The Possibility Of Resurrection

Πολλῶν δὲ ὄντων τῶν εἰς τὴν προκειμένυν ἐξέτασιν χρυσιμωτέρων, παραιτοῦμαι δὴ νῦν τοὺς κατεφεύγοντας ἐπὶ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔργα, καὶ τοὺς τούτων δημιουρψοὺς ἀνθρώπους, οἵ τὰ συντριβέντα τῶν ἔργων, ἤ χρόνῳ παλαιωθέντα, ἤ και ἄλλως διαφθαρέντα καινουργεῖν ἀδυνατοῦσιν· εἶτα ἐξ ὀμοίου τοῖς κεραμεῦσι καὶ τέκτοσι δεικνύναι πειρωμένους, τὸ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν μήτ' ἂν βουληθῆναι, μήτε βουληθέντα δυνηθῆναι νεκρωθὲν ἢ καὶ διαλυθὲν ἀναστῆσαι σῶμα· καὶ μὴ λογιζομένους ὅτι διὰ τούτων τοῖς χειρίστοις ἐξυβρίζουσιν εἰς Θεὸν, συνεξισοῦντες τῶν πάντη διεστηκότων τὰς δυνάμεις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τῶν ταύταις χρωμένων τὰς οὐσίας καὶ τὰ τεχνητὰ τοῖς φυσικοῖς. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων σπουδάζειν οὐκ ἀνεπιτίμητον. Ἠλίθον γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸ τοῖς ἐπιπολαίοις καὶ ματαίοις ἀντιλέγειν· μακρῳ γε μὴν ἐνδοξότερον καὶ πάντων ἀληθέστατον τὸ φῆσαι τὸ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον παρὰ Θεῷ δυνατόν. Εἰ δὲ δι' αὐτῶν τούτων ὡς ἐνδόξων καὶ διὰ πάντων τῶν μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐξητασμένων δείκνυσιν ὁ λόγος δυνατὸν, εὔδηλον ὡς οὐκ ἀδύνατον. Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδ' ἀβούλητον. Ἀθηναγορος, Περί Ἀναστάσεως Των Νεκρών Source: Migne PG 6.989c-992a

As there are many things of more importance in the investigation before us, I here excuse myself from those who take refuge in the works of men, and the mortal makers of such things, who are unable to make anew those of their works which have been broken into pieces, or worn out by time, or in some other way destroyed, and then from a comparison to potters and carpenters try to show that God can neither will, nor if He willed would be able, to raise a body from the dead, or one that has been dissolved, not thinking that by the use of such manufactures they insult God, placing together powers which are quite different, or rather the natures of those who use them, and the works of art with those of nature. To consider such things is not undeserving of reproof. For it is truly foolish to respond to superficial and vain objections. It is surely far more probable, and indeed most true above all things, to say that what is impossible for men is possible with God. 1 And if this in itself is probable, and if by the whole investigation in which we have been engaged reason shows it is possible, it is quite clear that it is not impossible. And nor is it something God could not will. Athenagoras, On The Resurrection Of The Dead 1 Lk 18.27

Poets And Heaven

Καὶ ποιηταὶ μὲν καὶ φιλὸσοφοι οὐκ ἔδοξαν ἄθεοι, ἐπιστήσαντες περὶ Θεοῦ. Ὁ μεν Εὐριπίδης ἑπὶ μὲν τῶν κατὰ κοινὴν πρόληψιν ἀνεπιστημόνως ὀνομαζομένων Θεῶν διαπορῶν· Ὤφειλε δ' εἴπερ ἔστ' ἐν οὐρανῳ Ζεὺς, μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν δυστυχῆ καθιστάναι. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ κατ' ἐπιστήμην νοητοῦ, ὡς ἐκεῖνος δογματίζων· Ὀρας τὸν ὑψοῦ τόνδ ἄπειρον αἰθέρα, Καὶ γῆν πέριξ ἔχονθ' ὑγραῖς ἐν ἀγκάλαις; Τοῦτον νόμιζε Ζῆνα, τόνδ' ἡγου θεόν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ οὕτε τὰς οὐσίας, αἵς ἐπικατηγορεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνημα συμβέβηκεν, ὑποκειμένας ἑώρα. Ζῆνα γὰρ ὅστις ἐστὶ Ζεὺς, οὐκ οἴδα πλὴν λόγῳ. οὔτε τὰ ὀνοματα καθ' ὑποκειμένων κατηγορεῖσθαι πραγμάτων· ὦν γὰρ αἱ οὐσίαι οὐχ ὑπόκεινται, τί πλέον αὐτοῖς τῶν ὀνομάτων; Τὸν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ὄψει τῶν ἀδήλων νοῶν  τὰ φαινόμενα, ἀέρος, αἰθέρος, γῆς. Οὖ οὖν τὰ ποιήματα, καὶ ὑφ οὖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡνιοχεῖται, τοῦτον κατελαμβάνετο εἶναι Θεὸν, συνᾴδοντος τούτῳ καὶ Σοφοκλέους, Εἰς ταῖς ἀληθείαισιν, εἶς ἐστιν Θεὸς. Ὅς οὐρανόν τ' ἔτευξε καὶ γαῖαν μακρὰν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φύσιν τοῦ κάλλους τοῦ ἐκείνου πληρουμένην, ἐκάτερα, καὶ ποῦ δεῖ εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὅτι ἕνα δεῖ εἶναι διδάσκων. Ἄθηναγορος Πρεσβεια Περὶ Χριστιανων Source: Migne PG 6.900a-901a

And neither poets nor philosophers have been deemed atheists for wondering about God. Euripides, speaking of those who, according to popular preconception, are ignorantly called gods, expresses this doubt:    'But Zeus, although he is in heaven,    Should not impose ill on him.' But speaking of Him who is apprehended by the understanding, the same poet determines:   'See Him on high who boundless air And earth embraces with moist arms? Think Him Zeus and hold him as God.' For he did not see the substance of these beings, to which the name is usually given. 'Who Zeus is I know not, but by report.' Nor were the names given to realities that actually exist, for what use are names for things which have no existence? But through His works he saw Him, considering things unseen by the things which are manifest in air, in ether, and on earth. Thus he grasped as God Him from whom are all things made, and by whose Spirit they are governed, with which Sophocles agrees: 'There is but one God in truth Who made heaven and the broad earth,' Which refers to the nature of God, the beauty of which fills both, and how God must be, and that He must be One. Athenagoras, Plea For The Christians

Marriage And Discipline

Ἐλπίδα οὖν ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἔχοντες, τῶν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ καταφρονοῦμεν, μέχρι καὶ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡδέων. Γυναῖκα μὲν ἔκαστος ἡμῶν, ἣν ἠγάγετο κατὰ τοὺς ὑφ' ἡμῶν τεθειμένους νόμους, νομίζων, καὶ ταύτην μέχρι τοῦ παιδοποιήσθαι. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ γεωργὸς καταβάλλων εἰς γῆν τὰ σπέρματα, ἅμητον περιμένει οὐκ ἐπισπείρων· καὶ ἡμῖν μέτρον ἐπιθυμίας ἡ παιδοποιία. Εὕροις δ' ἂν πολλοὺς τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν,καὶ ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας, καταγηράσκοντας ἀγάμους, ἐλπίδι τοῦ μᾶλλον συνέσεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἐν παρθενίᾷ καὶ ἐν εὐνουχίᾳ μεῖναι, μᾶλλον παρίστησι τῷ Θεῷ, τὸ δὲ μέχρις ἐννοίας καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἐλθεῖν ἀπάγει· ὦν τὰς ἐννοίας φεύγομεν, πολὺ πρότερον τὰ ἔργα παραιτούμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ μελέτῃ λόγων, ἀλλ' ἐπιδείξει καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ ἔργων τὰ ἡμέτερα· ἢ οἷός τις ἐτέχθη, μένειν, ἢ ἐφ' ἑνι γάμῳ. Ὁ γὰρ δεύτερος εὐπρεπής ἐστι μοιχεία. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ἀπολύσῃ, φησὶ, τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλλην, μοιχᾶται· οὔτε ἀπολύειν ἐπιτρέπων ἧς ἔπαυσέ τις τὴν παρθενίαν, οὔτε ἐπιγαμεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀποστερῶν ἑαυτὸν τῆς προτέρας γυναικὸς, καὶ εἰ τέθνηκε, μοιχός ἐστι παρακεκαλυμμένος, παραβαίνων μὲν τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ ὁ Θεὸς ἕνα ἄνδρα ἔπλασε καὶ μίαν γυναῖκα· λύων δὲ τὴν σάρκα πρὸς σάρκα κατὰ τὴν ἔνωσιν πρὸς μίξιν εἰς τοῦ γένους κοινωνίαν. Ἀθηναγόρος, Πρεσβεία Περί Χριστιανών Source: Migne PG 6.965a-966a

Hope, then, having of eternal life, we despise the things of this life, even unto the pleasures of the soul. Each of us reckons her his wife whom he has married according to the laws laid down by us, and this for child bearing. For as the farmer throwing down the seed into the earth awaits the harvest, not sowing more, so to us the measure of desire is the bearing of children. But you may find many among us, both men and women, growing old unmarried, in hope of binding themselves closer to God. But if remaining in maidenhood and as a eunuch brings one nearer to God, and the thought and desire lead away from Him, those thoughts we flee, well before we wish for the deed. For our care is not for words but for the showing and teaching of our deeds, that a man should either remain as born, or marry once. For a second marriage is only a fair seeming adultery. 'For he who divorces his wife,' He says, 'and marries another, is an adulterer,' 1 a man not being permitted to be rid of her whose virginity he has ended, nor to remarry. For he who rids himself of his first wife, even if she is dead, is a cloaked adulterer, fleeing from the hand of God, because in the beginning God made one man and one woman, while he severs the bond of flesh and flesh fashioned for the intercourse of the race. Athenagoras, from The Embassy For The Christians 1 Mt 19.9