For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain.
Read Chapter 9
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
"And in my flesh I will see God" unquestionably foretells the resurrection of the flesh. It did not say, however, "through my flesh." If it had said this, it would still be possible that Christ was meant by "God," for Christ will be seen by our flesh in the flesh. But, even understanding it of God, it is only equivalent to saying, "I will be in my flesh when I see God." And the apostle"s phrase, "face to face" does not lead us to believe that we will see God with the face of this body, in which we have our bodily eyes. Rather, we will see him continuously with the mind. If the face were not also that of the interior person, the apostle would not say, "And we, with unveiled faces, seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, will be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the action of the Spirit of the Lord." Nor do we interpret differently what is proclaimed in a psalm, "Draw near to him, and you will be enlightened, and your faces will not blush with shame." One d...
"And our reflections are uncertain." Foresight is uncertain with regard to things that are uncertain, and those things of which we do not have secure possession are uncertain. Every day, without wanting to, we can lose what we cannot possess forever. Thus the reflections of mortals are uncertain when their souls remain enthralled by things, the possession of which can be taken from the possessor without his consent or from which the possessor can be deprived without him wishing it. - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.12.20"
"The reasonings of mortals are timid," not with a praiseworthy fear but blamable, a fear that is not good but evil. We have been freed from such fear by the one who "through death destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, thus freeing those who, through fear of death, were held in bondage all their life long." Our Redeemer clearly manifested this bondage from which he freed us and the freedom that he freely gave us, saying "If you remain faithful to my word, you will truly be my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." To the response of the Jews, who were descendents of Abraham and had never been slaves to anyone, by his response he showed at one and the same time both the condition, portending death, of their bondage, and the truth of the freedom that he had brought to his own, saying, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever, but the son remains there foreve...
