Page:Ante-Nicene Christian Library Vol 9.djvu/102

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80
IRENÆUS AGAINST HERESIES.
[Book v.

tion, and being [mere] flesh and blood, he cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Rightly therefore does the apostle declare, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;"[1] and, "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God:"[2] not repudiating [by these words] the substance of flesh, but showing that into it the Spirit must be infused.[3] And for this reason he says, "This mortal must put on immortality, and this corruptible must put on incorruption."[4] And again he declares, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."[5] He sets this forth still more plainly, where he says, "The body indeed is dead, because of sin; but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit dwelling in you."[6] And again he says, in the Epistle to the Romans, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die."[7] [Now by these words] he does not prohibit them from living their lives in the flesh, for he was himself in the flesh when he wrote to them; but he cuts away the lusts of the flesh, those which bring death upon a man. And for this reason he says in continuation, "But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the works of the flesh, ye shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."


Chap. xi.Treats upon the actions of carnal and of spiritual persons; also, that the spiritual cleansing is not to be referred to the substance of our bodies, but to the manner of our former life.

1. [The apostle], foreseeing the wicked speeches of unbelievers, has particularized the works which he terms carnal; and he explains himself, lest any room for doubt be left to

  1. 1 Cor. xv. 50.
  2. Rom. viii. 8.
  3. The Latin has, "sed infusionem Spiritus attrahens."
  4. 1 Cor. xv. 53.
  5. Rom. viii. 9.
  6. Rom. viii. 10, etc.
  7. Rom. viii. 13.