Athenagoras, On the Resurrection of the Dead 10
What is unwilling to God is unwilling either as unjust or as unworthy. Injustice is considered either with respect to the one being resurrected or with respect to someone else besides him. But it is evident that no one among those outside and those counted among existing things is treated unjustly. The intelligible natures will not be wronged by the resurrection of humans, since the resurrection of humans is neither an obstacle nor a harm nor an insult to them; nor will the nature of non-rational beings or of lifeless things be wronged, for they will not exist after the resurrection, and nothing is unjust concerning what does not exist. Even if someone were to suppose that they exist forever, they would not be wronged when human bodies are renewed. For if, now, while yielding to human nature and its needs, being in want, and lying under a yoke and every kind of slavery, nothing is wronged, how much more will they not be wronged when they have become immortal and without needs, no longer needing those needs, and have been freed from all slavery. Not even if they were given a voice would they accuse the Creator as diminishing humans unjustly because they did not obtain the same resurrection as these. For those whose nature is not equal, the end is not equal either; the Just One measures accordingly. Apart from these, there is no judgment of the Just One and no accusation of injustice. Nor can it be said that some injustice is considered with respect to the human being who is being resurrected. This one consists of soul and body, yet he receives injustice neither in his soul nor in his body. No reasonable person will say that the soul is wronged, because it will leave behind even the present life along with it. For if now, dwelling in a perishable and passive body, it is not wronged, how much more will it not be wronged when living together with an immortal and impassive body. Nor is the body wronged in any way. For if now, being perishable, it is not wronged when joined with the immortal, it is clear that neither will the immortal body be wronged when joined with the immortal. Nor can it be said that it is an unworthy work of God to raise and gather the dissolved body. For if the worse—that is, the perishable and passive body—is not unworthy, how much more is the better, which is immortal and impassive, not unworthy.
Greek
Τὸ γὰρ ἀβούλητον ἢ ὡς ἄδικον αὐτῷ ἐστιν ἀβούλητον ἢ ὡς ἀνάξιον. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ ἄδικον ἢ περὶ αὐτὸν θεωρεῖται τὸν ἀναστησόμενον ἢ περὶ ἄλλον τινὰ παρ᾿ αὐτόν. Ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι μὲν οὐδεὶς ἀδικεῖται τῶν ἔξωθεν καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ἀριθμουμένων, πρόδηλον. Οὔτε γὰρ αἱ νοηταὶ φύσεις ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀναστάσεως ἀδικηθεῖεν ἄν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐμπόδιόν τι ταύταις πρὸς τὸ εἶναι, οὐ βλάβος οὐχ ὕβρις ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνάστασις· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τῶν ἀλόγων ἡ φύσις οὐδὲ τῶν ἀψύχων· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔσται μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν· περὶ δὲ τὸ μὴ ὂν οὐδὲν ἄδικον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ εἶναί τις ὑποθοῖτο διὰ παντός, οὐκ ἂν ἀδικηθείη ταῦτα, τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων σωμάτων ἀνανεωθέντων· εἰ γὰρ ὑπείκοντα νῦν τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ταῖς τούτων χρείαις ὄντων ἐνδεῶν, ὑπό τε ζυγὸν ἠγμένα καὶ δουλείαν παντοίαν, οὐδὲν ἀδικεῖται, πολὺ μᾶλλον, ἀφθάρτων καὶ ἀνενδεῶν γενομένων καὶ μηκέτι δεομένων τῆς τούτων χρείας, ἐλευθερωθέντα δὲ πάσης δουλείας οὐκ ἀδικηθήσεται. Οὐδὲ γάρ, εἰ φωνῆς μετεῖχεν, ᾐτιάσατο ἂν τὸν δημιουργὸν ὡς παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον ἐλαττούμενα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι μὴ τῆς αὐτῆς τούτοις τετύχηκεν ἀναστάσεως. Ὧν γὰρ ἡ φύσις οὐκ ἴση, τούτοις οὐδὲ τὸ τέλος ἴσον ὁ δίκαιος· ἐπιμετρεῖ. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, παρ᾿ οἶς οὐδεμία τοῦ δικαίου κρίσις οὐδὲ μέμψις ἀδικίας. Οὐ μὴν οὐδ᾿ ἐκεῖνο φῆσαι δυνατὸν ὡς περὶ αὐτὸν θεωρεῖταί τις ἀδικία τὸν ἀνιστάμενον ἄνθρωπον. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ οὗτος ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος, οὔτε δὲ εἰς ψυχὴν οὔτε εἰς σῶμα δέχεται τὴν ἀδικίαν. Οὔτε γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀδικεῖσθαι φήσει τις σωφρονῶν, ὅτι λήσεταί γε ταύτῃ συνεκβάλλων καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ζωήν· εἰ γὰρ νῦν ἐν φθαρτῷ καὶ παθητῷ κατοικοῦσα σώματι μηδὲν ἠδίκηται, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀφθάρτῳ καὶ ἀπαθεῖ συζῶσα οὐκ ἀδικηθήσεται. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμα ἀδικεῖταί τι· εἰ γὰρ νῦν φθαρτὸν ἀφθάρτῳ συνὸν οὐκ ἀδικεῖται, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδ᾿ ἄφθαρτον ἀφθάρτῳ συνὸν ἀδικηθήσεται. Οὐ μὴν οὐδ᾿ ἐκεῖνο φαίη τις ἂν ὡς ἀνάξιον ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ διαλυθὲν ἀναστῆσαι σῶμα καὶ συναγαγεῖν· εἰ γὰρ τὸ χεῖρον οὐκ ἀνάξιον, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστι τὸ φθαρτὸν ποιῆσαι σῶμα καὶ παθητόν, πολὺ μᾶλλον τὸ κρεῖττον οὐκ ἀνάξιον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀπαθές.