Tertullian — On the Soul 5

There are, to be sure, other things also quite as foolish (as the birth of Christ), which have reference to the humiliations and sufferings of God . Or else, let them call a crucified God wisdom. But Marcion will apply the knife to this doctrine also, and even with greater reason. For which is more unworthy of God , which is more likely to raise a blush of shame, that God should be born, or that He should die? That He should bear the flesh, or the cross? Be circumcised , or be crucified? Be cradled, or be coffined? be laid in a manger , or in a tomb? Talk of wisdom ! You will show more of that if you refuse to believe this also. But, after all, you will not be wise unless you become a fool to the world, by believing the foolish things of God .

Have you, then, cut away all sufferings from Christ, on the ground that, as a mere phantom, He was incapable of experiencing them? We have said above that He might possibly have undergone the unreal mockeries of an imaginary birth and infancy. But answer me at once, you that murder truth : Was not God really crucified? And, having been really crucified, did He not really die? And, having indeed really died, did He not really rise again? Falsely did Paul determine to know nothing among us but Jesus and Him crucified; 1 Corinthians 2:2 falsely has he impressed upon us that He was buried; falsely inculcated that He rose again. False, therefore, is our faith also. And all that we hope for from Christ will be a phantom. O you most infamous of men , who acquits of all guilt the murderers of God!

For nothing did Christ suffer from them, if He really suffered nothing at all. Spare the whole world's one only hope, you who are destroying the indispensable dishonour of our faith . Whatsoever is unworthy of God , is of gain to me. I am safe, if I am not ashamed of my Lord. Whosoever, says He, shall be ashamed of me, of him will I also be ashamed. Other matters for shame find I none which can prove me to be shameless in a good sense, and foolish in a happy one, by my own contempt of shame. The Son of God was crucified; I am not ashamed because men must needs be ashamed of it . And the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed , because it is absurd. And He was buried, and rose again; the fact is certain, because it is impossible.

But how will all this be true in Him, if He was not Himself true — if He really had not in Himself that which might be crucified, might die, might be buried, and might rise again? I mean this flesh suffused with blood, built up with bones, interwoven with nerves, entwined with veins, a flesh which knew how to be born, and how to die, human without doubt , as born of a human being. It will therefore be mortal in Christ , because Christ is man and the Son of man . Else why is Christ man and the Son of man , if he has nothing of man , and nothing from man? Unless it be either that man is anything else than flesh, or man's flesh comes from any other source than man, or Mary is anything else than a human being, or Marcion's man is as Marcion's god.