Chapter 84 — That the bodies of those who rise again will have the same nature as before

The preceding matter gave some an occasion for erring about the condition of those who rise again. Seeing that a body composed of contrary elements seems to be necessarily subject to corruption, some have maintained that the bodies of those who rise again will not be composed of contrary elements.

Of these, some held that our bodies will not rise again with a corporeal nature, but will be transformed into spirits: and they were induced to hold this view by the words of the Apostle: It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Cor 15:44). Others, moved by the same text, asserted that in the resurrection our bodies will be rarefied, like air and wind, for the air is called spiritus, so that the spiritual body would mean an air-like body. Again, others said that in the resurrection our souls will resume not earthly, but heavenly bodies; they were brought to hold this view by the words of the Apostle speaking of the resurrection: There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies (1 Cor 15:40). And all these would seem to find a support in the words of the Apostle: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50). And thus it seems that the bodies of those who rise again will not contain flesh and blood, nor consequently any other humors. These views, however, are manifestly erroneous.

For our resurrection will be in conformity with Christ’s, according to the Apostle: He will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:21). Now, after his Resurrection, Christ had a palpable body, consisting of flesh and bone, since, as it is related, he said to his disciples after the Resurrection: Handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have (Luke 24:39). Therefore, other men, when they rise again, will likewise have palpable bodies, consisting of flesh and bone.

Again. The soul is united to the body as form to matter. Now every form has its definite matter, since act must be proportionate to potency. Since, then, the soul will be of the same species, seemingly it will have the same specific matter. Therefore, the body will be the same specifically after the resurrection as before: thus it will consist of flesh and bone and other like parts.

Further. Since the definition of natural things, which signifies the specific essence, includes matter, it would seem to follow that a specific change of matter must involve a specific change of the natural thing. Now man is a natural thing. Accordingly if, after the resurrection, he will not have a body consisting of flesh and bone and like parts as now, those that rise again will not be of the same species as now, and they will be called men but equivocally.

Again. The soul of one man is more distant from a body of another species than from the body of another man. Now the soul cannot be united to the body of another man, as we have proved. (Bk. 2, ch. 83.) Much less, then, can it be united, in the resurrection, to a body of another species.

Further. For a man to be the same in number when he rises again, his essential parts must be the same in number. If, then, his body will not consist of flesh and bone when he rises from the dead, he will not be the very same man.

Job most clearly rejects all these false opinions when he says: After my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall see God, whom . . . my eyes shall behold, and not another (Job 19:26–27).

Moreover, each of the above opinions is objectionable in its own way.

It is quite impossible for a body to be transformed into a spirit. For things which are transformable into each other must have common matter, and there can be no matter common to spiritual and corporeal things, since the former are utterly immaterial, as we have proved. (Bk. 2, cc. 49-50.) Therefore, the human body cannot be changed into a spiritual substance.

Again. If the human body be changed into a spiritual substance, it will either be transformed into the spiritual substance of the soul, or into some other. If it be changed into the former, then after the resurrection there will be nothing in man besides his soul, even as before the resurrection: consequently, his condition will not be altered in the resurrection. And if it be transformed into another spiritual substance, it would follow that two spiritual substances would combine to form one thing in nature: this is altogether impossible, since every spiritual substance is self-subsistent.

It is likewise impossible for the body of the man who rises again to be akin to air or wind.

For the body of a man, or of any animal, must have definite configuration, both in the whole and in its parts. And a body with a definite figure must be terminable, since a figure is that which is comprised within its term or terms. But air is not of itself terminable, but is confined by the terms of something else. Therefore, the body of a man in the resurrection cannot be akin to air or wind.

Further. The body of the man who rises again must have the sense of touch, since no animal is without it; and when he rises again he must be an animal, if he is to be a man. Now, an air-like body cannot have the sense of touch, nor indeed can any simple body, since a body that is perceptive of contact needs to be in the mean of tangible qualities so as to be in potency to them, as the Philosopher states. (Aristotle, On the Soul, bk. 2, text. 101.) Therefore, the body of a man who rises again cannot be akin to air or wind.

Hence neither can it be a celestial body.

For the body of a man or of any animal must be susceptible to tangible qualities, as we have just stated. Now this is incompatible with a celestial body, which is neither hot, nor cold, nor damp, nor dry, nor anything else of the kind, either actually or potentially, as is proved in 1 De Coelo. Therefore, man’s body will not be a celestial body in the resurrection.

Again. The celestial bodies are incorruptible, and consequently cannot be changed from their natural disposition; but they are naturally spherical in figure. (Aristotle, On the Heavens, bk 1.) Therefore, they cannot be given the figure which is naturally due to the human body. Consequently, the bodies of those who rise again cannot possibly have the nature of celestial bodies.