279

you are in the flesh; and again, But they that 61.364 are in the flesh cannot please God. So when he says, But this I say, he says nothing else than, For this reason I said these things, that you may learn that wicked deeds do not bring one into the kingdom. For from the resurrection he immediately introduced the discourse on the kingdom; wherefore he also added, Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption; that is, wickedness does not inherit that glory and the enjoyment of incorruptible things. For in many places again he has called wickedness by this name, saying, He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But if he were speaking about the body, and not about a wicked deed, he would not have said corruption; for nowhere does he call the body corruption; for it is not corruption, but corruptible. Therefore, proceeding and discoursing about it, he did not call it corruption, but corruptible, saying, For this corruptible must put on incorruption. Then, having completed the exhortation concerning conduct, which he always does, continually mixing one subject with another, he proceeds again to the discourse concerning the resurrection of bodies, speaking thus: Behold, I tell you a mystery. 2. He is about to say something awful and secret, and which not all know; which also shows the great honor he has for them, in telling them secret things. And what is this? We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. What he says is this: We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, even those who do not die; for they too are mortal. Do not therefore, since you die, for this reason be afraid, he says, as though you will not be raised; for there are some, there are, who will even escape this; and yet this is not sufficient for them for that resurrection, but even those bodies that do not die must be changed, and pass into incorruption. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. When he had discoursed much concerning the resurrection, then he opportunely shows its great paradox. For not only is this wonderful, that the bodies first decay, and then rise again, he says, nor that those rising from decay are better than the present ones, nor that they pass to a much greater state, nor that each receives his own and no one another's, but that so many and such great things, surpassing all reason and understanding, happen in a moment, that is, in an instant of time. And declaring this more clearly, In the twinkling of an eye, he says; as much as to close an eyelid. Then, since he said something great and full of ecstasy, if so many and such great things happen so quickly, he brings forward as proof the trustworthiness of the one who works them, saying, For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The "we" he says not concerning himself, but concerning those who are alive and found at that time. For this corruptible must put on incorruption. For lest anyone hearing that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God should think that bodies do not rise, he added that this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Corruptible is the body, and mortal is the body. So the body remains; for it is that which is clothed; but the mor- 61.365 tality and the corruption disappear, immortality and incorruption coming upon it. Do not, therefore, doubt any longer how it will live an infinite life, when you hear that it becomes incorruptible. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. For since he had said great and secret things, he again confirms his word from prophecy: Death is swallowed up in victory, that is, completely, not even a remnant of it remains, nor a hope of return, incorruption having consumed corruption. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Have you seen a noble soul? For as if offering a sacrifice of victory, and becoming inspired, and seeing already as accomplished the things to come, he leaps upon and tramples on death as it lies prostrate, and shouts a cry of victory over its prostrate head, crying out loudly and saying, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? It is gone and

279

ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκί· καὶ πάλιν, Οἱ δὲ 61.364 ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ὥστε ὅταν λέγῃ, Τοῦτο δέ φημι, οὐδὲν ἄλλο λέγει, ἢ ὅτι ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα εἶπον, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πονηραὶ πράξεις εἰς βασιλείαν οὐκ εἰσάγουσιν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως εὐθέως καὶ τὸν τῆς βασιλείας εἰσήγαγε λόγον· διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρ- σίαν κληρονομεῖ· τουτέστιν, ἡ κακία τὴν δόξαν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀφθάρτων πραγμάτων ἀπόλαυ- σιν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλαχοῦ πάλιν τῇ προσηγορίᾳ ταύτῃ τὴν κακίαν ἐκάλεσεν εἰπών· Ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα, ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν. Εἰ δὲ περὶ σώματος ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ' οὐ περὶ πονηρᾶς πράξεως, οὐκ ἂν εἶπε φθοράν· οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα φθορὰν καλεῖ· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι φθορὰ, ἀλλὰ φθαρτόν. ∆ιὸ προϊὼν καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ διαλεγόμενος, οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτὸ φθορὰν, ἀλλὰ φθαρτὸν, λέγων· ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν. Εἶτα τὴν περὶ πολιτείας πληρώσας παραίνεσιν, ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ, ὑπόθεσιν ὑποθέσει συνεχῶς ἀναμιγνὺς, εἰς τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως πάλιν τῶν σωμάτων ἐκβαίνει λόγον, οὕτω λέγων· Ἰδοὺ μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω. βʹ. Φρικτόν τι καὶ ἀπόῤῥητον, καὶ ὃ μὴ πάντες ἴσασι, μέλλει λέγειν· ὃ καὶ πολλὴν ἐνδείκνυται τὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς τιμὴν, τὸ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα λέγειν αὐτοῖς. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι; Πάντες μὲν οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὐ πάντες μὲν ἀποθανούμεθα, πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα, καὶ οἱ μὴ ἀποθνήσκοντες· θνητοὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ ἀποθνήσκεις, διὰ τοῦτο δείσῃς, φησὶν, ὡς οὐκ ἀναστησόμενος· εἰσὶ γάρ τινες, εἰσὶν, οἳ καὶ τοῦτο διαφεύξονται· καὶ ὅμως οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐκείνην, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ ἐκεῖνα τὰ σώματα τὰ μὴ ἀποθνήσκοντα ἀλλαγῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν μεταπεσεῖν. Ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλ- μοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι. Ὅτε πολλὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως διελέχθη, τότε εὐκαίρως καὶ τὸ πολὺ παράδοξον αὐτῆς δείκνυσιν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο θαυμαστὸν μόνον, ὅτι σήπεται πρῶτον τὰ σώματα, καὶ τότε ἀνίσταται, φησὶν, οὐδ' ὅτι βελτίονα τῶν νῦν τὰ ἐκ τῶν σηπομένων ἀνιστάμενα, οὐδ' ὅτι ἐπὶ πολλῷ μείζονα λῆξιν μεταβαίνει, οὐδ' ὅτι ἕκαστος τὸ ἴδιον ἀπολαμβάνει καὶ οὐδεὶς τὸ ἑτέρου, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὰ τοσ- αῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα καὶ πάντων λογισμὸν καὶ νοῦν ὑπερβαίνοντα ἐν ἀτόμῳ γίνεται, τουτέστιν, ἐν ἀκα- ριαίῳ χρόνῳ. Καὶ δηλῶν σαφέστερον τοῦτο, Ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, φησίν· ὅσον μύσαι βλέφαρον. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ μέγα εἶπε καὶ ἐκστάσεως γέμον, εἰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα πράγματα οὕτω γίνηται ταχέως· ἐπάγει εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τὸ ἀξιόπιστον τοῦ ἐργαζομένου, λέγων· Σαλπίσει γὰρ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλλαγησόμεθα. Τὸ, Ἡμεῖς, οὐ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ζώντων τῶν τότε εὑρισκομένων. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐν- δύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀκούσας τις, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσει, νομίσῃ τὰ σώματα μὴ ἀνίστασθαι, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι ∆εῖ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν. Φθαρτὸν δὲ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ θνητὸν τὸ σῶμα. Ὥστε τὸ σῶμα μένει· αὐτὸ γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἐνδυόμενον· ἡ δὲ θνη- 61.365 τότης καὶ ἡ φθορὰ ἀφανίζεται, ἀθανασίας καὶ ἀφθαρ- σίας ἐπιούσης αὐτῷ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀμφίβαλλε λοιπὸν πῶς ἄπειρον ζήσεται ζωὴν, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι ἄφθαρ- τον γίνεται. Ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανα- σίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος· Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μεγάλα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα εἶπε, πάλιν ἀπὸ προφητείας πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον· Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος, τουτ- έστιν, εἰς τέλος, οὐδὲ λείψανον αὐτοῦ μένει, οὐδὲ ὑποστροφῆς ἐλπὶς, τῆς ἀφθαρσίας τὴν φθορὰν ἀνα- λωσάσης. Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; Εἶδες ψυχὴν γενναίαν; Καὶ γὰρ ὡς νικητήρια θύων, καὶ ἔνθους γενόμενος, καὶ ὁρῶν ἤδη ὡς γεγενημένα τὰ μέλλοντα, ἐνάλλεται καὶ ἐπεμ- βαίνει τῷ θανάτῳ κειμένῳ, καὶ τὴν ἐπινίκιον ἀλαλάζει φωνὴν κατὰ τῆς τούτου κεφαλῆς κειμένης, μεγάλα βοῶν καὶ λέγων· Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; Οἴχεται καὶ