Resurrection as a New Birth

"If a man dies, he shall live having completed the days of his life" (Job 14:14), from which a doctrine concerning resurrection is presented and a judgment of each life in this life, not occurring randomly or by chance when death happens. And even if "having completed the days of his life" can signify the days before the resurrection, consider also that which the eternal life shall receive: "I will wait, until I become again."

In the same sequence of words, and the opinions of those previously arguing against him, are placed alongside the true ones, so that while they lie parallel, we may see which are being dismantled and which are being constructed. For he was saying, regarding their erroneous opinion: "but a man having fallen asleep shall not rise" and "a man having ended his life has gone, and a fallen mortal is no longer." For the nature of man did not have it as they thought, that having possessed subsistence until the present life, having cast off this life, he is no longer, just like the irrational animals.

For the souls of irrational animals are scattered with their bodies, and therefore they are destroyed. But since the nature of man is not scattered, nor is he destroyed; for he is immortal. And since the friends did not depart, as it happens through painful struggle just as it happened to him the blessed one, considering that he suffers because of sin, opposing their opinion, he says the calculation that to bear the painful things is to become again. "I will wait," for he says, "until I become again," signifying the resurrection, which those saying he is being destroyed do not accept, some placing the nature of the soul... but the "I will wait, until I become again" is part of "if a man dies, he shall live having completed the days of his life."

Possessing this presupposition, the blessed Paul also wrote: "if in this life we hope only, we are more to be pitied than all men" (1 Cor 15:19) and "if I have fought as a wild beast against men in Ephesus, what is my profit, if the dead are not raised?" (1 Cor 15:32) Thus, not setting aside the opinion of the friends, that it is through virtue to suffer, the saying "but a man having fallen asleep shall not rise" was said...

But 'I will respond to you when you call again' stands in opposition to the opinion of those who mock: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die' (Isa 22:13). The phrase 'until I become again' must be explained in this way: resurrection is a kind of birth. For this reason, 're-birth' is spoken in relation to the Savior. For the former birth, having a different manner, consisted by the change of matter, either as dust in the first maker, or as the side as in the Eve of the seeds as in those born, or by a virgin turning something of herself into the salvific womb, such being the change. Thus also of the resurrection, whether it is a transfer into the dust of the body, or into something else according to these changes, the rising body is raised incorruptible. It is, therefore, a birth.

Then 'you will call, and I will respond to you.' Wishing to show that not only the body is raised, but also the soul possessing the thoughts concerning God, he says, 'you will call, and I will respond to you.' For to listen to God calling is proper to a rational being. 'Do not cast away the works of your hands' (Ps 31:5). Having taught concerning the resurrection of the whole human and the immortality of the soul, he instructs his friends so as not to consider him judged as insignificant by God. 'You have enumerated my faults to me, and you will not pass over any of my sins' (Ps 32:5). Teaching an unerasable knowledge of him, through these things he also in a certain way instructs his friends who are at odds, that through sin he suffers, how he must repent and not be arrogant regarding the purity existing within him, for the sake of moderation toward himself and toward them, raising them to repentance by saying these things. 'I will note if I have passed by unintentionally' (Ps 51:6). As if speaking to them again, he says these things while they are at odds, as if he were undergoing these things as a sinner, and by moderation and for their instruction, so that they might imitate him being so pure and bringing forth words of repentance. 'You have sealed my iniquities in a bag' (Ps 51:6). That is to say: 'You have included in them both the quality and the number.' And it is necessary to perceive these things also, similar to the former. And besides, a falling mountain will fall. Believing in the cause of all things, that he will complete the contest.