HOMILY XLII. 1 COR. XV. 47. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. HAVING said that the natural was first, and the spiritual afterward, he again states another difference, speaking of the earthy and the heavenly. For the first difference was between the present life, and that which is to come: but this between that before grace, and that after grace. And he stated it with a view to the most excellent way of life, saying,-(for to hinder men, as I said, from such confidence in the resurrection as would make them neglectful of their practice, and of perfection, from this topic also again he renders them anxious, and exhorts to virtue, saying,)-The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven; calling the whole by the name of man', and naming the one from the better, and the other from the worse part. Ver. 48. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy so shall they perish and have an end. As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly: so shall they abide, immortal and glorious. What then? Did not This Man too die? He died indeed, but received no injury therefrom, yea rather by this He put an end to death. Seest thou how, on this part of his subject also, he makes use of death to establish the doctrine of the resurrection?"For having, as I said before, the beginning and the head," so he speaks," doubt not of the whole body.” a i. e. embodying as it were the whole of the two states of being which he is describing in the personal appellation of Man: as in the phrase, Old and New Earthy, and Heavenly, relate to our Conversation. 597 15.49. Moreover also he frames hereby in the most excellent way 1 COR. his advice concerning our conversation, setting down standards of a lofty and severe life, and of that which is not such, and bringing forward the principles of both these, of the one Christ, but of the other Adam. Therefore neither did he simply say, of the earth, but earthy, i. e. "gross, nailed down to things present:" and again with respect to Christ the reverse, the Lord from heaven. [2.] But if any should say, "therefore the Lord hath not a body," because He is said to be from heaven, although what is said before is enough to stop their mouths: yet nothing hinders our silencing them from this consideration also: viz. what is, the Lord from heaven? Doth he speak of His nature, or His most perfect life? It is I suppose evident to every one, that he speaks of His life. Wherefore also he adds, b Ver. 49. As we have borne the image of the earthy, i. e. as we have done evil, let us also bear the image of the heavenly: i. e. let us practise all goodness. But besides this, I would fain ask thee, is it of nature that it is said, he that is of the earth, earthy, and, the Lord from heaven? "Yea," saith one. What then? Was Adam only earthy, or had he also another kind of substance congenial with heavenly and incorporeal beings, which the Scripture calls soul, and spirit? Every one sees, that he had this also. Therefore neither was the Lord from above only, although He is said to be from heaven, but He had also assumed our flesh. But Paul's meaning is such as this: as we have borne the image of the earthy, i. e. evil deeds, let us also bear the image of the heavenly, the conversation which is in the heavens. Whereas if he were speaking of nature, the thing needed not exhortation, nor advice. So that hence also it is evident, that the expression relates to our conversation. Wherefore also he introduces the saying in the manner of advice, and calls it an image, here too again shewing that he is speaking of conduct, not of nature. a As the Manichees did, and before them the Gnostic sects. b pogśower. This reading is supported, according to Scholz, by the Alexandrian and six other uncial MSS. It is found in several versions, and has the authority of Irenæus, Origen, Basil, Tertullian, For therefore are we Cyprian, and other Fathers. In favour XLII. 19. 598 How the Kingdom of God is not for Flesh and Blood. HOMIL. become earthy, because we have done evil: not because we were originally formed earthy, but because we sinned. And so sin came first, and then death, and the sentence, Dust thou 1 Gen.3. art, and unto dust shalt thou return1. Then also entered in the swarm of the passions. For it is not simply, the being born of earth, that makes a man earthy, (since the Lord also 2 μns was of this mass and lump2,) but the doing earthly things: even as also he is made heavenly, by performing things meet for heaven. καὶ φυ ράματος. But enough for why need I labour overmuch in the proof of this, when the apostle himself goes on to unfold the thought to us, thus saying, Ver. 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Seest thou how he explains himself again, relieving us of the trouble? which he often doth: for by flesh, he here denotes men's evil deeds, which he hath done also elsewhere, as when he saith, But ye are not in the flesh: and again, So 3 Rom. then they that are in the flesh cannot please God3. So that 8.8, 9. when he saith, now this I say, he means nothing else than rec.text. this: "therefore said I these things, that thou mayest learn that evil deeds conduct not to a kingdom." Thus from the resurrection he straightway introduced also the doctrine of the kingdom also; wherefore also he adds, neither doth cor4xλngo- ruption inherit incorruption, i. e. neither shall wickedness , inherit that glory, and the enjoyment of the things incorruptible. For in many other places he calls wickedness by this name, saying, He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the 5 Gal. 6. flesh reap corruptions. Now if he were speaking of the body, and not of evil doing, he would not have said corruption. For he no where calls the body corruption, since neither is it corruption, but a thing corruptible: wherefore proceeding to discourse also of it, he calls it not "corruption," but corruptible, saying, for this corruptible must put on incorruption. 8. [3.] Next, having completed his advice concerning our conversation, according to his constant custom, blending closely subject with subject, he passes again to the doctrine of the resurrection of the body: as follows: Ver. 51. Behold, I shew you a mystery. Not the Body, but its Qualities, changed. 599 It is something aweful and ineffable, and which all know 1 Cor. not, which he is about to speak of; which also indicates the 15.53. greatness of the honour he confers on them; I mean, his (2.) speaking mysteries to them. But what is this? We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. He means as follows: "we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed," even those who die not. For they too are mortal. "Do not thou therefore, because thou diest, on this account fear," saith he," as if thou shouldest not rise again: for there are, there are some, who shall even escape this, and yet this suffices them not for that resurrection, but even those bodies which die not must be changed, and be transformed into incorruption.' Ver. 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. After he had discoursed much of the resurrection, then opportunely he points out also its very marvellous character. As thus: "not this only," saith he, "is wonderful, that our bodies first turn to corruption, and then are raised; nor that the bodies which rise again after their corruption are better than these present ones; nor that they pass on to a much better state, nor that each receives back his own, and none that of another; but that things so many and so great, and surpassing all man's reason and conception, are done in a moment, i. e. in an instant of time: and to shew this more clearly, in the twinkling of an eye, saith he, "while one can wink one's eyelid." Further, because he had said a great thing, and full of astonishment; that so many and so great results should take place so quickly; he alleges, to prove it, the credibility of Him who performs it; as follows, For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The expression, we, he uses not of himself, but of them that are then found alive. Ver. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption. Thus, lest any, hearing that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, should suppose that our bodies do not rise again; he adds, this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Now the body is corruptible, the body is mortal: so that the body indeed remains, for it is the body which is put on; but its mortality and corruption vanish away, when immortality and incorruption come 600 How the Law is the Strength of Sin. HOMIL. upon it. Do not thou therefore question hereafter how it XLII. shall live an endless life, now that thou hast heard of its becoming incorruptible. 13. 14. [4.] Ver. 54. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Thus, since he was speaking of great and secret things, he Hosea again takes prophecy1 to confirm his word. Death is swallowed up in victory: i. e. utterly; not so much as a fragxos; i. e.ment of it remains, nor a hope of returning, incorruption is ríos having consumed corruption. 2 sis ví εἰς τέλος. Ver. 55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Seest thou his noble soul? how even as one who is offering sacrifices for victory, having become inspired, and seeing already things future as things past, he leaps and tramples upon death fallen at his feet, and shouts a cry of triumph over his head where it lies, exclaiming mightily, and saying, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? It is clean gone, it is perished, it is utterly vanished away, and in vain hast thou done all those former things. For He not only disarmed death, and vanquished it, but even destroyed it, and made it quite cease from being. Ver. 56. Now the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. Seest thou how the discourse is of the death of the body? therefore also of the resurrection of the body. For if these bodies do not rise again, how is death swallowed up? And not this only, but how is the law the strength of sin? For that sin indeed is the sting of death, and more bitter than it, and by it hath its power, is evident; but how is the law also the strength thereof? Because without the law sin was weak, being practised indeed, but not able so entirely to condemn : since although the evil took place, it was not so clearly pointed out. So that it was no small change which the law brought in, first causing us to know sin better, and then enhancing the punishment. And if, meaning to check sin, it did but develope it more fearfully, this is no charge against the physician, but against the abuse of the remedy. Since |