Tertullian

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

“Now, if the title of Father may be claimed for (Marcion's) sterile god, how much more for the Creator?”

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia.

“"I die daily," (says he); that is, undoubtedly, in the perils of the body, in which "he even fought with beasts at Ephesus," -even with those beasts which caused him such peril and trouble in Asia, to which he alludes in his second epistle to…”

placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

“What shall we say then? Has not the flesh even now (in this life) the spirit by faith? so that the question still remains to be asked, how it is that the animate (or natural) body can be said to be sown?”

But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant.

“For only there is superiority possible where was previously the thing over which superiority can be affirmed. But then he says, "But their minds were blinded" -of the world; certainly not the Creator's mind, but the minds of the people which are in the world.”

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

“He also says, in verses occurring in a previous part of the epistle: "Our condition is such, that we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; and are in need, but not in utter want; since we are harassed by persecutions, but not forsaken…”

knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.

“Now of what life of Christ does he here speak? Of that which we are now living? Then how is it, that in the words which follow he exhorts us not to the things which are seen and are temporal, but to those which are…”

For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

“You may learn this, too, from the following passage, where the apostle says: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for as a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen,"…”

For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

“He treats of this subject in order to offer consolation against the fear of death and the dread of this very dissolution, as is even more manifest from what follows, when he adds, that "in this tabernacle of our earthly body we do groan, earnestly…”

because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

“In like manner, when he inserts the words "If so be that being unclothed we be not found naked."”

And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.

“This is why he shows us how much better it is for us not to be sorry, if we should be surprised by death, and tells us that we even hold of God "the earnest of His Spirit" (pledged as it were thereby to have…”

So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it.

“Then he says even to all: "We therefore earnestly desire to be acceptable unto God, whether absent or present; for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ Jesus."”

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

“For He saith, That I will dwell in you, and will walk in (you), and will be their God, and they shall be to Me a people. Wherefore depart from the midst of them, be separate, and touch not the unclean.'”

For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

“Accordingly, when he is going to assign afflictions to the flesh as its especial liability-according to the statement he had already made-he says, "When we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest; " then, in order to make the soul a fellow-sufferer with…”

Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

“Even if there is some kind of treasury, it is not accumulated from a high initiation fee as if the religion were something bought and paid for.”

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

“When also he (in a later passage) enjoins us "to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and blood" (since this substance enters not the kingdom of Gods ); when, again, he "espouses the church as a chaste virgin to Christ," a spouse to a…”

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

“when he designates "false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves" into likenesses of himself, of course by their hypocrisy, he charges them with the guilt of disorderly conversation, rather than of false doctrine. The contrariety, therefore, was one of conduct, not of gods.”

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

“But if you maintain that a transfiguration and a conversion amounts to the annihilation of any substance, then it follows that "Saul, when changed into another man," passed away from his own bodily substance; and that Satan himself, when "transformed into an angel of light,"…”

Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.

“Plainly, a Christian will "glory" even in the flesh; but (it will be) when it has endured laceration for Christ's sake, in order that the spirit may be crowned in it, not in order that it may draw the eyes and sighs of youths after…”

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

“But when is peace more to be concluded with brethren than when, at the time of some religious observance, our prayer ascends with more acceptability; that they may themselves participate in our observance, and thereby be mollified for transacting with their brother touching.”