ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the significance of the human body and, more specifically, the significance of the body of Christ in Tertullian's dispute with his adversaries at the turn of the second to the third century. For early Christians the question about the human body and the body of Christ was no marginal issue or fringe area, but was at this time the focus of interest and debate. Celsus seemed to be quite well informed about the Christian debates on these themes. He knew that Christians had not yet reached an agreement in regard to these questions and he knew that different Christian circles held different opinions. Christ came down from the immaterial heaven of God to earth and took a body to save human beings from the sphere of influence of the creator and his deeds. The brilliant rhetorician Tertullian fought fiercely against these Christians who had a deep impact on Christian Carthage.
