The distinction between nature and choice in resurrection
Therefore, having given the seed-power to the grain, He gave the strength of resurrection to our own bodies. This was not so that we received a body similar to the fruits and to men, but so that I might demonstrate the creative power.
It is not as the rising of other flesh; for a pattern has been used. He speaks of celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, and shows the things following. So also is the resurrection of the dead. You see that the first things were a pattern; but now that which is the pattern has been given. Regarding celestial bodies, he speaks of the sun and the moon.
He speaks of a psychic body as that which was killed by the sin of the soul, but a spiritual body as that which is raised by the power of the Spirit. This will no longer live according to the weakness of the soul, which is not sufficient to preserve the constitution of the body, but according to the power of the Spirit, which transfers it into immortality. Moses says this: the one who became a living soul, and the second man into a life-giving spirit. This is what the Gospel says; for that which is born in it is from the Holy Spirit.
From the earth is the man according to nature, but earthly according to choice. But concerning Christ he says from heaven: it does not become incorporeal through similarity or through resurrection. Those concerning Valentinus and Marcion, and those from Photius and Apollinaris, allow this, but the explicit word reproves them all. For I ask: did the one from earth, the earthly one, have a soul or not? They will not deny it. And did the Lord from heaven have a body from earth? Again I ask: why does he say the first man from earth is earthly, but the Lord is from heaven?
After these things: as the earthly is, so are the earthly ones; or is it evident that because the one is from earth by nature, and the earthly is by choice? Coming to 'as the earthly is', and accusing those who have not lived well, he no longer remembers the nature nor the one from earth, and he no longer says the Lord is from heaven but celestial; again, the spiritual ones were also from earth. As the earthly is, so are the earthly ones, and as the celestial is, so are the celestial ones. And it is necessary, if anyone were to deny that the Lord from heaven took on flesh, since the celestial ones also took on bodies from heaven, because as the earthly is, so are the earthly ones, and thus what is understood is not established at all.
Greek
ἄρα ὁ τῷ κόκκῳ δεδωκὼς τὴν σπερματικὴν δύναμιν, ἔδωκε καὶ τοῖς ἡμετέροις σώμασι τὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἰσχύν. Οὐχ ὡς ὅμοιον τῷ τῶν καρπῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρέλαβον σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν δημιουργικὴν δύναμιν παραστήσω. 1 Kor 15,40–42 Οὐχ ὡς ἀνισταμένων τῶν ἄλλων σαρκῶν· ὑποδείγματι γὰρ κέχρηται. καὶ σώματα ἐπουράνια τὸν ἥλιον λέγει καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δείκνυσιν. οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν. ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὑπόδειγμα ἦν τὰ πρῶτα· ἀποδέδοται δὲ νῦν οὗ ἐστι τὸ ὑπόδειγμα. Σώματα δὲ οὐράνια ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη. 1 Kor 15,44 Σῶμα ψυχικὸν λέγει τὸ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς θανατωθέν, πνευματικὸν δὲ τὸ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος ἐγειρόμενον, ὅπερ οὐκέτι κατὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσθένειαν ζήσεται ἥτις οὐκ ἐξαρκεῖ φυλάττειν τὴν τοῦ σώματος σύστασιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος δύναμιν ἥτις εἰς ἀθανασίαν αὐτὸ μεθίστησιν. 276 1 Kor 15,45 Τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς φησι τὸ καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν. Ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν. τοῦτο τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον λέγει· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. 1 Kor 15,47 Ἐκ γῆς ὁ ἄνθρωπος κατὰ φύσιν, χοϊκὸς δὲ κατὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν. ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν λέγει· οὐ καθ' ὁμοιότητα ἢ ἐξ ἀναστάσεως ἀϊδιότης γίνεται. 1 Kor 15,47–49 Ἐπιτρέχουσι τούτῳ καὶ οἱ περὶ Οὐαλεντῖνον καὶ Μαρκίωνα καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Φωτεινοῦ καὶ οἱ Ἀπολιναρίου, πάντας δὲ ἐλέγχει τὸ ῥητόν. ἐρωτῶ γάρ· ὁ ἐκ γῆς χοϊκὸς εἶχεν ψυχὴν ἢ οὔ; οὐκ ἀρνήσονται. καὶ ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κύριος εἶχεν σῶμα ἀπὸ γῆς. πάλιν ἐρωτῶ· διὰ τί τὸν μὲν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον ἐκ γῆς χοϊκὸν λέγει, τὸν δὲ κύριον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ; μετὰ ταῦτα· οἷος ὁ χοϊκός–καὶ οὐκέτι γῆς μέμνηται ἀλλ' ὅτι– τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ χοϊκοί; ἢ δηλονότι ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἐκ γῆς τῆς φύσεως, τὸ δὲ χοϊκὸς τῆς προαιρέσεως. ἐλθὼν εἰς τὸ οἷος ὁ χοϊκός, καὶ κατηγορῶν τῶν οὐ καλῶς βιωσάντων, οὐκέτι τῆς φύσεως μνημονεύει οὐδὲ τοῦ ἐκ γῆς, καὶ τὸν κύριον οὐκέτι ἐξ οὐρανοῦ λέγει ἀλλ' ἐπουράνιον· πάλιν ἦσαν ἐκ γῆς καὶ οἱ πνευματικοί. οἷος δὲ ὁ χοϊκός, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ χοϊκοί, καὶ οἷος ὁ ἐπουράνιος τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ ἐπουράνιοι. καὶ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη, εἰ ἀρνοῖντό τινες τὸ σάρκα ἀνειληφέναι τὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κύριον, ἐπειδὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἐπουρανίους, μὴ συγχωρεῖν ἀνειληφέναι σῶμα, ἐπειδὴ οἷος ὁ χοϊκός, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ χοϊκοί, καὶ οὕτως οὐδαμόθεν ἵσταται τοῦτο νοούμενον
About this text
A passionate defense of Christian unity and identity in a divided church, exploring the meaning of being called by Christ.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.