Grief at the death of believers is impatience

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Tertullian is arguing that even the grief felt at the loss of loved ones is a form of impatience, because Christians believe in the resurrection.

Not even that form of impatience is excused—the one in the loss of our own people—for which some claim of grief pleads as advocate. The apostle's warning must be placed first. He says: Do not be saddened by anyone's sleep, as the pagans are, who lack hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). And rightly so. For since we believe in Christ's resurrection, we believe in our own as well, because it was for us that he both died and rose again. Therefore, since the resurrection of the dead is certain, grief over death is empty, and impatience in grief is empty too. Why should you grieve if you do not believe the person has perished? Why should you bear impatiently the temporary removal of someone you believe will return? It is a departure that you think is death. The one who goes ahead is not to be mourned, but certainly to be longed for. And that longing too must be tempered by patience. Why should you bear immoderately the departure of someone you will soon follow? Besides, impatience in such matters speaks ill of our hope and violates our faith. We also wrong Christ when we do not accept with equanimity those he has called away, as if they were to be pitied. I long, the apostle says, to be received now and to be with the Lord (Philippians 1:23). How much better he shows his desire! So if we grieve impatiently when others have attained the desire of Christians, we ourselves do not want to attain it.

Latin

Ne illa quidem impatientiae species excusatur, [in amissione nostrorum] cui aliqua doloris patrocinatur adsertio. praeponendus est enim respectus denuntiationis apostoli, qui ait: ne contristemini dormitione cuiusquam, sicut nationes, quae spe carent. et merito. credentes enim resurrectionem Christi in nostram quoque credimus. propter quos ille et obiit et resurrexit. ergo cum constet de resurrectione mortuorum, uacat dolor mortis, uacat et impa* tientia doloris. cur enim doleas, si perisse non credis? cur impatienter feras subductum interim quem credis reuersurum? profectio est quam putas mortem. non est lugendus qui antecedit, sed plane desiderandus. id quoque desiderium patientia temperandum. cur enim. immoderate feras. abisse quem mox, subsequeris? ceterum impatientia in huiusmodi et spei nostrae male ominatur et fidem praeuaricatur. et Christum laedimus, cum euocatos quosque ab illo quasi miserandos non aequanimiter accipimus. cupio, inquit apostolus, recipi iam et esse cum domino. quanto melius ostendit uotum! Christianorum ergo uotum, si alios consecutos impatienter dolemus, ipsi consequi nolumus.

About this text

Tertullian, who admits he is short of patience himself, praises it as the virtue every Christian duty needs, after the pattern of God and Christ.

Tertullian (c. 155–c. 220) was a Christian writer from Carthage in North Africa, and one of the earliest Christian authors to write in Latin. He wrote this treatise for fellow Christians, though he names no particular person or church. He opens by confessing that he himself is weak in patience, and says he writes because no command of God or work pleasing to him can be performed without it.

The work presents patience as the central discipline of Christian life. Tertullian argues that patience is God's own nature, shown in his forbearance toward the wicked and supremely in Christ's passion. Its opposite, impatience, began with the devil and is the root of every sin, from the fall of Adam and Eve to the crimes of Cain and Israel. A reader will meet God and Christ as the supreme examples of patience, the devil as the origin of impatience, and figures such as Adam, Eve, Cain, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Job, Isaiah, Stephen, Elijah, and Malchus. The words of Christ, the apostle Paul, and God in scripture are quoted and argued from.

The treatise contrasts true Christian patience with the false patience taught by the devil to his own followers. Patience governs every Christian duty: bearing loss, enduring wrong, accepting death, renouncing revenge, forgiving others, and practicing bodily self-denial. The translation renders patientia as patience and impatientia as impatience throughout. Old Latin Bible names are given in their familiar English forms, so Esaias is Isaiah, Helias is Elijah, Moyses is Moses, Iob is Job, Stephanus is Stephen, and Eua is Eve. Malchus is the high priest's servant whose ear was cut off at Jesus' arrest and healed by him.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 47 (1900) (Latin)
Also checked Quinti Septimii Florentis Tertulliani Quae Supersunt Omnia Tertullian Franz Oehler T. O. Weigel Leipzig 1853 (Latin · comparison witness (not aligned to the sections))

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.