Whether in Christ There Was Hope?
Objection 1: It would seem that there was hope in Christ. For it is
said in the Person of Christ (Ps. 30:1): "In Thee, O Lord, have I
hoped." But the virtue of hope is that whereby a man hopes in God.
Therefore the virtue of hope was in Christ.
Obj. 2: Further, hope is the expectation of the bliss to come, as was
shown above (II-II, Q. 17, A. 5, ad 3). But Christ awaited something
pertaining to bliss, viz. the glorifying of His body. Therefore it
seems there was hope in Him.
Obj. 3: Further, everyone may hope for what pertains to his
perfection, if it has yet to come. But there was something still to
come pertaining to Christ's perfection, according to Eph. 4:12: "For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
building up [Douay: 'edifying'] of the body of Christ." Hence it
seems that it befitted Christ to have hope.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Rom. 8:24): "What a man seeth, why
doth he hope for?" Thus it is clear that as faith is of the unseen,
so also is hope. But there was no faith in Christ, as was said above
(A. 1): neither, consequently, was there hope.
_I answer that,_ As it is of the nature of faith that one assents to
what one sees not, so is it of the nature of hope that one expects
what as yet one has not; and as faith, forasmuch as it is a
theological virtue, does not regard everything unseen, but only God;
so likewise hope, as a theological virtue, has God Himself for its
object, the fruition of Whom man chiefly expects by the virtue of
hope; yet, in consequence, whoever has the virtue of hope may expect
the Divine aid in other things, even as he who has the virtue of
faith believes God not only in Divine things, but even in whatsoever
is divinely revealed. Now from the beginning of His conception Christ
had the Divine fruition fully, as will be shown (Q. 34, A. 4), and
hence he had not the virtue of hope. Nevertheless He had hope as
regards such things as He did not yet possess, although He had not
faith with regard to anything; because, although He knew all things
fully, wherefore faith was altogether wanting to Him, nevertheless He
did not as yet fully possess all that pertained to His perfection,
viz. immortality and glory of the body, which He could hope for.
Reply Obj. 1: This is said of Christ with reference to hope, not as a
theological virtue, but inasmuch as He hoped for some other things
not yet possessed, as was said above.
Reply Obj. 2: The glory of the body does not pertain to beatitude as
being that in which beatitude principally consists, but by a certain
outpouring from the soul's glory, as was said above (I-II, Q. 4, A.
6). Hence hope, as a theological virtue, does not regard the bliss of
the body but the soul's bliss, which consists in the Divine fruition.
Reply Obj. 3: The building up of the church by the conversion of the
faithful does not pertain to the perfection of Christ, whereby He is
perfect in Himself, but inasmuch as it leads others to a share of His
perfection. And because hope properly regards what is expected by him
who hopes, the virtue of hope cannot properly be said to be in
Christ, because of the aforesaid reason.
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