A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 33
33 Section 33 PL 21, 368
33. That He shall come to judge the quick and the dead we are taught by many testimonies of the divine Scriptures. But before we cite what the Prophets say on this point, we think it necessary to remind you that this doctrine of the faith would have us daily solicitous concerning the coming of the Judge, that we may so frame our conduct as having to give account to the Judge who is at hand. For this is what the Prophet said of the man who is blessed, that, “He ordereth his words in judgment.” When, however, He is said to judge the quick and the dead, this does not mean that some will come to judgment who are still living, others who are already dead; but that He will judge both souls and bodies, where, by souls are meant “the quick,” and the bodies “the dead;” as also the Lord Himself saith in the Gospel, “Fear not them who are able to kill the body, but are not able to hurt the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
Quod autem veniat judicaturus vivos et mortuos, multis quidem divinarum Scripturarum testimoniis edocemur. Sed prius quam propheticis 95 haec eloquiis praedicta doceamus, illud necessarie arbitror admonendum, quod ista fidei traditio quotidie nos vult de adventu judicis esse sollicitos, ut actus nostros ita praeparemus, tanquam reddituri imminenti judici rationem. Hoc enim erat quod et Propheta dicebat de viro beato: Quia disponit sermones suos in judicio . Quod autem dicitur judicare vivos et mortuos, non ideo dicitur, quod alii vivi, alii mortui ad judicium veniant: sed quod animas simul judicabit et corpora, in quibus vivos animas, mortuos corpora nominavit. Sicut et ipse Dominus loquitur in Evangelio, dicens: Nolite timere eos, qui possunt corpus occidere, animae autem nihil possunt facere: sed timete potius eum, qui potest et animam et corpus perdere in gehennam (Matth. 10.).