The following is taken from the Summa Theologica.
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Whether there was any more suitable way of
delivering the human race than by Christ's Passion?
Objection 1. It would seem that there was
some other more suitable way of delivering the human race besides Christ's
Passion. For nature in its operation imitates the Divine work, since it is
moved and regulated by God. But nature never employs two agents where one will
suffice. Therefore, since God could have liberated mankind solely by His Divine
will, it does not seem fitting that Christ's Passion should have been added for
the deliverance of the human race.
Objection 2. Further, natural actions are
more suitably performed than deeds of violence, because violence is "a
severance or lapse from what is according to nature," as is said in De
Coelo ii. But Christ's Passion brought about His death by violence. Therefore
it would have been more appropriate had Christ died a natural death rather than
suffer for man's deliverance.
Objection 3. Further, it seems most fitting
that whatsoever keeps something unjustly and by violence, should be deprived of
it by some superior power; hence Isaias says (52:3): "You were sold
gratis, and you shall be redeemed without money." But the devil possessed
no right over man, whom he had deceived by guile, and whom he held subject in
servitude by a sort of violence. Therefore it seems most suitable that Christ
should have despoiled the devil solely by His power and without the Passion.
On the contrary, St. Augustine says (De Trin.
xiii): "There was no other more suitable way of healing our misery"
than by the Passion of Christ.
I
answer that,
Among means to an end that one is the more suitable whereby the various
concurring means employed are themselves helpful to such end. But in this that
man was delivered by Christ's Passion, many other things besides deliverance
from sin concurred for man's salvation. In the first place, man knows thereby
how much God loves him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and
herein lies the perfection of human salvation; hence the Apostle says (Romans
5:8): "God commendeth His charity towards us; for when as yet we were
sinners . . . Christ died for us." Secondly, because thereby He set us an
example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the other virtues
displayed in the Passion, which are requisite for man's salvation. Hence it is
written (1 Peter 2:21): "Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an
example that you should follow in His steps." Thirdly, because Christ by
His Passion not only delivered man from sin, but also merited justifying grace
for him and the glory of bliss, as shall be shown later (48, 1; 49, 1, 5).
Fourthly, because by this man is all the more bound to refrain from sin,
according to 1 Corinthians 6:20: "You are bought with a great price:
glorify and bear God in your body." Fifthly, because it redounded to man's
greater dignity, that as man was overcome and deceived by the devil, so also it
should be a man that should overthrow the devil; and as man deserved death, so
a man by dying should vanquish death. Hence it is written (1 Corinthians
15:57): "Thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." It was accordingly more fitting that we should be delivered
by Christ's Passion than simply by God's good-will.
Reply to Objection
1. Even nature
uses several means to one intent, in order to do something more fittingly: as
two eyes for seeing; and the same can be observed in other matters.
Reply to Objection
2. As Chrysostom
[Athanasius, Orat. De Incarn. Verb.] says: "Christ had come in order to
destroy death, not His own, (for since He is life itself, death could not be
His), but men's death. Hence it was not by reason of His being bound to die that
He laid His body aside, but because the death He endured was inflicted on Him
by men. But even if His body had sickened and dissolved in the sight of all
men, it was not befitting Him who healed the infirmities of others to have his
own body afflicted with the same. And even had He laid His body aside without
any sickness, and had then appeared, men would not have believed Him when He
spoke of His resurrection. For how could Christ's victory over death appear,
unless He endured it in the sight of all men, and so proved that death was
vanquished by the incorruption of His body?"
Reply to Objection
3. Although the
devil assailed man unjustly, nevertheless, on account of sin, man was justly
left by God under the devil's bondage. And therefore it was fitting that
through justice man should be delivered from the devil's bondage by Christ
making satisfaction on his behalf in the Passion. This was also a fitting means
of overthrowing the pride of the devil, "who is a deserter from justice,
and covetous of sway"; in that Christ "should vanquish him and
deliver man, not merely by the power of His Godhead, but likewise by the
justice and lowliness of the Passion," as Augustine says (De Trin. xiii).
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