Whether the Miracles Which Christ Worked Were a Sufficient Proof of
His Godhead?
Objection 1: It would seem that the miracles which Christ worked were
not a sufficient proof of His Godhead. For it is proper to Christ to
be both God and man. But the miracles which Christ worked have been
done by others also. Therefore they were not a sufficient proof of
His Godhead.
Obj. 2: Further, no power surpasses that of the Godhead. But some
have worked greater miracles than Christ, for it is written (John
14:12): "He that believeth in Me, the works that I do, he also shall
do, and greater than these shall he do." Therefore it seems that the
miracles which Christ worked are not sufficient proof of His Godhead.
Obj. 3: Further, the particular is not a sufficient proof of the
universal. But any one of Christ's miracles was one particular work.
Therefore none of them was a sufficient proof of His Godhead, by
reason of which He had universal power over all things.
_On the contrary,_ our Lord said (John 5:36): "The works which the
Father hath given Me to perfect . . . themselves . . . give testimony
of Me."
_I answer that,_ The miracles which Christ worked were a sufficient
proof of His Godhead in three respects. First, as to the very nature
of the works, which surpassed the entire capability of created power,
and therefore could not be done save by Divine power. For this reason
the blind man, after his sight had been restored, said (John 9:32,
33): "From the beginning of the world it has not been heard, that any
man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of
God, he could not do anything."
Secondly, as to the way in which He worked miracles--namely, because
He worked miracles as though of His own power, and not by praying, as
others do. Wherefore it is written (Luke 6:19) that "virtue went out
from Him and healed all." Whereby it is proved, as Cyril says
(Comment. in Lucam) that "He did not receive power from another, but,
being God by nature, He showed His own power over the sick. And this
is how He worked countless miracles." Hence on Matt. 8:16: "He cast
out spirits with His word, and all that were sick He healed,"
Chrysostom says: "Mark how great a multitude of persons healed, the
Evangelists pass quickly over, not mentioning one by one . . . but in
one word traversing an unspeakable sea of miracles." And thus it was
shown that His power was co-equal with that of God the Father,
according to John 5:19: "What things soever" the Father "doth, these
the Son doth also in like manner"; and, again (John 5:21): "As the
Father raiseth up the dead and giveth life, so the Son also giveth
life to whom He will."
Thirdly, from the very fact that He taught that He was God; for
unless this were true it would not be confirmed by miracles worked by
Divine power. Hence it was said (Mk. 1:27): "What is this new
doctrine? For with power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they
obey Him."
Reply Obj. 1: This was the argument of the Gentiles. Wherefore
Augustine says (Ep. ad Volusian. cxxxvii): "No suitable wonders, say
they, show forth the presence of so great majesty, for the ghostly
cleansing" whereby He cast out demons, "the cure of the sick, the
raising of the dead to life, if other miracles be taken into account,
are small things before God." To this Augustine answers thus: "We own
that the prophets did as much . . . But even Moses himself and the
other prophets made Christ the Lord the object of their prophecy, and
gave Him great glory . . . He, therefore, chose to do similar things
to avoid the inconsistency of failing to do what He had done through
others. Yet still He was bound to do something which no other had
done: to be born of a virgin, to rise from the dead, and to ascend
into heaven. If anyone deem this a slight thing for God to do, I know
not what more he can expect. Having become man, ought He to have made
another world, that we might believe Him to be Him by whom the world
was made? But in this world neither a greater world could be made nor
one equal to it: and if He had made a lesser world in comparison with
this, that too would have been deemed a small thing."
As to the miracles worked by others, Christ did greater still. Hence
on John 15:24: "If I had not done in [Douay: 'among'] them the works
that no other men hath done," etc., Augustine says: "None of the
works of Christ seem to be greater than the raising of the dead:
which thing we know the ancient prophets also did . . . Yet Christ
did some works 'which no other man hath done.' But we are told in
answer that others did works which He did not, and which none other
did . . . But to heal with so great a power so many defects and
ailments and grievances of mortal men, this we read concerning none
soever of the men of old. To say nothing of those, each of whom by
His bidding, as they came in His way, He made whole . . . Mark saith
(6:56): 'Whithersoever He entered, into towns or into villages or
into cities, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that
they might touch but the hem of His garment: and as many as touched
Him were made whole.' These things none other did in them; for when
He saith 'In them,' it is not to be understood to mean 'Among them,'
or 'In their presence,' but wholly 'In them,' because He healed them
. . . Therefore whatever works He did in them are works that none
ever did; since if ever any other man did any one of them, by His
doing he did it; whereas these works He did, not by their doing, but
by Himself."
Reply Obj. 2: Augustine explains this passage of John as follows
(Tract. lxxi): "What are these 'greater works' which believers in Him
would do? That, as they passed by, their very shadow healed the sick?
For it is greater that a shadow should heal than the hem of a garment
. . . When, however, He said these words, it was the deeds and works
of His words that He spoke of: for when He said . . . 'The Father who
abideth in Me, He doth the works,' what works did He mean, then, but
the words He was speaking? . . . and the fruits of those same words
was the faith of those (who believed): but when the disciples
preached the Gospel, not some few like those, but the very nations
believed . . . (Tract. lxxii). Did not that rich man go away from His
presence sorrowful? . . . and yet afterwards, what one individual,
having heard from Him, did not, that many did when He spake by the
mouth of His disciples . . . Behold, He did greater works when spoken
of by men believing than when speaking to men hearing. But there is
yet this difficulty: that He did these 'greater works' by the
apostles: whereas He saith as meaning not only them: . . . 'He that
believeth in Me' . . . Listen! . . . 'He that believeth in Me, the
works that I do, he also shall do': first, 'I do,' then 'he also
shall do,' because I do that he may do. What works--but that from
ungodly he should be made righteous? . . . Which thing Christ worketh
in him, truly, but not without him. Yes, I may affirm this to be
altogether greater than to create" [*The words 'to create' are not in
the text of St. Augustine] "heaven and earth . . . for 'heaven and
earth shall pass away'; but the salvation and justification of the
predestinate shall remain . . . But also in the heavens . . . the
angels are the works of Christ: and does that man do greater works
than these, who co-operates with Christ in the work of his
justification? . . . let him, who can, judge whether it be greater to
create a righteous being than to justify an ungodly one. Certainly if
both are works of equal power, the latter is a work of greater mercy."
"But there is no need for us to understand all the works of Christ,
where He saith 'Greater than these shall he do.' For by 'these' He
meant, perhaps, those which He was doing at that hour: now at that
time He was speaking words of faith: . . . and certainly it is less
to preach words of righteousness, which thing He did without us, than
to justify the ungodly, which thing He so doth in us that we also do
it ourselves."
Reply Obj. 3: When some particular work is proper to some agent, then
that particular work is a sufficient proof of the whole power of that
agent: thus, since the act of reasoning is proper to man, the mere
fact that someone reasons about any particular proposition proves him
to be a man. In like manner, since it is proper to God to work
miracles by His own power, any single miracle worked by Christ by His
own power is a sufficient proof that He is God.
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