Chapter XXXVII. Christ’s death and descent into hell
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E shall consider briefly the question of Christ’s death and resurrection, which already have been discussed at length in their apologetic aspect in the treatise on revelation. The principal points in these questions of St. Thomas must be recapitulated,’ treating in order Christ’s death and descent into hell, His resurrection and ascension, Christ the king, judge, and head of the blessed.
QUESTION 50 Curist’s DEATH First ARTICLE
It was fitting for Christ to die: (1) so as to satisfy for us,.who were sentenced to death because of sin; (2) to show that He truly assumed a human nature; for if, after conversing with men, He had suddenly disappeared without dying, then all would have looked upon Him as a phantom; (3) that by dying He might take away from us the fear of death; (4) that He might give us the example of dying spiritually to sin; (5) that by rising from the dead He might show His power whereby He overcame death, and instill into us the hope of rising again.
In Christ’s death the divine nature was not separated from His body. St. Thomas gives and explains the answer of tradition, namely, that the divine nature remained hypostatically united with Christ’s body. What is bestowed through God’s grace as something that is by nature destined to be permanent, is never taken away without sin, for1
“God’s gifts are without repentance.” ? Such is the grace of adoption in the just person. But the grace of the hypostatic union is much greater and more permanent in itself than the grace of adoption, and Christ was absolutely impeccable.
Thus it is said of the Son of God that “He died and was buried,” è which befitted Him on the part of His body before and after death. Not only His body was buried, but the Son of God was buried, for, during the three days of His death, His divine person was not separated from His dead body, nor even from His blood, all of which was shed.
In Christ’s death the divine nature was not separated from His soul. The reason is that the soul is united with the Word of God more immediately and more primarily than the body is. But in Christ’s death the divine nature was not separated from the body. Therefore, a fortiori, it was not separated from the soul. Hence it is predicated of the Son of God that His soul descended into hell.
It is erroneous to assert that Christ during the three days of death was a man, because His soul was separated from His body and the human nature ceased as such through the separation of the soul from the body.
FirtH ARTICLE
Christ’s body, living or dead, was absolutely and identically the same, because anything is said to be absolutely and identically the same which is the same in its suppositum. But Christ’s body, either living or dead, was the same in its suppositum, as is evident from what was said, It was not, however, absolutely and totally the same identical body, because the life that was lost by death belongs to the essence of a living body. It is more probable that Christ’s body during the three days of death had its substantial form, but it had the form of a human corpse, for matter cannot naturally be without a form.
CHRIST'S DEATH 6572
Christ’s death in becoming (in fieri), or His passion, was the meritorious cause of our salvation. But Christ’s death in fact nowise caused our salvation by way of merit, because Christ, who was then dead, was beyond the condition of meriting, for He was no longer a wayfarer. However, Christ’s dead flesh remained the instrument of His divine nature with which it was united, and thus it could be the efficient cause of our salvation.
QUESTION 51 Curist’s BURIAL First ARTICLE
It was fitting for Christ to be buried, because it proves the truth of His death and because by His rising again from the grave we are given hope of rising again through His resurrection.
Christ was buried in a becoming manner as the Evangelists record.‘ His body was anointed with aromatic spices of myrrh and aloes, according to the custom of the Jews, so as to preserve it longer from corruption. It was buried in a clean shroud, according to the dictates of becoming propriety, and in another’s tomb, because He was the exemplar of poverty; in a new tomb in which no one had been buried before Him, lest by the burial of. another there it might be pretended and believed that this other had risen again. It was buried in a monument hewn out of a rock, and thus according to the plan of divine providence, lest it might be said afterward that His disciples dug up the earth and stole His body. Finally, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus rolled a great stone against the opening of the sepulcher,” so that the stone could be rolled away from the monument only by the help of many hands. Thus Providence forestalled the calumnies of the Jews.
Christ’s body remained incorrupt in the tomb so that divine power should be manifested and so that nobody might believe His death resulted from the weakness of nature, and was not voluntary.
Christ’s body was fittingly one day and two nights in the tomb, because that was the required and sufficient time to prove the truth of Christ’s death, otherwise there would have been no true resurrection. The Evangelist says: “The Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights,” ê by way of synecdoche, taking the part for the whole. Thus then, the first day and first night are computed from the end of Good Friday, the day of Christ’s death and burial, until midnight on Holy Saturday; the second day and second night, from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday; the third night and the third day, from midnight Sunday to daybreak of the same day on which Christ rose again. This was the method of computing time among the Jews; for them, one day and one night signified a civil day of twenty-four hours, either complete or incomplete.
QUESTION 52 Curist’s DESCENT INTO HELL
It is of faith and is expressed in the Apostles’ Creed according to the Ordo Romanus,’ that Christ descended into hell, and it is afterward declared that His soul descended there,’ but He did not abolish hell.’
This mystery is expressed in St. Peter’s sermon on Pentecost Day, in which he quotes the words of the Psalmist as referring to Christ, namely, “Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell,” ?° and he says: “The prophet . . . foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, for neither was He left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption.” 4
St. Paul also says of Christ: “Ascending on high, He led captivity
captive; He gave gifts to men. Now that He ascended, what is it, but because He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” 7”
Did Christ’s soul really and substantially descend into hell and not merely effectively; and then was this descent fitting; and what hell was this, and whom did He deliver? St. Thomas gives and exemplifies the answers of tradition.*®
First ARTICLE
Christ’s soul really and substantially descended into hell and not merely effectively. The Apostles’ Creed says: “He descended into hell,” '* which obviously and naturally means a real and substantial descent. Similarly St. Paul says: “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” *° Likewise St. Peter says, quoting the Psalmist: “Because Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, nor suffer Thy holy one to see corruption.” 7° The Fathers thus understood this text, especially St. Ignatius, St. Gregory Nazianzen, and St. Augustine.”
St. Thomas explains that Christ’s soul did not descend into hell by that kind of motion whereby bodies are moved, but as the angels are moved. And Christ’s separated soul was not inoperative in hell, for it operated as the instrument of the divine nature, expelling exterior darkness and illuminating this place.
SECOND ARTICLE IT WAS FITTING FOR CHRIST TO DESCEND INTO HELL
There are three reasons for this. 1) Because man by sin had incurred not only death of the body, but also descent into hell. Therefore it was fitting for Christ to die
13 See Catechism of the Council of Trent; also Dict. théol. cath., art. “Descente aux enfers.”
14 Denz., nos. 3, 6, 40, 462, Christ descended into hell; nos. 385, 429, His soul descended; no. 532, but He did not abolish hell.
17 Journel, Enchiridion patrist., no. 426.
and descend into hell, so that He might deliver us from the necessity of permanent death (because we shall rise again) and from descent into hell. In this sense Christ is said to have power over death and in dying to have conquered it, according to the prophet, who says: “O death, I will be thy death.” **
It was fitting for the devil to be overthrown by Christ’s passion, so that He should deliver the captives detained in hell.!®
As He showed forth His power on earth by living and dying, so also it was fitting for Him to manifest it in hell, by visiting it and enlightening it; and so at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, not only of them that are in heaven, but likewise of them that are in hell.?° THIRD ARTICLE
Christ did not actually descend into the hell of the lost; because, as the Fathers teach, He descended into hell to console and liberate those who were detained there. But nobody is consoled and liberated in the hell of the lost, as will at once be stated. Moreover, the hell of the lost is not a fitting place for Christ. Therefore He descended into the hell of the lost only effectively, arguing with them and convincing them of their infidelity and malice; and this He did by speaking to them or manifesting His will by signs, because local distance is no impediment for spirits.”4
FourtH ARTICLE
Christ’s soul remained in hell, namely, in the limbo of the holy fathers, until the moment of His resurrection. Hence the Church in the blessing of the paschal candle, sings: “This is the night wherein Christ ascended victorious from hell.” °? Such is the opinion of St. Irenaeus, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and Tertullian.
Christ, descending into hell, delivered the holy fathers, He delivered them from the penalty of original sin, namely, from the penalty
2t Cf. Ha, q. 52, a. 2, for the solution of objections taken from certain passages of
Sacred Scripture. He delivered them from the penalty that was due to them. 2? Exultet of Holy Saturday.
whereby they were excluded from the life of glory, of whom the prophet says: “Thou also, by the blood of Thy testament, hast sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” 2° And St. Paul says: “Despoiling the principalities and powers,” 4 namely, the infernal ones, by taking away the just, He brought them from this place of darkness to heaven, that is, to the beatific vision. Such is the opinion of the Fathers, especially St. Augustine ? and St. Gregory the Great °° and St. Jerome.??
Thus Christ’s descent into hell was the cause of exceeding joy to those souls already purified, such as the souls of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the prophets, as also many just and holy women of the Old Testament.
Thus we clearly see that the whole of the Old Testament was not an immediate preparation for eternal life, but for the coming of the Redeemer, who after having suffered and died, had to open the gates of heaven, so that we might enter into eternal life. The first and most abundant fruits of the sacrifice on the cross are also made manifest. Then, too, the fathers of the Old Testament fully understood that the passion of Jesus was the source of all graces, and that without it they could neither have been justified nor have merited an increase of grace, nor obtained eternal life. Therefore they were most sincerely thankful to the Savior whose coming they awaited for many centuries, who is called “the desire of the eternal hills, the joy of the angels, the King of patriarchs, the Crown of all the saints.” °8
By the mystery of the holy Incarnation, by the labors of Jesus, by His agony and passion, by His infirmities, and by His death they were liberated. In all these things they saw the most perfect fulfillment of what had been announced and the truth that the mystery of the redemptive Incarnation far transcends all figures, all sacrifices of the Old Law, all prophecies. Christ’s descent into hell truly meant for them, “it is consummated.” *° All these things proclaim the glory of the cross.
27 Com. in cap. lium Jonae.
Christ did not deliver any of the lost by His descent into hell; because, since Christ’s descent into hell operated in virtue of His passion, He liberated only those whom He found united to His passion by means of faith that is actuated by charity. But the lost did not believe in Christ’s passion and they were not finally united with Christ by charity, and after death there is no possibility of conversion, because the lost are confirmed in evil, as the just are in good.
For the same reason, the children who died in original sin were not liberated by Christ. Baptism is administered to men in this life, wherein man can be changed from sin to grace. But Christ’s descent into hell was granted to the souls after this life, when they are no longer capable of this aforesaid change.
Christ did not deliver all the souls in purgatory by His descent into hell. For Christ’s passion did not have greater power then than now. But now it does not free all souls in purgatory, but only those that are sufficiently cleansed, or to whom Christ’s passion is applied by the Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ’s descent into hell was not satisfactory; it operated, however, in virtue of the Passion; thus He did not free all those who, when still living united with their bodies, had merited by their faith and devotion toward Christ’s death, that by His descent there, they should be freed from the temporal punishment of purgatory, as St. Thomas says.??
Some theologians, however, said that Christ’s descent, although it did not of itself free all souls from purgatory, there was then granted to them the favor of a quasi-plenary indulgence, which is a probable opinion. Yet the commentators of St. Thomas follow his view, and furthermore say that the souls in purgatory that were not then liberated, were consoled and also rejoiced at the thought of the glory they will at once receive after their purgation.
CHAPTER XX XVIII
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
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Ss‘ THOMAS has discussed at length Christ’s resurrection, the quality, manifestation, and causality of His resurrection, as also His ascension.’ The more important things will be recapitulated.?
QUESTION 53 Curist’s RESURRECTION
It is of faith that Christ rose again from the dead on the third day, as declared in the Gospel, the Epistles of the apostles, and in the Apostles’ Creed.* In fact, it was declared that He rose again by His own power; * that it was a true resurrection of the body,® that the soul was reunited to the body, and that He afterward truly did eat, though He did not have to.”
First ARTICLE
WHETHER IT WAS NECESSARY FOR CHRIST TO RISE AGAIN
Christ’s resurrection was not absolutely necessary, but it was necessary if we take into consideration the divine plan, the prophecies, the merits of Christ, and our benefit.
St. Thomas gives five reasons for asserting this necessity, all of which have their foundation in Sacred Scripture.
The resurrection was necessary:34
For the commendation of divine justice, to which it belongs to exalt the humble. For Christ by His charity and obedience humbled Himself even to death on the cross; hence it behooved Him to be exalted by God to a glorious resurrection.®
For our instruction in the faith; because by Christ’s resurrection our belief in His divinity is confirmed.’
For the raising of our hope, because in seeing Christ, who is our head, rise again, we hope that we, too, shall rise again.*®
To set in order the lives of the faithful, so that we also may walk in newness of life.”?
To complete the work of our salvation, because Christ was thus glorified in rising again, so that He might advance us to good things.’” For it was so ordained by God, that only after the resurrection would the Holy Spirit be given, or the apostles be sent to preach.**
IT WAS FITTING FOR CHRIST TO RISE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY
To confirm our belief in the truth of Christ’s divinity, it was necessary for Him to rise soon, and that His resurrection be not delayed until the end of the world. But to confirm our belief in the truth of His humanity and death it was necessary that there be some delay between His death and resurrection. That the truth of His death be made manifest, however, it sufficed that His resurrection be deferred until the third day.
The third day, on which Christ rose again, was the first of the week, which is our Sunday; it was daybreak or about dawn. In other words, the night following the Sabbath, “when it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.” **
Christ was the first to rise again, His resurrection being perfect, in that He never died again. Some rose again before Him, but their
14 Matt. 28:1, See Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1. CE. St. Thomas, Summa theol., IIIa, q. 53, a. 2, ad 3.
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION 665 resurrection was imperfect, for they were rescued from actual death, but not from the necessity and possibility of dying. Thus, like Lazarus, they returned to life, merely to die again.
St. Thomas says: “There are two opinions regarding those who rose with Christ. Some hold that they rose to life so as to die no more. . . . But Augustine seems to think that they rose to die again . . . and his reasons seem to be more cogent.” *° The common opinion of the faithful is that nobody ascended bodily into heaven before Christ and the Blessed Virgin.
But some saints rose again with Christ though the Scripture does not give their names. It is very probable, according to the more common opinion, that these referred in a special manner to Christ, and were His more illustrious types, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Melchisedech, and such as these, as also some of those who died later on, such as Zacharias, John the Baptist, Simeon, and others of this kind.
Christ according to His divine nature was the principal efficient cause of His resurrection, but His soul and body were instruments of His divine nature, and “they mutually took back each other.” 1° Moreover, Christ by His passion was the meritorious cause of His resurrection."
QUESTION 54 First ARTICLE
Christ rose again with the same true body, otherwise His resur- rection would not have been true; for that is said to rise again, which has fallen.?®
Christ’s body rose again entire, because it was of the same nature after His resurrection as it was before death, although glorified. Christ
18 Ibid., a. 3, ad 2. On this subject cf. Billuart, who refutes Sylvius, and defends the ‘econd opinion.
also took again all His blood, morally speaking, all that is necessary for the integrity of the body.
Christ arose with a glorified body; for, the mystery of the redemption being completed by Christ’s passion and death, in the resurrection His soul at once communicated its glory to its reunited body.”®
It was most fitting for Christ to rise again with scars,”° as permanent marks of His victory, so as to convince His disciples that the same crucified body rose again; that when He pleads for us with the Father, He may always show what manner of death He endured for us; that on the Judgment Day, He may manifest these scars to all that are to be judged, to the just, indeed, as a motive for their love and gratitude, but to the reprobates for their reproof and shame.
QUESTION 55 First ARTICLE
Christ ought not to have immediately manifested Himself to all after His resurrection, but to some, who were as witnesses to make known His resurrection to others. For such things as concern future glory are beyond the common knowledge of mankind. Hence St. Thomas says: “Christ appeared first to the women . . . because the women, whose love for our Lord was more persistent, so much so that when even the disciples withdrew from the sepulcher they did not depart, were the first to see Him rising in glory.” *? And again he says: “A woman is not to be allowed to teach publicly in church; but she may be permitted to give familiar instruction to some privately.” ** Therefore, as St. Ambrose says: “A woman is sent to them who are of her household, but not to the people to bear witness to the Resurrection.” ** It is a pious and probable opinion that Christ first appeared to the Blessed Virgin His Mother; the affection of the Son for His most loving mother is the reason for this assertion. Such is the
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION 667 teaching of Abbot Rupert, St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure, and several more recent commentators.”*
Christ’s actual resurrection should not have been seen by His disciples, because the divinely established order is that those things above men’s knowledge be revealed to them by angels, or at least it is the accustomed way for these to be proclaimed by angels.
Second objection of St. Thomas. “In order to have certainty of faith, the disciples saw Christ ascend into heaven.” Therefore it seems for the same reason that Christ ought to have been seen to rise again by the disciples.”
Reply to second objection. “Christ’s ascension as to its term, wherefrom, was not above men’s common knowledge, but only as to its term whereunto. ... Thus the disciples did not see how Christ raised from the earth was received into heaven.” 7°
Christ ought not to have lived continually with His disciples after His resurrection because, for the manifestation of the glory of Him who rose, this was not befitting, lest it might seem He rose to the same life as before. “But it is unknown,” says St. Thomas, “in what places He was bodily present in the meantime, since Scripture is silent and His dominion is in every place.” °?
St. Thomas observes °° that there were apparitions not mentioned in the Gospels; for St. Paul records the appearance to five hundred brethren at once,”® afterward to James,*° and yet these are not mentioned by the Evangelists.
Hence several authors think that between the times of the ten apparitions recorded in the Gospels, it is very probable that Christ was for some time with His most beloved Mother.
24 If the objection is raised that “Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalen” (Mark 16:9), we reply to this that the appearance was the first reported by the Evangelists, and that she preceded the disciples, the witnesses and the messengers, in this respect.
26 Read the entire answer.
What is the meaning of these words of Christ to Magdalen: “Do not touch Me, for I am not yet ascended to My Father” ? ** St. Thomas gives the following explanation: “If you say that Christ wished to be touched by the disciples, but not by the women, this cannot be; for it is said of Magdalen and the other women that they came up and took hold of His feet, and adored Him.” 3? But St. John Chrysostom is of the opinion that Christ first said to Magdalen, “Do not touch Me,” as if to say: “Do not think that I am still mortal and living with you the same way as before.” **
Christ appeared in His own shape to some who were well disposed to believe; but in another shape to those who already seemed to be getting tepid in their faith. Such is the view of St. Gregory the Great.**
FIFTH AND SIXTH ARTICLES
Christ by various testimonies and signs sufficiently proved the truth of His resurrection. The first testimony is given by Christ to the disciples on their way to Emmaus, as recorded in the Gospel.® The second testimony is when the angels ** announced the Resurrection to the women. The third is when He appeared bodily present to the eyes of His disciples, in His own shape, conversing with them, eating, drinking with them, allowing them to touch Him, and showing them His scars.* The fourth is where He asserted that it is He Himself, confirming this assertion by miracles, by passing through closed doors,** on the occasion of the catch ofthe vast number of fishes,® and when He ascended into heaven.°
The objection is raised that even the angels appeared in human form and spoke, and yet they were not truly human.
St. Thomas replies to this objection by saying that the angels who
#9 Acts 1:9 f£.
CHRIST’S ASCENSION 669 appeared in human form did not assert that they were truly men, and they did not work miracles in confirmation of this assertion. Hence all the above-mentioned arguments and signs “taken collectively perfectly manifest Christ’s resurrection, especially owing to the testimonies of the Scriptures, the saying of the angels, and even Christ’s own assertion supported by miracles.” *!
Moreover, in the treatise on revelation, it is shown apologetically that the testimony of the apostles invincibly proves the truth of Christ’s resurrection. This argument is ably set forth by Billuart in his treatise on Christ’s resurrection.
Christ’s resurrection is the exemplar and efficient instrumental cause of the resurrection of our bodies and souls.? It is called an efficient instrumental cause, not inasmuch as it is an act that is immediately transient, but inasmuch as the humanity, according to which Christ rose, is the instrument of the divinity united with it to raise our bodies and sanctify our souls. St. Thomas says: “Christ’s resurrection is the efficient cause of ours, through the divine power whose office it is to quicken the dead; and this power by its presence is in touch with all places and times; and such virtual contact suffices for its efficiency.” Its contact is not quantitative, but virtual or dynamic.*
Curist’s AsCENSION
It is of faith that Christ ascended into heaven, as stated in the Apostles’ Creed; ** that He ascended body and soul; ** that He sits at the right hand of the Father,® according to the natural mode of existing; “’ that His kingdom is eternal; ** and that He will judge the living and the dead,® coming in His body.°?
4° Ibid., nos. 2 f., 13, 40, 54, 86, 287, 344, 422, 427, 429, 462, 994, 3028. 50 Ibid., nos. 13, 225.
The principal passages from Sacred Scripture in testimony of the Ascension are: “And the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God”; ** “And it came to pass whilst He blessed them, He departed from them and was:carried up to heaven”; *? “And when He had said these things, while they looked on, He was raised up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were beholding Him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments, who also said: ‘Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen Him going into heaven.’ ” 5
St. Thomas, having presupposed faith in Christ’s ascension, in this question makes several inquiries about the fittingness, manner, and effects of Christ’s ascension.
First ARTICLE
It was fitting for Christ to ascend into heaven because after the resurrection Christ’s body was incorruptible, and heaven is a place of incorruption. Moreover, this was a better way of manifesting Christ’s victory over death. Finally, it befitted Christ to ascend, since this increased our faith, which is of things unseen; it advanced us in hope, because thus Christ, our head, gave us hope of reaching heaven, for He said: “I go to prepare a place for you.” ** This mystery also increases love in us, for St. Paul says: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” °°
Christ fittingly ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection,*® so as to prove more efficaciously the truth of the Resurrection; and also as the Scripture says: “For forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God,” 5" in order to instruct them in those matters that pertain to the faith.
58 Acts 1:9 f. Cf. Eph. 4:8; Col. 3:1 f. Also testimony of the Fathers; Enchir. patrist., nos. 427, 428. On this mystery, see Catechism of Council of Trent, chap. 7, Apostle’s Creed.
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Christ ascended into heaven as man, but by the power of the divine nature.
Christ ascended into heaven by His own power, first of all by His divine power, and secondly by the power of His glorified soul moving His body at will, “inasmuch as His glorified body was endowed with the gift of agility.” °° Although Christ did ascend into heaven by His own power, yet “He was raised up and taken up into heaven by the Father, since the Father’s power is the same as the Son’s.” 5°
FourtH ARTICLE
“Christ ascended above all the heavens,” °° and this was most fitting because of His dignity. Hence St. Paul says: “For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, . . . and made higher than the heavens.” °* “God’s seat is said to be in heaven, not as though heaven contained Him, but rather because it is contained by Him.” °?
Christ’s body ascended above every spiritual creature on account of the dignity of the hypostatic union, for St. Paul says: “He set Him above all principality and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” °8
Christ’s ascension is the cause of our salvation. (1) On our part, because by it faith which is of things unseen, is increased, there is an advancement in hope, an enkindling of charity, and greater reverence for Christ is thereby fostered. (2) On His part, for by thus ascending
into heaven He prepared the way for us, as our Head.®* In sign whereof He took to heaven the souls of the saints delivered from hell, as the Scripture says: “Ascending on high He led captivity captive.” °° So also Christ “entered into heaven to make intercession for us, and “that He might fill all things.” °
Reply to first objection. Christ’s ascension is the cause of our salvation, by way not of merit, but of efficiency, as His resurrection was.
Reply to third objection. “Christ . . . from some special dispensation sometimes comes down in body to earth, either in order to show Himself to the whole world, as at the judgment; or else to show Himself particularly to some individual, as to St. Paul." And lest any man may think that Christ was not bodily present, but in some way, when this occurred the contrary is shown from what the Apostle says to confirm faith in the Resurrection: ‘Last of all He was seen also by Me, as by one born out of due time.’ ” °°
This vision would not prove, of course, the truth of the Resurrection, unless he had seen Christ’s true body.
St. Thomas does not here discuss the mission of the Holy Ghost, because He had already spoken about this mystery at the end of the treatise on the Trinity,’° concerning the mission of the divine persons.
It suffices to note that the effects produced in the apostles by the mission of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost were a great increase of sanctifying grace and charity, to confirm them in grace, a proportionate increase of the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the twelve fruits resulting from these gifts,"* and the gratiae gratis datae enumerated by St. Paul.”* Thus the gift of tongues was bestowed upon each of the apostles so that they might speak in the languages of the various nations, and also they sometimes spoke in one language so that the people of various nations understood them. Thus it is said: “They began to speak with divers tongues, according as the
CHRIST’S ASCENSION 673
Holy Ghost gave them to speak”; ** “They shall speak with new tongues”; ** “I thank my God I speak with all your tongues.” 7°
The virtual catholicity of the Church was in this way manifested, which had to become increasingly an actual fact by the preaching of the gospel throughout the world.
Footnotes
Chapter 37 of 39