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| Death Swallowed Up of Life. Meaning of This Phrase in Relation to the Resurrection of the Body.
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Chapter
LIV.—Death Swallowed Up of Life. Meaning of This Phrase in
Relation to the Resurrection of the Body.
Then, again, questions very often are suggested by
occasional and isolated terms, just as much as they are by connected
sentences. Thus, because of the apostle’s expression, “that
mortality may be swallowed up of life”7700
—in reference to the flesh—they
wrest the word
swallowed up into the sense of the actual destruction of the
flesh; as if we might not speak of ourselves as swallowing bile, or
swallowing grief, meaning that we conceal and hide it, and keep it
within ourselves. The truth is, when it is written, “This mortal
must put on immortality,”7701
it is
explained in what sense it is that “mortality is swallowed up of
life”—even whilst, clothed with immortality, it is hidden
and concealed, and contained within it, not as consumed, and destroyed,
and lost. But death, you will say in reply to me, at this rate, must be
safe, even when it has been swallowed up. Well, then, I ask you to
distinguish words which are similar in form according to their proper
meanings. Death is one thing, and mortality is another. It is one thing
for death to be swallowed up, and another thing for mortality to be
swallowed up. Death is incapable of immortality, but not so mortality.
Besides, as it is written that “this mortal must put on
immortality,”7702
how is this
possible when it is swallowed up of life? But how is it swallowed up of
life, (in the sense of destroyed by it) when it is actually received,
and restored, and included in it? For the rest, it is only just and
right that death should be swallowed up in utter destruction, since it
does itself devour with this same intent. Death, says the
apostle, has devoured by exercising its strength, and therefore has
been itself devoured in the struggle “swallowed up in
victory.”7703
“O death,
where is thy sting? O death, where is thy victory?”7704
Therefore life, too, as the great antagonist
of death, will in the struggle swallow up for salvation what death, in
its struggle, had swallowed up for destruction.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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