Homilies on First Corinthians

⁵ “But now has Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep.”

Having signified how great mischiefs are bred from not believing the resurrection, he takes up the discourse again, and says, “But now has Christ been raised from the dead;” continually adding, “from the dead,” so as to stop the mouths of the heretics. “The first-fruits of them that slept.” But if their first-fruits, then themselves also, must needs rise again. Whereas if he were speaking of the resurrection from sins, and none is without sin—for even Paul says, “I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified;”— how shall there be any who rise again, according to you? Do you see that his discourse was of bodies? And that he might make it worthy of credit, he continually brings forward Christ who rose again in the flesh.

Next he also assigns a reason. For, as I said, when one asserts but does not state the reason, his discourse is not easily received by the multitude. What then is the reason?