idols brought to nought are alive, He who chases them away, and by His power prevents their even appearing, yea, and is being confessed by them all to be Son of God, is dead.

Τοῦ μὲν οὖν κατηργῆσθαι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τρόπαιον εἶναι κατ' αὐτοῦ τὸν Κυριακὸν σταυρόν, οὐ μικρὸς ἔλεγχος τὰ προειρημένα. Τῆς δὲ γενομένης λοιπὸν ἀθανάτου ἀναστάσεως τοῦ σώματος παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων Σωτῆρος καὶ Ζωῆς ὄντως Χριστοῦ, ἐναργε στέρα τῶν λόγων ἡ διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ἀπόδειξίς ἐστι τοῖς τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς διανοίας ἔχουσιν ὑγιαίνοντα. Εἰ γὰρ κατήργηται ὁ θάνατος, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἔδειξε, καὶ διὰ τὸν Κύριον πάντες αὐτὸν καταπατοῦσι, πολλῷ πλέον αὐτὸς αὐτὸν πρῶτος κατεπάτησε τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι καὶ κατήργησεν αὐτόν. Τοῦ δὲ θανάτου νεκρωθέντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, τί ἔδει γενέ σθαι ἢ τὸ σῶμα ἀναστῆναι, καὶ τοῦτο δειχθῆναι κατ' αὐτοῦ τρόπαιον; Ἢ πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐφάνη καταργηθεὶς ὁ θάνα τος, εἰ μὴ τὸ σῶμα τὸ κυριακὸν ἦν ἀναστάν; εἰ δέ τῷ μὴ αὐτάρκης ἡ ἀπόδειξις αὕτη περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἐν ὄψει γενομένων πιστούσθω τὸ λεγόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ δὴ νεκρός τις γενόμενος οὐδὲν ἐνεργεῖν δύναται, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ μνήματός ἐστιν αὐτῷ ἡ χάρις, καὶ πέπαυται λοιπόν, μόνων δὲ τῶν ζώντων εἰσὶν αἱ πράξεις καὶ αἱ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐνέργειαι, ὁράτω δὴ ὁ βουλόμενος καὶ γενέσθω δικαστὴς ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁμολογῶν. Τοσαῦτα γὰρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν πανταχόθεν ἀπό τε τῶν τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὴν βάρβαρον οἰκούντων τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ἀοράτως πείθοντος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πίστιν παρελθεῖν, καὶ πάντας ὑπακούειν τῇ αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίᾳ· ἆρ' ἔτι τις τὴν διάνοιαν ἀμφίβολον ἕξει εἰ γέγονεν ἀνάστασις ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ ζῇ ὁ Χριστός, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ Ζωή; Ἆρα δὲ νεκροῦ ἐστι τὰς μὲν διανοίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατανύττειν, ὥστε τοὺς πατρικοὺς ἀρνεῖσθαι νόμους, τὴν δὲ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν προσκυνεῖν; ἢ πῶς, εἴπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνεργῶν, νεκροῦ γὰρ ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦτο, αὐτὸς τοὺς ἐνεργοῦντας καὶ ζῶντας τῆς ἐνεργείας παύει, ὥστε τὸν μὲν μοιχὸν μηκέτι μοιχεύειν, τὸν δὲ ἀνδροφόνον μηκέτι φονεύειν, τὸν δὲ ἀδικοῦντα μηκέτι πλεονεκτεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ λοιπὸν εὐσεβεῖν; πῶς δὲ εἰ μὴ ἀνέστη, ἀλλὰ νεκρός ἐστι, τοὺς λεγομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων ζῆν ψευδοθέους καὶ θρησκευομένους δαίμονας αὐτὸς ἀπελαύνει καὶ διώκει καὶ καταβάλλει; Ἔνθα γὰρ ὀνομάζεται Χριστὸς καὶ ἡ τούτου πίστις, ἐκεῖθεν πᾶσα μὲν εἰδωλολατρία καθαιρεῖται, πᾶσα δὲ δαιμόνων ἀπάτη ἐλέγχεται, πᾶς δὲ δαίμων οὐδὲ τὸ ὄνομα ὑποφέρει· ἀλλὰ καὶ μόνον ἀκούσας φυγὰς οἴχεται. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ νεκροῦ τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ ζῶντος καὶ μάλιστα Θεοῦ. Ἄλλως τε καὶ γελοῖον ἂν εἴη, τοὺς μὲν διωκομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δαίμονας καὶ τὰ καταργούμενα εἴδωλα λέγειν ζῶντας εἶναι, τὸν δὲ ἀπελαύνοντα καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει μηδὲ φανῆναι ποιοῦντα τούτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁμολογούμενον ὑπὸ πάντων εἶναι Θεοῦ Υἱόν, τοῦτον λέγειν εἶναι νεκρόν.