Whether the Son of God in Human Nature Ought to Have Assumed Defects
of Body?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Son of God ought not to have
assumed human nature with defects of body. For as His soul is
personally united to the Word of God, so also is His body. But the
soul of Christ had every perfection, both of grace and truth, as was
said above (Q. 7, A. 9; Q. 9, seqq.). Hence, His body also ought to
have been in every way perfect, not having any imperfection in it.
Obj. 2: Further, the soul of Christ saw the Word of God by the vision
wherein the blessed see, as was said above (Q. 9, A. 2), and thus the
soul of Christ was blessed. Now by the beatification of the soul the
body is glorified; since, as Augustine says (Ep. ad Dios. cxviii),
"God made the soul of a nature so strong that from the fulness of its
blessedness there pours over even into the lower nature" (i.e. the
body), "not indeed the bliss proper to the beatific fruition and
vision, but the fulness of health" (i.e. the vigor of
incorruptibility). Therefore the body of Christ was incorruptible and
without any defect.
Obj. 3: Further, penalty is the consequence of fault. But there was
no fault in Christ, according to 1 Pet. 2:22: "Who did no guile."
Therefore defects of body, which are penalties, ought not to have
been in Him.
Obj. 4: Further, no reasonable man assumes what keeps him from his
proper end. But by such like bodily defects, the end of the
Incarnation seems to be hindered in many ways. First, because by
these infirmities men were kept back from knowing Him, according to
Isa. 53:2, 3: "[There was no sightliness] that we should be desirous
of Him. Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with infirmity, and His look was, as it were, hidden and
despised, whereupon we esteemed Him not." Secondly, because the
desire of the Fathers would not seem to be fulfilled, in whose person
it is written (Isa. 51:9): "Arise, arise, put on Thy strength, O Thou
Arm of the Lord." Thirdly, because it would seem more fitting for the
devil's power to be overcome and man's weakness healed, by strength
than by weakness. Therefore it does not seem to have been fitting
that the Son of God assumed human nature with infirmities or defects
of body.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Heb. 2:18): "For in that, wherein
He Himself hath suffered and been tempted, He is able to succor them
also that are tempted." Now He came to succor us. Hence David said of
Him (Ps. 120:1): "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from
whence help shall come to me." Therefore it was fitting for the Son
of God to assume flesh subject to human infirmities, in order to
suffer and be tempted in it and so bring succor to us.
_I answer that,_ It was fitting for the body assumed by the Son of
God to be subject to human infirmities and defects; and especially
for three reasons. First, because it was in order to satisfy for the
sin of the human race that the Son of God, having taken flesh, came
into the world. Now one satisfies for another's sin by taking on
himself the punishment due to the sin of the other. But these bodily
defects, to wit, death, hunger, thirst, and the like, are the
punishment of sin, which was brought into the world by Adam,
according to Rom. 5:12: "By one man sin entered into this world, and
by sin death." Hence it was useful for the end of the Incarnation
that He should assume these penalties in our flesh and in our stead,
according to Isa. 53:4, "Surely He hath borne our infirmities."
Secondly, in order to cause belief in the Incarnation. For since
human nature is known to men only as it is subject to these defects,
if the Son of God had assumed human nature without these defects, He
would not have seemed to be true man, nor to have true, but
imaginary, flesh, as the Manicheans held. And so, as is said, Phil.
2:7: "He . . . emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being
made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man." Hence,
Thomas, by the sight of His wounds, was recalled to the faith, as
related John 20:26. Thirdly, in order to show us an example of
patience by valiantly bearing up against human passibility and
defects. Hence it is said (Heb. 12:3) that He "endured such
opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be not wearied,
fainting in your minds."
Reply Obj. 1: The penalties one suffers for another's sin are the
matter, as it were, of the satisfaction for that sin; but the
principle is the habit of soul, whereby one is inclined to wish to
satisfy for another, and from which the satisfaction has its
efficacy, for satisfaction would not be efficacious unless it
proceeded from charity, as will be explained (Supp., Q. 14, A. 2).
Hence, it behooved the soul of Christ to be perfect as regards the
habit of knowledge and virtue, in order to have the power of
satisfying; but His body was subject to infirmities, that the matter
of satisfaction should not be wanting.
Reply Obj. 2: From the natural relationship which is between the soul
and the body, glory flows into the body from the soul's glory. Yet
this natural relationship in Christ was subject to the will of His
Godhead, and thereby it came to pass that the beatitude remained in
the soul, and did not flow into the body; but the flesh suffered what
belongs to a passible nature; thus Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii,
15) that, "it was by the consent of the Divine will that the flesh
was allowed to suffer and do what belonged to it."
Reply Obj. 3: Punishment always follows sin actual or original,
sometimes of the one punished, sometimes of the one for whom he who
suffers the punishment satisfies. And so it was with Christ,
according to Isa. 53:5: "He was wounded for our iniquities, He was
bruised for our sins."
Reply Obj. 4: The infirmity assumed by Christ did not impede, but
greatly furthered the end of the Incarnation, as above stated. And
although these infirmities concealed His Godhead, they made known His
Manhood, which is the way of coming to the Godhead, according to Rom.
5:1, 2: "By Jesus Christ we have access to God." Moreover, the
ancient Fathers did not desire bodily strength in Christ, but
spiritual strength, wherewith He vanquished the devil and healed
human weakness.
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