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And these things we preach, and you have believed. How then after so great a proof do they disbelieve, he says, for which reason they say, "How"? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. For on this account he died, that he might raise our nature. If, then, we are not raised, for what reason did Christ die? And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; your faith is also in vain. And we are also found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. See how many absurdities: the futility of the preaching, likewise the witness from the Father. See to how great a sin he leads the argument of those who say, "The dead are not raised." And you are still in your sins. For if he was not raised, neither did he die, nor did he loose sin. For his death is the loosing of sin. For "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." And how does he take it away, but by death, evidently? Therefore he also called him a lamb, as one to be slain. But if he was not raised, neither was he slain, nor was sin loosed. But if it was not loosed, you are in it. But if you are in it, I preached in vain, and you believed in vain that you were delivered. Otherwise an immortal death also remains, if he was not raised. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. He means those who have borne witness for him. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. For if the body is not raised, the soul remains uncrowned. And if this will be, we enjoy no good thing. But if none, in the present are the things of rewards. What then is more wretched than we, being for this reason persecuted everywhere? But now Christ has been raised from the dead. Having shown how many evils are born from not accepting the resurrection, he takes up the argument, continually adding "from the dead," so as to shut the mouths of the heretics. He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. But if a firstfruits, then these must also rise. For what comes after it certainly follows the beginning. 95.693 For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. An explanation of cause. For since he has said all things declaratively, he also of necessity gives a cause, making the argument easily acceptable to the many. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. For the one who was defeated, he says, he himself had to fight again for the very nature that was cast down and to conquer. For thus the reproach was wiped away. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits. Do not, because you have heard of resurrection, think that all enjoy the same things. Afterward those who are Christ’s at his coming. That is, the faithful and those who have been well-pleasing. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father. For when those rise, all matters will receive an end. Not as now, with Christ having risen, matters still stand in suspense. Therefore he adds, "we at his coming," so that you may learn that he is speaking about that time. When he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. That is, when through him he shall have brought all the nations to serve the Father. For "No one," he says, "comes to the Father, except through me." For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. For he has put all things under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death. But when he says that all things are put in subjection, it is clear that this is except for the one who put all things in subjection to him. And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection to him, that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead? The word "until" is not indicative of time in Scripture, just as "unto" is not; according to what is said, "from everlasting, and to everlasting you are." Lest anyone suspect two unoriginated principles. Some say that he has said this to indicate the removal of wickedness. If the dead are not raised at all, why are they baptized for them? This he says, that also of flesh

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καὶ ταῦτα ἡμεῖς κηρύττομεν, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπιστεύσατε. Πῶς οὖν μετὰ τοσαύτην ἀπόδειξιν ἀπιστοῦσι, φησὶ, διὸ τὸ, Πῶς, λέγουσιν; Εἰ δὲ ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα ἀναστήσῃ τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν. Εἰ οὐκ ἀνιστάμεθα οὖν, τίνος χάριν ἀπέθανε Χριστός; Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, κενὸν ἄρα τὸ κήρυγμα ἡμῶν· κενὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν. Εὑρισκόμεθα δὲ καὶ ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐμαρτυρήσαμεν κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἤγειρε τὸν Χριστὸν, ὃν οὐκ ἤγειρεν, εἴπερ ἄρα νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται. Εἰ γὰρ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται. Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, ματαία ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν. Ὅρα πόσα τὰ ἄτοπα· τὸ μάταιον τοῦ κηρύγματος, ὁμοίως ἡ μαρτυρία ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός. Ὅρα εἰς πόσην ἁμαρτίαν ἐξάγει τὸν λόγον ἐκείνων τῶν λεγόντων, Οὐκ ἀνίστανται οἱ νεκροί. Καὶ ἔτι ἐστὲ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἠγέρθη, οὔτε ἀπέθανεν, οὔτε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἔλυσεν. Ὁ γὰρ θάνατος αὐτοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐστὶ λύσις. Ἴδε γὰρ ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Πῶς δὲ αἴρων, ἢ τῷ θανάτῳ δηλονότι; ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀμνὸν ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς σφαττόμενον. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνέστη, οὐδὲ ἐσφάγη, οὐδὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐλύθη. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐλύθη, ἐν αὐτῇ ἐστε. Εἰ δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ ἐστε, εἰκῆ ἐκήρυξα, εἰκῆ καὶ ἐπιστεύσατε ὅτι ἀπηλλάγητε. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἀθάνατος θάνατος μένει, εἰ μὴ ἀνέστη. Ἄρα καὶ οἱ κοιμηθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ ἀπώλοντο. Τοὺς μαρτυρήσαντας δι' αὐτόν φησιν. Εἰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ, ἠλπικότες ἐσμὲν μόνον ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐσμέν. Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀνίσταται τὸ σῶμα, ἀστεφάνωτος ἡ ψυχὴ μένει. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἔσται, οὐδενὸς ἀπολαύομεν καλοῦ. Εἰ δὲ οὐδενὸς, ἐν τῷ παρόντι τὰ τῶν ἀμοιβῶν. Τί οὖν ἡμῶν ἀθλιώτερον, κατὰ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ διωκομένων; Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν. ∆είξας ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ μὴ δέχεσθαι τὴν ἀνάστασιν τίκτεται κακὰ, ἀναλαμβάνει τὸν λόγον συνεχῶς τὸ, ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, προστιθεὶς, ὥστε ἀποφράξαι τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὰ στόματα. Ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐγένετο. Εἰ δὲ ἀπαρχὴ, καὶ τούτους ἀναστῆναι δεῖ. Τῇ γὰρ ἀρχῇ πάντως ἕπεται τὰ μετὰ ταύτην. 95.693 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπου θάνατος, καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις ἐκ νεκρῶν. Αἰτιολογία. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πάντα ἀποφαντικῶς εἶπεν, ἀνάγκῃ καὶ αἰτιολογεῖ, εὐπαράδεκτον τοῖς πολλοῖς κατασκευάζων τὸν λόγον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται. Τὸν γὰρ ἡττηθέντα, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ἀναμαχέσασθαι ἔδει τὴν καταβληθεῖσαν φύσιν αὐτὴν καὶ νικῆσαι. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ ὄνειδος ἀπετρίβετο. Ἕκαστος δὲ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι· ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός. Μὴ ἐπειδὴ ἀνάστασιν ἤκουσας, νόμιζε πάντας τῶν αὐτῶν ἀπολαύειν. Ἔπειτα οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστιν, οἱ πιστοὶ καὶ εὐδοκιμηκότες. Εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀναστῶσιν ἐκεῖνοι, τὰ πράγματα πάντα λήψεται τέλος. Οὐ καθάπερ νῦν ἀναστάντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὰ πράγματα ἔστησαν ἔτι μετέωρα. ∆ιὸ προστίθησι, ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι περὶ ἐκείνου τοῦ καιροῦ διαλέγεται. Ὅταν καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν. Τουτέστιν, ὅταν δι' αὐτοῦ προσαγάγῃ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δουλεύειν τῷ Πατρί. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔρχεται, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ. ∆εῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. Πάντα γὰρ ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. Ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ ὅτι ὑποτέτακται, δῆλον ἐκτὸς τοῦ ὑποτάξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα. Ὅταν δὲ ὑποταγῇ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς ὑποταγήσεται τῷ ὑποτάξαντι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα· ἵνα ᾖ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν. Ἐπεὶ τί ποιήσουσιν οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν; Τὸ, ἄχρι, οὐκ ἔστι χρόνου σημαντικὸν παρὰ τῇ Γραφῇ, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τὸ, ἕως· κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ. Ἵνα μή τις δύο ἀρχὰς ἀνάρχους ὑποπτεύῃ. Τινὲς τῆς κακίας δηλοῦντα τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τοῦτό φασιν αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι. Εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν; Τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι καὶ σαρκὸς