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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 worst 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."
Moreover also he frames hereby his advice
concerning the best way of living, proposing
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."
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, 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 manner of life which is
in the heavens. Whereas if he were speaking of
nature, the thing neeeded not exhortation nor
advice. So that hence also it is evident that
the expression relates to our manner of life.
Wherefore also he introduces the saying in the
manner of advice and calls it an "image," here
too again showing that he is speaking of
conduct, not of nature. For therefore are we
become earthy, because we have done evil: not
because we were originally formed "earthy,"
but because we sinned. For sin came first, and
then death and then the sentence, "Dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
(Gen. iii. 19.) 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 was of this
mass and lump,) but the doing earthly things,
even as also he is made "heavenly" by
performing things meet for heaven.
But enough: for why need I labor 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 cannot 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 then they that are in
the flesh cannot please God." (Rom. viii.
8, 9.) So that when he saith, "Now this
I say," he means nothing else than 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 corruption 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 flesh reap corruption." (Gal.
vi. 8.) Now if he were speaking of the body
and not of evil doing, he would not have said
"corruption." For he nowhere 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."
Next, having completed his advice concerning
our manner of life, 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 tell you a
mystery."
It is something awful and ineffable and which
all know not, which he is about to speak of:
which also indicates the greatness of the honor
he confers on them; I mean, his 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 show this more clearly, "in the twinkling of
an eye," saith he, "while one can wink an
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 upon it. Do not thou
therefore question hereafter how it shall live an
endless life, now that thou hast heard of its
becoming incorruptible.
Ver. 54. "But when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this moral shall
have put on immortality, then shall come to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed
up in victory."
Thus, since he was speaking of great and secret
things, he again takes prophecy (Hosea xiii.
14.) to confirm his word. "Death is
swallowed up in victory:" i.e., utterly;
not so much as a fragment of it remains nor a
hope of returning, incorruption having consumed
corruption.
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 its 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 power 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 power 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 power" 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 develop it more fearfully, this is no charge
against the physician, but against the abuse of
the remedy. Since even the presence of Christ
made the Jews' burden heavier, yet must we not
therefore blame it, but while we the more admire
it, we must hate them the more, for having been
injured by things which ought to have profited
them? Yea, to show that it was not the law of
itself which gives strength to sin, Christ
Himself fulfilled it all and was without sin.
But I would have thee consider how from this
topic also he confirms the resurrection. For if
this were the cause of death, viz. our
committing sin, and if Christ came and took
away sin, and delivered us from it through
baptism, and together with sin put an end also
to the law in the transgression of which sin
consists, why doubtest thou any more of the
resurrection? For whence, after all this, is
death to prevail? Through the law? Nay, it
is done away. Through sin? Nay, it is clean
destroyed.
Ver. 57. "But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ."
For the trophy He Himself erected, but the
crowns He hath caused us also to partake of.
And this not of debt, but of mere mercy.
Ver. 58. "Wherefore, brethren, be ye
steadfast, unmoveable."
Just and seasonable is this exhortation after
all that had gone before. For nothing so
disquiets as the thought that we are buffeted
without cause or profit.
"Always abounding in the work of the Lord:"
i. e., in the pure life. And he said not,
"working that which is good," but
"abounding;" that we might do it abundantly,
and might overpass the lists.
"Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the
Lord."
What sayest thou? Labor again? But followed
by crowns, and those above the heavens. For
that former labor on man's expulsion from
paradise, was the punishment of his
transgressions; but this is the ground of the
rewards to come. So that it cannot in fact be
labor, both on this account and by reason of the
great help which it receives from above: which
is the cause of his adding also, "in the
Lord." For the purpose of the former was that
we might suffer punishment; but of this, that
we might obtain the good things to come.
Let us not therefore sleep, my beloved. For
it cannot, it cannot be that any one by sloth
should attain to the kingdom of heaven, nor they
that live luxuriously and softly. Yea it is a
great thing, if straining ourselves and
"keeping under the body" and enduring
innumerable labors, we are able to reach those
blessings. See ye not how vast this distance
between heaven and earth? And how great a
conflict is at hand? And how prone a thing to
evil man is? And how easily sin "besets us?"
And how many snares are in the way?
Why then do we draw upon ourselves so great
cares over and above those of nature, and give
ourselves more trouble, and make our burden
greater? Is it not enough, our having to care
for our food and clothing and houses? Is it not
enough to take thought for things necessary?
Although even from these Christ withdraws us,
saying, "Be not anxious for your life what ye
shall eat, neither for your body what ye shall
put on." (Matt. vi. 25.) But if one
ought not to be anxious for necessary food and
clothing, nor for to-morrow; they who bring on
so great a mass of rubbish and bury themselves
under it, when shall they shall have power to
emerge? Hast thou not heard Paul saying,
"No soldier on service entangleth himself in
the affairs of this life?" (2 Tim. ii.
4.) But we even live luxuriously and eat and
drink to excess and endure buffeting for external
things, but in the things of heaven behave
ourselves unmanly. Know ye not that the promise
is too high for man? It cannot be that one
walking on the ground should ascend the arches of
heaven. But we do not even study to live like
men, but are become worse than the brutes.
Know ye not before what a tribunal we are to
stand? Do ye not consider that both for our
words and thoughts an account is demanded of us,
and we take no heed even to our actions. "For
whosoever looketh on a woman," saith He, "to
lust after her hath already committed adultery
with her." (Matt. v. 28.) And yet they
who must be accountable for a mere idle look,
refuse not even to lie rotting in the sin
itself. "Whosoever shall say to his brother,
Thou fool, shall be cast into hell fire."
(Matt. v. 22.) But we even dishonor them
with ten thousand reproaches and plot against
them craftily. "He that loveth one that loveth
him is no better than the heathen:" (Matt.
v. 46, 47.) but we even envy them. What
indulgence then shall we have, when commanded as
we are to pass over the old lines, we weave
ourselves a thread of life by a yet more scanty
measure than theirs? What plea shall deliver
us? Who will stand up and help us when we are
punished? There is no one; but it must needs
be that wailing and weeping and gnashing our
teeth, we shall be led away tortured into that
rayless gloom, the pangs which no prayer can
avert, the punishments which cannot be
assuaged.
Wherefore I entreat and beseech, and lay hold
of your very knees, that whilst we have this
scant viaticum of life, you would be pricked in
your hearts by what has been said, that you
would be converted, that you would become better
men; that we may not, like that rich man,
lament to no purpose in that world after our
departure, and continue thenceforth in incurable
wailings. For though thou shouldest have father
or son or friend or any soever who hath
confidence towards God, none of these shall
ever deliver thee, thine own works having
destroyed thee. For such is that tribunal: it
judges by our actions alone, and in no other way
is it possible there to be saved.
And these things I say, not to grieve you nor
to throw you into despair, but lest nourished by
vain and cold hopes, and placing confidence in
this person or that, we should neglect our own
proper goodness. For if we be slothful, there
will be neither righteous man nor prophet nor
apostle nor any one to stand by us; but if we
have been earnest, having in sufficiency the
plea which comes from each man's own works, we
shall depart with confidence, and shall obtain
the good things that are laid up for them that
love God; to which may we all attain,
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