Today we see Irenaeus paint a vivid picture of the resurrection life in the renewed earth, using Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel to show that the saints will reign in a restored creation before entering the new heavens and new earth. Augustine reflects on the formlessness and darkness of the deep before creation, teaching that darkness is simply the absence of light and that before God’s forming there was a shapeless matter without beauty or spirit. Aquinas examines whether tempting is proper to the devil, explaining that God tests to reveal and strengthen virtue, but the devil tempts to lure into sin, making him the chief instigator of evil even when he works through the world, the flesh, or human agents (Isaiah 26:19; Luke 12:37–38; Genesis 22:1).

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapters 34–36

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 13, Chapter 3 (Section 3)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 114, Article 2

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