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eternal. And they that understand shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and from among the many righteous they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever». - »Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth,” he says, “shall awake,” clearly indicating a resurrection of bodies; for surely no one would say that souls sleep in the dust of the earth. But indeed the Lord also in the holy gospels has handed down the very clear resurrection of bodies. “For,” He says, “they that are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” But would any of the right-minded ever say that souls are in the tombs? And not only in word, but also in deed did the Lord manifest the resurrection of bodies. First, by raising Lazarus on the fourth day, already decayed and stinking; for He raised not a soul deprived of a body, but a body together with the soul, and not a different one, but the very one that had decayed. For how would the resurrection of the dead man be recognized or believed, if the characteristic properties of the person did not confirm it? But He raised Lazarus to demonstrate His own divinity and to confirm His own and our resurrection, though Lazarus was destined to return again to death. But the Lord Himself became the first-fruits of the perfect resurrection that no longer falls subject to death. Wherefore also the divine apostle Paul said: “If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. Then our faith is in vain; then we are still in our sins,” and that “Christ has been raised, the first-fruits of them that have fallen asleep,” and: “The firstborn from the dead,” and again: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” “Even so,” he said, as the Lord rose. And that the resurrection of the Lord was the union of an incorruptible body and a soul (for these were what had been divided), is clear; for He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it.” And the holy gospel is a trustworthy witness that He spoke of His own body. “Handle me, and see,” says the Lord to His own disciples who thought they saw a spirit, “that it is I myself and I am not changed; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have.” “And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side,” and offered them to Thomas for touching. Are these things not sufficient to confirm the resurrection of bodies? Again the divine apostle says: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality,” and again: “It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it is sown a natural body,” that is, gross and mortal, “it is raised a spiritual body,” unchangeable, impassible, subtle; for this is what “spiritual” signifies, like the body of the Lord after the resurrection passing through closed doors, unwearied, not in need of food, sleep, or drink. For they shall be, says the Lord, “as the angels of God,” no longer marriage, no procreation. Thus the divine apostle says: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus, who shall also change the body of our humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,” not speaking of a transformation into another form—God forbid—but rather the change from corruption to incorruption. “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up?” Oh, the unbelief! Oh, the foolishness! He who by will alone changed dust into a body, who commanded a tiny drop of material seed in the womb to grow and to complete this multiform and manifold instrument of the body, will He not much more, if He wills, raise again what has been and has dissolved? “And with what body do they come? Thou fool”; if hardness of heart does not permit you to believe the words of God, at least believe the works. “For that which you sow is not quickened, except it die: and that which you sow, you sow not that body that shall be, but a bare grain,

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αἰώνιον. Καὶ οἱ συνιόντες ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ἡ λαμπρότης τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν δικαίων τῶν πολλῶν ὡς οἱ ἀστέρες εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας καὶ ἔτι ἐκλάμψουσι». - »Πολλοὶ τῶν καθευδόντων ἐν γῆς χώματι», λέγων, «ἐξεγερθήσονται», δῆλον, ὡς ἀνάστασιν ἐμφαίνει σωμάτων· οὐ γὰρ δήπου τις φήσειε τὰς ψυχὰς ἐν γῆς χώματι καθεύδειν. Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἀριδήλως ἀνάστασιν παραδέδωκεν. «Ἀκούσονται» γάρ, φησίν, «οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἐξελεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως». Ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις δὲ τὰς ψυχάς ποτε τῶν εὖ φρονούντων εἴποι τις ἄν; Οὐ λόγῳ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργῳ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ὁ κύριος ἀνάστασιν ἐφανέρωσε. Πρῶτον μὲν τεταρταῖον καὶ ἤδη φθαρέντα καὶ ὀδωδότα ἐγείρας τὸν Λάζαρον· οὐ ψυχὴν γὰρ ἐστερημένην σώματος, ἀλλὰ καὶ σῶμα σὺν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ φθαρὲν ἤγειρε. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐγινώσκετο ἢ ἐπιστεύετο ἡ τοῦ τεθνεῶτος ἀνάστασις μὴ τῶν χαρακτηριστικῶν τῆς ὑποστάσεως ἰδιωμάτων ταύτην συνιστώντων; Ἀλλὰ Λάζαρον μὲν πρὸς ἔνδειξιν τῆς οἰκείας θεότητος καὶ πίστωσιν τῆς αὐτοῦ τε καὶ ἡμῶν ἀναστάσεως ἤγειρε, πάλιν ὑποστρέφειν μέλλοντα εἰς θάνατον. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἀπαρχὴ τῆς τελείας καὶ μηκέτι θανάτῳ ὑποπιπτούσης ἀναστάσεως γέγονε. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· «Εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται. Ἄρα οὖν ματαία ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν· ἄρα ἔτι ἐσμὲν ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν», καὶ ὅτι «Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων», καί· «Πρωτότοκος ἐκ νεκρῶν», καὶ πάλιν· «Εἰ γὰρ πιστεύομεν, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἀπέθανε καὶ ἀνέστη, οὕτως ὁ θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἄξει σὺν αὐτῷ». «Οὕτως» ἔφη, ὡς ὁ κύριος ἀνέστη. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ τοῦ κυρίου ἀνάστασις σώματος ἀφθαρτισθέντος καὶ ψυχῆς ἕνωσις ἦν (ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ διαιρεθέντα), δῆλον· ἔφη γάρ· «Λύσατε τὸν ναόν, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις οἰκοδομήσω αὐτόν». Μάρτυς δὲ ἀξιόπιστος τὸ ἱερὸν εὐαγγέλιον, ὡς περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου ἔλεγε σώματος. «Ψηλαφήσατέ με καὶ ἴδετε», φησὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις μαθηταῖς ὁ κύριος πνεῦμα δοκοῦσιν ὁρᾶν, «ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἠλλοίωμαι· ὅτι πνεῦμα σάρκα καὶ ὀστέα οὐκ ἔχει, καθὼς ἐμὲ θεωρεῖτε ἔχοντα». «Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν» καὶ τῷ Θωμᾷ προτείνει πρὸς ψηλάφησιν. Ἆρα οὐχ ἱκανὰ ταῦτα τὴν τῶν σωμάτων πιστώσασθαι ἀνάστασιν; Πάλιν φησὶν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· «∆εῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν», καὶ πάλιν· «Σπείρεται ἐν φθορᾷ, ἐγείρεται ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ· σπείρεται ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ, ἐγείρεται ἐν δυνάμει· σπείρεται ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ, ἐγείρεται ἐν δόξῃ· σπείρεται σῶμα ψυχικὸν» ἤτοι παχύ τε καὶ θνητόν, «ἐγείρεται σῶμα πνευματικόν», ἄτρεπτον, ἀπαθές, λεπτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ «πνευματικόν», οἷον τὸ τοῦ κυρίου σῶμα μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν κεκλεισμένων τῶν θυρῶν διερχόμενον, ἀκοπίατον, τροφῆς, ὕπνου καὶ πόσεως ἀνενδεές. Ἔσονται γάρ, φησὶν ὁ κύριος, «ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ», οὐ γάμος ἔτι, οὐ τεκνογονία. Φησὶ γοῦν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· «Ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα κύριον Ἰησοῦν, ὃς καὶ μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ», οὐ τὴν εἰς ἑτέραν μορφὴν μεταποίησιν λέγων-ἄπαγε-, τὴν ἐκ φθορᾶς δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ἐναλλαγήν. «Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Πῶς ἐγείρονται οἱ νεκροί;» Ὢ τῆς ἀπιστίας. Ὢ τῆς ἀφροσύνης. Ὁ χοῦν εἰς σῶμα βουλήσει μόνῃ μεταβαλών, ὁ μικρὰν ὕλης ῥανίδα τοῦ σπέρματος ἐν μήτρᾳ αὔξειν προστάξας καὶ τὸ πολυειδὲς τοῦτο καὶ πολύμορφον ἀποτελεῖν τοῦ σώματος ὄργανον, οὐχὶ μᾶλλον τὸ γεγονὸς καὶ διαρρυὲν ἀναστήσει πάλιν βουληθείς; «Ποίῳ δὲ σώματι ἔρχονται; Ἄφρον»· εἰ τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγοις οὐ πιστεύειν ἡ πώρωσις συγχωρεῖ, κἂν τοῖς ἔργοις πίστευε. «Σὺ γάρ, ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζωοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ· καὶ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ τὸ σῶμα τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν κόκκον,