Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude 'On the resurrection of the flesh'.
My summary
Today Tertullian continues defending the resurrection of the dead.
Tertullian affirms the bodily resurrection because of:
(i) the teachings and actions of Christ;
(ii) the teachings in the acts of the apostles;
(iii) the teachings of Paul, particularly in 1 Corinthians.
Then Tertullian finishes the work by explaining what the bodily resurrection will look like.
What grabbed me
I think Tertullian was quite speculative toward the end of this Book.
But I did like Tertullian's assertion that there is no contradiction between Old and New Testaments regarding the resurrection: 'The Acts of the Apostles, too, attest the resurrection. Now the apostles had nothing else to do, at least among the Jews, than to explain the Old Testament and confirm the New, and above all, to preach God in Christ. Consequently they introduced nothing new concerning the resurrection, besides announcing it to the glory of Christ: in every other respect it had been already received in simple and intelligent faith, without any question as to what sort of resurrection it was to be, and without encountering any other opponents than the Sadducees.'
The resurrection is certainly not a new teaching made up by the apostles.
Next week's reading
Commence 'Against Praxeas' by reading Chapters I to XVIII.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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