Against Heresies: Book V

THE APOSTLE: anticipating the wicked speeches of unbelievers, has specified the works he calls carnal. He clarifies this to leave no room for doubt for those who might twist his meaning, saying in the Epistle to the Galatians: "Now the works of the flesh are clearly shown, which include adulteries, fornications, uncleanness, luxuriousness, idolatries, witchcrafts, hatreds, contentions, jealousies, wraths, emulations, animosities, irritable speeches, dissensions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and the like; of which I warn you, as I have warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Thus, he explains to his listeners more explicitly what he means by "Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God." For those who do these things, since they indeed walk after the flesh, do not have the power of living unto God.

He then tells us the spiritual actions that give life, which is the engrafting of the Spirit; saying, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, kindness, faith, meekness, self-control, chastity: against these there is no law." Therefore, he who has progressed to better things and has brought forth the fruit of the Spirit is saved completely because of the communion of the Spirit; likewise, he who has persisted in the aforementioned works of the flesh, being truly regarded as carnal, because he did not receive the Spirit of God, shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

The same apostle also testifies, saying to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be mistaken," he says: "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor rapacious persons, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And this you indeed were; but you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." He clearly shows how a person goes to destruction if they continue to live according to the flesh; and conversely, he points out how they are saved.

Now he states that the things which save are the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God.

SINCE: in that passage, he discusses those acts of the flesh which exist without the Spirit and lead to death for those who do them, he proclaimed at the end of his letter, aligning with what he had already expressed, “And 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. For this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Now, what he means by “as we have borne the image of him who is of the earth” is similar to what has been stated, “And such indeed you were; but you have been washed, but you have been sanctified, but you have been justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” So, when did we bear the image of him who is of the earth? Clearly, it was when those actions, referred to as “works of the flesh,” were carried out in us.

And again, when do we bear the image of the heavenly? Clearly, when he says, “You have been washed,” it is by believing in the name of the Lord and receiving His Spirit.

Now, we have washed away not the substance of our body or the image of our initial formation, but our former empty behavior. In these members, therefore, in which we were heading towards destruction by doing the works of corruption, in these very members we are made alive by doing the works of the Spirit.