§ 1.
But because some of those who are thought to have believed aright overpass the order of the advancement of the just, and know not of the movements which train them for incorruption, having in themselves heretical thoughts: (For the heretics despising God’s handywork and not accepting the salvation of their own flesh; scorning also the promise of God, and in thought overpassing God altogether; say that as soon as they are dead they overpass the Heavens and the Creator, and go to their Mother, or to that Father whom they feign to themselves.1 Those accordingly who reject the whole truth of the Resurrection, and as far as in them lies take it out of the way, no wonder if neither do they know the order of the Resurrection; not chusing to understand, that if these things were as they say, of course neither would the Lord Himself, in Whom they profess to believe, have wrought His Resurrection on the third day: but expiring on the Cross, of course He would presently have departed on high, leaving His Body to the earth. But now for three days, He abode in the place of the dead as the Prophet saith of Him: The Lord remembered His holy dead, those who before slept in the land of burial; and He went down unto them, to draw them out, and save them. And the Lord also Himself:2 Even, saith He, as Jonas abode in the whale’s belly three days and three nights, so shall also the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth. Yea, and the Apostle saith,3 But that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended into the lower parts of the Earth? This also saith David, prophesying of Him:4 And Thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost Hell. And rising again on the third day, to Mary also, who first saw and adored Him,5 He said, Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended unto the Father, but go to the Disciples, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father.
§ 2.
If therefore the Lord observed the Law of the Dead, that He might he made the First-born from the dead, and lodged unto the third day in the lower parts of the earth; then afterwards, rising in the Flesh, that He might shew also the prints of the nails to His Disciples, did thereupon ascend to the Father: how should they not be confounded, who say, first, that “the lower region” is this world with which we are concerned: secondly, that their own Inner Man, leaving the Body here, ascends into the higher place? For the Lord having departed in the midst of the Shadow of Death, where the souls of the dead were, afterwards in course He rose again in the Body, and after His Resurrection was taken up: evidently the souls of His disciples also, for whose sake indeed the Lord wrought these things, go away into the invisible place which is appointed for them by God, and there come and go, awaiting the Resurrection; afterwards receiving back their bodies, and rising again entirely, i.e., bodily, as the Lord Himself arose, so will they come unto the Vision of God.6 For none that is a disciple is above his Master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his Master. As therefore our Master did not straightway soar away and depart, but awaiting the time of His Resurrection appointed by the Father (which also was shewn by Jonas), and after three days arising, was taken up: so must we also await the time of our Resurrection appointed by God, foretold by the Prophets, and after that arise and be taken up, as many as our Lord shall account worthy thereof.)