Whether Christ's Flesh in the Patriarchs Was Infected by Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's flesh was not infected by
sin in the patriarchs. For it is written (Wis. 7:25) that "no defiled
thing cometh into" Divine Wisdom. But Christ is the Wisdom of God
according to 1 Cor. 1:24. Therefore Christ's flesh was never defiled
by sin.
Obj. 2: Further, Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii) that Christ
"assumed the first-fruits of our nature." But in the primitive state
human flesh was not infected by sin. Therefore Christ's flesh was not
infected either in Adam or in the other patriarchs.
Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. x) that "human nature
ever had, together with the wound, the balm with which to heal it."
But that which is infected cannot heal a wound; rather does it need
to be healed itself. Therefore in human nature there was ever
something preserved from infection, from which afterwards Christ's
body was formed.
_On the contrary,_ Christ's body is not related to Adam and the other
patriarchs, save through the medium of the Blessed Virgin's body, of
whom He took flesh. But the body of the Blessed Virgin was wholly
conceived in original sin, as stated above (Q. 14, A. 3, ad 1), and
thus, as far as it was in the patriarchs, it was subject to sin.
Therefore the flesh of Christ, as far as it was in the patriarchs,
was subject to sin.
_I answer that,_ When we say that Christ or His flesh was in Adam and
the other patriarchs, we compare Him, or His flesh, to Adam and the
other patriarchs. Now, it is manifest that the condition of the
patriarchs differed from that of Christ: for the patriarchs were
subject to sin, whereas Christ was absolutely free from sin.
Consequently a twofold error may occur on this point. First, by
attributing to Christ, or to His flesh, that condition which was in
the patriarchs; by saying, for instance, that Christ sinned in Adam,
since after some fashion He was in him. But this is false; because
Christ was not in Adam in such a way that Adam's sin belonged to
Christ: forasmuch as He is not descended from him according to the
law of concupiscence, or according to seminal virtue; as stated above
(A. 1, ad 3, A. 6, ad 1; Q. 15, A. 1, ad 2).
Secondly, error may occur by attributing the condition of Christ or
of His flesh to that which was actually in the patriarchs: by saying,
for instance, that, because Christ's flesh, as existing in Christ,
was not subject to sin, therefore in Adam also and in the patriarchs
there was some part of his body that was not subject to sin, and from
which afterwards Christ's body was formed; as some indeed held. For
this is quite impossible. First, because Christ's flesh was not in
Adam and in the other patriarchs, according to something signate,
distinguishable from the rest of his flesh, as pure from impure; as
already stated (A. 6). Secondly, because since human flesh is
infected by sin, through being conceived in lust, just as the entire
flesh of a man is conceived through lust, so also is it entirely
defiled by sin. Consequently we must say that the entire flesh of the
patriarchs was subjected to sin, nor was there anything in them that
was free from sin, and from which afterwards Christ's body could be
formed.
Reply Obj. 1: Christ did not assume the flesh of the human race
subject to sin, but cleansed from all infection of sin. Thus it is
that "no defiled thing cometh into the Wisdom of God."
Reply Obj. 2: Christ is said to have assumed the first-fruits of our
nature, as to the likeness of condition; forasmuch as He assumed
flesh not infected by sin, like unto the flesh of man before sin. But
this is not to be understood to imply a continuation of that
primitive purity, as though the flesh of innocent man was preserved
in its freedom from sin until the formation of Christ's body.
Reply Obj. 3: Before Christ, there was actually in human nature a
wound, i.e. the infection of original sin. But the balm to heal the
wound was not there actually, but only by a certain virtue of origin,
forasmuch as from those patriarchs the flesh of Christ was to be
propagated.
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