Whether Christ Should Have Appeared to the Disciples "in Another
Shape"?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ ought not to have appeared to
the disciples "in another shape." For a thing cannot appear in very
truth other than it is. But there was only one shape in Christ.
Therefore if He appeared under another, it was not a true but a false
apparition. Now this is not at all fitting, because as Augustine says
(QQ. lxxxiii, qu. 14): "If He deceives He is not the Truth; yet
Christ is the Truth." Consequently, it seems that Christ ought not to
have appeared to the disciples "in another shape."
Obj. 2: Further, nothing can appear in another shape than the one it
has, except the beholder's eyes be captivated by some illusions. But
since such illusions are brought about by magical arts, they are
unbecoming in Christ, according to what is written (2 Cor. 6:15):
"What concord hath Christ with Belial?" Therefore it seems that
Christ ought not to have appeared in another shape.
Obj. 3: Further, just as our faith receives its surety from
Scripture, so were the disciples assured of their faith in the
Resurrection by Christ appearing to them. But, as Augustine says in
an Epistle to Jerome (xxviii), if but one untruth be admitted into
the Sacred Scripture, the whole authority of the Scriptures is
weakened. Consequently, if Christ appeared to the disciples, in but
one apparition, otherwise than He was, then whatever they saw in
Christ after the Resurrection will be of less import, which is not
fitting. Therefore He ought not to have appeared in another shape.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Mk. 16:12): "After that He appeared
in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the
country."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (AA. 1, 2), Christ's Resurrection
was to be manifested to men in the same way as Divine things are
revealed. But Divine things are revealed to men in various ways,
according as they are variously disposed. For, those who have minds
well disposed, perceive Divine things rightly, whereas those not so
disposed perceive them with a certain confusion of doubt or error:
"for, the sensual men perceiveth not those things that are of the
Spirit of God," as is said in 1 Cor. 2:14. Consequently, after His
Resurrection Christ appeared in His own shape to some who were well
disposed to belief, while He appeared in another shape to them who
seemed to be already growing tepid in their faith: hence these said
(Luke 24:21): "We hoped that it was He that should have redeemed
Israel." Hence Gregory says (Hom. xxiii in Evang.), that "He showed
Himself to them in body such as He was in their minds: for, because
He was as yet a stranger to faith in their hearts, He made pretense
of going on farther," that is, as if He were a stranger.
Reply Obj. 1: As Augustine says (De Qq. Evang. ii), "not everything
of which we make pretense is a falsehood; but when what we pretend
has no meaning then is it a falsehood. But when our pretense has some
signification, it is not a lie, but a figure of the truth; otherwise
everything said figuratively by wise and holy men, or even by our
Lord Himself, would be set down as a falsehood, because it is not
customary to take such expressions in the literal sense. And deeds,
like words, are feigned without falsehood, in order to denote
something else." And so it happened here, as has been said.
Reply Obj. 2: As Augustine says (De Consens. Evang. iii): "Our Lord
could change His flesh so that His shape really was other than they
were accustomed to behold; for, before His Passion He was
transfigured on the mountain, so that His face shone like the sun.
But it did not happen thus now." For not without reason do we
"understand this hindrance in their eyes to have been of Satan's
doing, lest Jesus might be recognized." Hence Luke says (24:16) that
"their eyes were held, that they should not know Him."
Reply Obj. 3: Such an argument would prove, if they had not been
brought back from the sight of a strange shape to that of Christ's
true countenance. For, as Augustine says (De Consens. Evang. iii):
"The permission was granted by Christ," namely, that their eyes
should be held fast in the aforesaid way, "until the Sacrament of the
bread; that when they had shared in the unity of His body, the
enemy's hindrance may be understood to have been taken away, so that
Christ might be recognized." Hence he goes on to say that "'their
eyes were opened, and they knew Him'; not that they were hitherto
walking with their eyes shut; but there was something in them whereby
they were not permitted to recognize what they saw. This could be
caused by the darkness or by some kind of humor."
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