Whether the Fulness of Grace Is Proper to Christ?
Objection 1: It would seem that the fulness of grace is not proper to
Christ. For what is proper to anyone belongs to him alone. But to be
full of grace is attributed to some others; for it was said to the
Blessed Virgin (Luke 1:28): "Hail, full of grace"; and again it is
written (Acts 6:8): "Stephen, full of grace and fortitude." Therefore
the fulness of grace is not proper to Christ.
Obj. 2: Further, what can be communicated to others through Christ
does not seem to be proper to Christ. But the fulness of grace can be
communicated to others through Christ, since the Apostle says (Eph.
3:19): "That you may be filled unto all the fulness of God."
Therefore the fulness of grace is not proper to Christ.
Obj. 3: Further, the state of the wayfarer seems to be proportioned
to the state of the comprehensor. But in the state of the
comprehensor there will be a certain fulness, since "in our heavenly
country with its fulness of all good, although some things are
bestowed in a pre-eminent way, yet nothing is possessed singularly,"
as is clear from Gregory (Hom. De Cent. Ovib.; xxxiv in Ev.).
Therefore in the state of the comprehensor the fulness of grace is
possessed by everyone, and hence the fulness of grace is not proper
to Christ. On the contrary, The fulness of grace is attributed to
Christ inasmuch as He is the only-begotten of the Father, according
to John 1:14: "We saw Him [Vulg.: 'His glory'] as it were . . . the
Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." But to be the
Only-begotten of the Father is proper to Christ. Therefore it is
proper to Him to be full of grace and truth.
_I answer that,_ The fulness of grace may be taken in two ways:
First, on the part of grace itself, or secondly on the part of the
one who has grace. Now on the part of grace itself there is said to
be the fulness of grace when the limit of grace is attained, as to
essence and power, inasmuch as grace is possessed in its highest
possible excellence and in its greatest possible extension to all its
effects. And this fulness of grace is proper to Christ. But on the
part of the subject there is said to be the fulness of grace when
anyone fully possesses grace according to his condition--whether as
regards intensity, by reason of grace being intense in him, to the
limit assigned by God, according to Eph. 4:1: "But to every one of us
is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ"--or
"as regards power," by reason of a man having the help of grace for
all that belongs to his office or state, as the Apostle says (Eph.
3:8): "To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace . . .
to enlighten all men." And this fulness of grace is not proper to
Christ, but is communicated to others by Christ.
Reply Obj. 1: The Blessed Virgin is said to be full of grace, not on
the part of grace itself--since she had not grace in its greatest
possible excellence--nor for all the effects of grace; but she is
said to be full of grace in reference to herself, i.e. inasmuch as
she had sufficient grace for the state to which God had chosen her,
i.e. to be the mother of His Only-begotten. So, too, Stephen is said
to be full of grace, since he had sufficient grace to be a fit
minister and witness of God, to which office he had been called. And
the same must be said of others. Of these fulnesses one is greater
than another, according as one is divinely pre-ordained to a higher
or lower state.
Reply Obj. 2: The Apostle is there speaking of that fulness
which has reference to the subject, in comparison with what man is
divinely pre-ordained to; and this is either something in common, to
which all the saints are pre-ordained, or something special, which
pertains to the pre-eminence of some. And in this manner a certain
fulness of grace is common to all the saints, viz. to have grace
enough to merit eternal life, which consists in the enjoyment of God.
And this is the fulness of grace which the Apostle desires for the
faithful to whom he writes.
Reply Obj. 3: These gifts which are in common in heaven, viz.:
vision, possession and fruition, and the like, have certain gifts
corresponding to them in this life which are also common to all the
saints. Yet there are certain prerogatives of saints, both in heaven
and on earth, which are not possessed by all.
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