The Physicality of Christ and the Error of Manichaeism

The net of fish. As they went out onto the land, they saw charcoal lying there and a fish lying with bread. Jesus says to them: 'Bring from the fish which you have now cast.' Simon Peter went up and drew the net onto the land full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and when these were present, the net was not torn. Jesus says to them: 'Come, breakfast.' But none of the disciples dared to examine him: 'Who are you?' knowing that it is the Lord. Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives to them, and the fish likewise. And when they had eaten, then immediately he commands Peter and the rest of the apostles how they shall shepherd the humanity.

Do you see the goodness of God? Do you see the philanthropy of the Master? Not one of the apostles did he recognize, nor did he blame these, nor did he strike them, saying: 'Why did you leave the preaching and turned toward the fishing of the fish?' But he also visits these and exhorts them and works with them toward the hunt and breakfasts them, making ready bread and the fish, so that in this also he might show that he is the creator of land and sea.

And what also does the blessed Luke the evangelist say after the resurrection? For first he says that he saw the holy women having seen the tomb opened and having heard from the angels: 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but as he said, he was raised from the dead.' Having learned these things from the angels, they reported to the eleven disciples that the Lord was raised from the dead. And the holy Peter, having heard, ran to the tomb and stooping, saw the cloths lying and went away to himself marveling.

And two of them were going toward a certain village, to whom, having seen the Lord, he exposed their unbelief and was teaching them that it is necessary for the Christ Lord to suffer and to rise. And after their return to Jerusalem and their telling to the eleven disciples how the Lord appeared to them on the way, and while the disciples were still troubled and debating about this, the Lord himself stood in the midst of them, saying to them, 'Peace to you, I am, do not fear.' But having been terrified and having become fearful, it seemed to them to be a spirit. And he said to them...

To those: Why are you disturbed, and for what reason do arguments arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, that I do not have flesh and bones as you see me having. And having said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. But while they were still disbelieving out of amazement, he said to them: Do you have something edible here? And they gave him a piece of roasted fish and some of honeyed wax; and having taken it, he ate in their presence, so that he might convince them also through the food, that he is the one who was with them and dining with them even before the passion. Who will still dare to fight against God? Who will be carried away into such unbelief as to disbelieve these things?

If everywhere it has been demonstrated through both the old and the new covenant that the creatures of God are sanctified—for whether it is offered to God, or whether Christ who became man partakes of it, through all his creatures he is sanctified—then let the heretics stop correcting God. For to say: 'He did this well, he did this poorly,' is not the property of a human mind, but of one being mad and fighting against God.

Let us see, then, if they themselves abstain from all living things according to the teaching of the unclean Manichaeans. For their leaders, having once legislated to abstain from living things because of the impiety dwelling in them, said that things growing from the earth are living; but they have torn away the testimonies from the Scriptures; for as it says in Daniel: 'Bless the beasts and cattle and all the flying things of the heaven, the Lord'—thus he says—'Bless all things growing from the earth, the Lord.' And following their own impiety, they fell into the abyss of error; for it is no longer possible for those saying these things to live in the flesh. And those imitating those teachers were also falling away; for they say that seeds have a life-giving power and bodies, and we say this too; but to abstain from living things, this you have legislated for yourself; and since you have rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, even if you have kept his confession, you are abstaining from living things and from foreign bodies. For the Lord says in the gospels concerning the...