The resurrection as the ground of moral life and theodicy

We spoke to you earlier about doctrines and about the glory of the only-begotten Son of God, stopping the mouths of those who tear down His dignity and alienate Him from His begetter. Today I want to exercise a more ethical discourse and make my whole exhortation about life and conduct. Yet this discourse will not be ethical only; it will also be doctrinal, for I am preparing to enter upon the subject of the resurrection. This subject is rich and varied: it sets our doctrines straight, orders our life, and frees God's providence from every accusation. When the resurrection is disbelieved, it overturns our life, fills it with countless evils, and turns things upside down. But when it is believed, it brings with it the arguments about providence, makes us take great care for virtue, makes us flee wickedness with great zeal, and fills everything with calm and peace.

The person who does not expect to rise again, who does not expect to give an account of what he has done here, who thinks that our affairs stop with the present life and that there is nothing more beyond it—such a person will not care for virtue. How could he, when he expects no reward to be laid up for his labors? Nor will he keep away from wickedness, since he expects no punishment for the evil he has done. Instead, he gives himself over to disordered desires and will rush into every kind of evil. But the person who has persuaded himself about the coming judgment, who keeps that fearful tribunal before his eyes along with the inexorable accounting and the irrefutable verdict, will try in every way to hold fast to self-control and gentleness and the rest of virtue, and to flee licentiousness, insolence, and every other wickedness. And this person will be able with great abundance to stop the mouths of those who accuse God's providence.

For when some people see the gentle and self-controlled, those who live in righteousness, being choked by poverty, mistreated, slandered, scarcely able to obtain necessary food, and often wasting away with long illness and harsh diseases while receiving no protection—and when they see charlatans and defiled men, full of many evils, clothed in wealth, living in luxury, wearing splendid garments, dragging after themselves a great swarm of household servants, admired, enjoying power, and possessing great confidence before the king—then some people accuse God's providence over these things and say: Where is providence in this? Where is just judgment? The self-controlled and gentle person is in evils, while the licentious and corrupt person is in good things. This one is admired, that one is despised. This one enjoys great luxury, that one is in poverty and the worst evils. The person who doubts about the things to come will be silenced and will say nothing at all. But the person who knows how to philosophize about the resurrection will easily check the blasphemy and will say to those who are vexed at such things: Stop sharpening your tongues against the God who made you. Our affairs do not stop with the present life; we are pressing on to another life far longer—or rather, one that has no end. And there, certainly, this poor man who lives with righteousness will receive the rewards for his labors, while the licentious charlatan will pay the penalty for this wickedness and unjust luxury.