Whether Christ's Body Was Formed in the First Instant of Its
Conception?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's body was not formed in the
first instant of its conception. For it is written (John 2:20):
"Six-and-forty years was this Temple in building"; on which words
Augustine comments as follows (De Trin. iv): "This number applies
manifestly to the perfection of our Lord's body." He says, further
(QQ. lxxxiii, qu. 56): "It is not without reason that the Temple,
which was a type of His body, is said to have been forty-six years in
building: so that as many years as it took to build the Temple, in so
many days was our Lord's body perfected." Therefore Christ's body was
not perfectly formed in the first instant of its conception.
Obj. 2: Further, there was need of local movement for the formation
of Christ's body in order that the purest blood of the Virgin's body
might be brought where generation might aptly take place. Now, no
body can be moved locally in an instant: since the time taken in
movement is divided according to the division of the thing moved, as
is proved _Phys._ vi. Therefore Christ's body was not formed in an
instant.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ's body was formed of the purest blood of the
Virgin, as stated above (Q. 31, A. 5). But that matter could not be
in the same instant both blood and flesh, because thus matter would
have been at the same time the subject of two forms. Therefore the
last instant in which it was blood was distinct from the first
instant in which it was flesh. But between any two instants there is
an interval of time. Therefore Christ's body was not formed in an
instant, but during a space of time.
Obj. 4: Further, as the augmentative power requires a fixed time for
its act, so also does the generative power: for both are natural
powers belonging to the vegetative soul. But Christ's body took a
fixed time to grow, like the bodies of other men: for it is written
(Luke 2:52) that He "advanced in wisdom and age." Therefore it seems
for the same reason that the formation of His body, since that, too,
belongs to the generative power, was not instantaneous, but took a
fixed time, like the bodies of other men.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Moral. xviii): "As soon as the angel
announced it, as soon as the Spirit came down, the Word was in the
womb, within the womb the Word was made flesh."
_I answer that,_ In the conception of Christ's body three points may
be considered: first, the local movement of the blood to the place of
generation; secondly, the formation of the body from that matter;
thirdly, the development whereby it was brought to perfection of
quantity. Of these, the second is the conception itself; the first is
a preamble; the third, a result of the conception.
Now, the first could not be instantaneous: since this would be
contrary to the very nature of the local movement of any body
whatever, the parts of which come into a place successively. The
third also requires a succession of time: both because there is no
increase without local movement, and because increase is effected by
the power of the soul already informing the body, the operation of
which power is subject to time.
But the body's very formation, in which conception principally
consists, was instantaneous, for two reasons. First, because of the
infinite power of the agent, viz. the Holy Ghost, by whom Christ's
body was formed, as stated above (Q. 32, A. 1). For the greater the
power of an agent, the more quickly can it dispose matter; and,
consequently, an agent of infinite power can dispose matter
instantaneously to its due form. Secondly, on the part of the Person
of the Son, whose body was being formed. For it was unbecoming that
He should take to Himself a body as yet unformed. While, if the
conception had been going on for any time before the perfect
formation of the body, the whole conception could not be attributed
to the Son of God, since it is not attributed to Him except by reason
of the assumption of that body. Therefore in the first instant in
which the various parts of the matter were united together in the
place of generation, Christ's body was both perfectly formed and
assumed. And thus is the Son of God said to have been conceived; nor
could it be said otherwise.
Reply Obj. 1: Neither quotation from Augustine refers to formation
alone of Christ's body, but to its formation, together with a fixed
development up to the time of His birth. Wherefore in the aforesaid
number are foreshadowed the number of months during which Christ was
in the Virgin's womb.
Reply Obj. 2: This local movement is not comprised within the
conception itself, but is a preamble thereto.
Reply Obj. 3: It is not possible to fix the last instant in which
that matter was blood: but it is possible to fix the last period of
time which continued without any interval up to the first instant in
which Christ's body was formed. And this instant was the terminus of
the time occupied by the local movement of the matter towards the
place of generation.
Reply Obj. 4: Increase is caused by the augmentative power of that
which is the subject of increase: but the formation of the body is
caused by the generative power, not of that which is generated, but
of the father generating from seed, in which the formative power
derived from the father's soul has its operation. But Christ's body
was not formed by the seed of man, as stated above (Q. 31, A. 5, ad
3), but by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Therefore the formation
thereof should be such as to be worthy of the Holy Ghost. But the
development of Christ's body was the effect of the augmentative power
in Christ's soul: and since this was of the same species as ours, it
behooved His body to develop in the same way as the bodies of other
men, so as to prove the reality of His human nature.
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