Whether Christ's Passion Brought About Our Salvation by Way of
Atonement?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's Passion did not bring about
our salvation by way of atonement. For it seems that to make the
atonement devolves on him who commits the sin; as is clear in the
other parts of penance, because he who has done the wrong must grieve
over it and confess it. But Christ never sinned, according to 1 Pet.
2:22: "Who did no sin." Therefore He made no atonement by His
personal suffering.
Obj. 2: Further, no atonement is made to another by committing a
graver offense. But in Christ's Passion the gravest of all offenses
was perpetrated, because those who slew Him sinned most grievously,
as stated above (Q. 47, A. 6). Consequently it seems that atonement
could not be made to God by Christ's Passion.
Obj. 3: Further, atonement implies equality with the trespass, since
it is an act of justice. But Christ's Passion does not appear equal
to all the sins of the human race, because Christ did not suffer in
His Godhead, but in His flesh, according to 1 Pet. 4:1: "Christ
therefore having suffered in the flesh." Now the soul, which is the
subject of sin, is of greater account than the flesh. Therefore
Christ did not atone for our sins by His Passion.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 68:5) in Christ's person: "Then
did I pay that which I took not away." But he has not paid who has
not fully atoned. Therefore it appears that Christ by His suffering
has fully atoned for our sins.
_I answer that,_ He properly atones for an offense who offers
something which the offended one loves equally, or even more than he
detested the offense. But by suffering out of love and obedience,
Christ gave more to God than was required to compensate for the
offense of the whole human race. First of all, because of the
exceeding charity from which He suffered; secondly, on account of the
dignity of His life which He laid down in atonement, for it was the
life of one who was God and man; thirdly, on account of the extent of
the Passion, and the greatness of the grief endured, as stated above
(Q. 46, A. 6). And therefore Christ's Passion was not only a
sufficient but a superabundant atonement for the sins of the human
race; according to 1 John 2:2: "He is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
Reply Obj. 1: The head and members are as one mystic person; and
therefore Christ's satisfaction belongs to all the faithful as being
His members. Also, in so far as any two men are one in charity, the
one can atone for the other as shall be shown later (Suppl., Q. 13,
A. 2). But the same reason does not hold good of confession and
contrition, because atonement consists in an outward action, for
which helps may be used, among which friends are to be computed.
Reply Obj. 2: Christ's love was greater than His slayers' malice: and
therefore the value of His Passion in atoning surpassed the murderous
guilt of those who crucified Him: so much so that Christ's suffering
was sufficient and superabundant atonement for His murderer's crime.
Reply Obj. 3: The dignity of Christ's flesh is not to be estimated
solely from the nature of flesh, but also from the Person assuming
it--namely, inasmuch as it was God's flesh, the result of which was
that it was of infinite worth.
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