I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”[87] And perhaps it was on this account that He hastened His departure from the body, that He might preserve it, and that His legs might not be broken, as were those of the robbers who were crucified with Him. “For the soldiers broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him; but when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead, they brake not His legs.”[88] We have accordingly answered the question, “How is it credible that Jesus could have predicted these things?” And with respect to this, “How could the dead man be immortal?” let him who wishes to understand know, that it is not the dead man who is immortal, but He who rose from the dead. So far, indeed, was the dead man from being immortal, that even the Jesus before His decease—the compound being, who was to suffer death—was not immortal.[89] For no one is immortal who is destined to die; but he is immortal when he shall no longer be subject to death. But “Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over Him;”[90] although those may be unwilling to admit this who cannot understand how such things should be said. Footnote 84: ὅσα περὶ τούτου καὶ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ πεφιλοσόφηται. Footnote 85: Cf. Plato, _de Rep._ x. Footnote 86: Cf. Plin. _Nat. Hist._ vii. c. 52. Footnote 87: John x. 18. Footnote 88: John xix. 52. Footnote 89: Οὐ μόνον οὖν οὐχ ὁ νεκρὸς ἀθάνατος, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ὁ πρὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ Ἰησοῦς ὁ σύνθετος ἀθάνατος ἦν, ὅς γε ἔμελλε τεθνήξεσθαι. Footnote 90: Rom. vi. 9. Chapter XVII.