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| Chapter IX.—Showing how that passage of the apostle which the heretics pervert, should be understood; viz., “Flesh and blood shall not possess the kingdom of God.”
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Chapter IX.—Showing how that passage
of the apostle which the heretics pervert, should be understood; viz., “Flesh
and blood shall not possess the kingdom of God.”
1. Among the other [truths] proclaimed by the apostle,
there is also this one, “That flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God.”4506
This is [the passage]
which is adduced by all the heretics in support of their folly, with an
attempt to annoy us, and to point out that the handiwork of God is not
saved. They do not take this fact into consideration, that there are
three things out of which, as I have shown, the complete man is composed
—flesh, soul, and spirit. One of these does indeed preserve and
fashion [the man]—this is the spirit; while as to another it is
united and formed—that is the flesh; then [comes] that which is
between these two—that is the soul, which sometimes indeed, when
it follows the spirit, is raised up by it, but sometimes it sympathizes
with the flesh, and falls into carnal lusts. Those then, as many as they
be, who have not that which saves and forms [us] into life [eternal],
shall be, and shall be called, [mere] flesh and blood; for these are they
who have not the Spirit of God in themselves. Wherefore men
of this stamp are spoken of by the Lord as “dead;” for, says
He, “Let the dead bury their dead,”4507
because they have not the Spirit which quickens man.
2. On the other hand, as many as fear God and trust in
His Son’s advent, and who through faith do establish the Spirit of
God in their hearts,—such men as these shall be properly called
both “pure,” and “spiritual,” and “those
living to God,” because they possess the Spirit of the Father, who
purifies man, and raises him up to the life of God. For as the Lord has
testified that “the flesh is weak,” so [does He also say]
that “the spirit is willing.”4508
For
this latter is capable of working out its own suggestions. If, therefore,
any one admix the ready inclination of the Spirit to be, as it were, a
stimulus to the infirmity of the flesh, it inevitably follows that what
is strong will prevail over the weak, so that the weakness of the flesh
will be absorbed by the strength of the Spirit; and that the man in whom
this takes place cannot in that case be carnal, but spiritual, because of
the fellowship of the Spirit. Thus it is, therefore, that the martyrs
bear their witness, and despise death, not after the infirmity of the
flesh, but because of the readiness of the Spirit. For when the infirmity
of the flesh is absorbed, it exhibits the Spirit as powerful; and again,
when the Spirit absorbs the weakness [of the flesh], it possesses the
flesh as an inheritance in itself, and from both of these is formed a
living man,—living, indeed, because he partakes of the Spirit,
but man, because of the substance of flesh.
3. The flesh, therefore, when destitute of the Spirit
of God, is dead, not having life, and cannot possess the kingdom of God:
[it is as] irrational blood, like water poured out upon the ground. And
therefore he says, “As is the earthy, such are they that are
earthy.”4509
But where the Spirit of
the Father is, there is a living man; [there is] the rational blood
preserved by God for the avenging [of those that shed it]; [there is] the
flesh possessed by the Spirit, forgetful indeed of what belongs to it,
and adopting the quality of the Spirit, being made conformable to the
Word of God. And on this account he (the apostle) declares, “As we
have borne the image of him who is of the earth, we shall also bear the
image of Him who is from heaven.”4510
What,
therefore, is the earthly? That which was fashioned. And what is the
heavenly? The Spirit. As therefore he says, when we were destitute of the
celestial Spirit, we walked in former times in the oldness of the flesh,
not obeying God; so now let us, receiving the Spirit, walk in newness of
life, obeying God. Inasmuch, therefore, as without the Spirit of God we
cannot be saved, the apostle exhorts us through faith and chaste
conversation to preserve the Spirit of God, lest, having become
non-participators of the Divine Spirit, we lose the kingdom of heaven;
and he exclaims, that flesh in itself, and blood, cannot possess the
kingdom of God.
4. If, however, we must speak strictly, [we would say
that] the flesh does not inherit, but is inherited; as also
the Lord declares, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess
the earth by inheritance;”4511
as if in
the [future] kingdom, the earth, from whence exists the substance of our
flesh, is to be possessed by inheritance. This is the reason for His
wishing the temple (i.e., the flesh) to be clean, that the Spirit of God
may take delight therein, as a bridegroom with a bride. As, therefore,
the bride cannot [be said] to wed, but to be wedded, when the bridegroom
comes and takes her, so also the flesh cannot by itself possess the
kingdom of God by inheritance; but it can be taken for an
inheritance into the kingdom of God. For a living person inherits the
goods of the deceased; and it is one thing to inherit, another to be
inherited. The former rules, and exercises power over, and orders the
things inherited at his will; but the latter things are in a state of
subjection, are under order, and are ruled over by him who has obtained
the inheritance. What, therefore, is it that lives? The Spirit of God,
doubtless. What, again, are the possessions of the deceased? The various
parts of the man, surely, which rot in the earth. But these are inherited
by the Spirit when they are translated into the kingdom of heaven. For
this cause, too, did Christ die, that the Gospel covenant being
manifested and known to the whole world, might in the first place set
free His slaves; and then afterwards, as I have already shown, might
constitute them heirs of His property, when the Spirit possesses them by
inheritance. For he who lives inherits, but the flesh is inherited. In
order that we may not lose life by losing that Spirit which possesses us,
the apostle, exhorting us to the communion of the Spirit, has said,
according to reason, in those words already quoted, “That flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Just as if he were to
say, “Do not err; for unless the Word of God dwell with, and the
Spirit of the Father be in you, and if ye shall live frivolously and
carelessly as if ye were this only, viz., mere flesh and blood, ye cannot
inherit the kingdom of God.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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