Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 72 (1/2)

FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 43, Art. 1]

Whether Christ Should Have Worked Miracles?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should not have worked miracles. For Christ's deeds should have been consistent with His words. But He Himself said (Matt. 16:4): ”A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.” Therefore He should not have worked miracles.

Obj. 2: Further, just as Christ, at His second coming, is to come with great power and majesty, as is written Matt. 24:30, so at His first coming He came in infirmity, according to Isa. 53:3: ”A man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity.” But the working of miracles belongs to power rather than to infirmity. Therefore it was not fitting that He should work miracles in His first coming.

Obj. 3: Further, Christ came that He might save men by faith; according to Heb. 12:2: ”Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.” But miracles lessen the merit of faith; hence our Lord says (John 4:48): ”Unless you see signs and wonders you believe not.”

Therefore it seems that Christ should not have worked miracles.

_On the contrary,_ It was said in the person of His adversaries (John 11:47): ”What do we; for this man doth many miracles?”

_I answer that,_ G.o.d enables man to work miracles for two reasons.

First and princ.i.p.ally, in confirmation of the doctrine that a man teaches. For since those things which are of faith surpa.s.s human reason, they cannot be proved by human arguments, but need to be proved by the argument of Divine power: so that when a man does works that G.o.d alone can do, we may believe that what he says is from G.o.d: just as when a man is the bearer of letters sealed with the king's ring, it is to be believed that what they contain expresses the king's will.

Secondly, in order to make known G.o.d's presence in a man by the grace of the Holy Ghost: so that when a man does the works of G.o.d we may believe that G.o.d dwells in him by His grace. Wherefore it is written (Gal. 3:5): ”He who giveth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you.”

Now both these things were to be made known to men concerning Christ--namely, that G.o.d dwelt in Him by grace, not of adoption, but of union: and that His supernatural doctrine was from G.o.d. And therefore it was most fitting that He should work miracles. Wherefore He Himself says (John 10:38): ”Though you will not believe Me, believe the works”; and (John 5:36): ”The works which the Father hath given Me to perfect ... themselves ... give testimony to Me.”

Reply Obj. 1: These words, ”a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas,” mean, as Chrysostom says (Hom. xliii in Matth.), that ”they did not receive a sign such as they sought, viz. from heaven”: but not that He gave them no sign at all. Or that ”He worked signs not for the sake of those whom He knew to be hardened, but to amend others.” Therefore those signs were given, not to them, but to others.

Reply Obj. 2: Although Christ came ”in the infirmity” of the flesh, which is manifested in the pa.s.sions, yet He came ”in the power of G.o.d” [*Cf. 2 Cor. 13:4], and this had to be made manifest by miracles.

Reply Obj. 3: Miracles lessen the merit of faith in so far as those are shown to be hard of heart who are unwilling to believe what is proved from the Scriptures unless (they are convinced) by miracles.

Yet it is better for them to be converted to the faith even by miracles than that they should remain altogether in their unbelief.

For it is written (1 Cor. 14:22) that signs are given ”to unbelievers,” viz. that they may be converted to the faith.

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SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 43, Art. 2]

Whether Christ Worked Miracles by Divine Power?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did not work miracles by Divine power. For the Divine power is omnipotent. But it seems that Christ was not omnipotent in working miracles; for it is written (Mk.

6:5) that ”He could not do any miracles there,” i.e. in His own country. Therefore it seems that He did not work miracles by Divine power.

Obj. 2: Further, G.o.d does not pray. But Christ sometimes prayed when working miracles; as may be seen in the raising of Lazarus (John 11:41, 42), and in the multiplication of the loaves, as related Matt.

14:19. Therefore it seems that He did not work miracles by Divine power.

Obj. 3: Further, what is done by Divine power cannot be done by the power of any creature. But the things which Christ did could be done also by the power of a creature: wherefore the Pharisees said (Luke 11:15) that He cast out devils ”by Beelzebub the prince of devils.”

Therefore it seems that Christ did not work miracles by Divine power.

_On the contrary,_ our Lord said (John 14:10): ”The Father who abideth in Me, He doth the works.”

_I answer that,_ as stated in the First Part (Q. 110, A. 4), true miracles cannot be wrought save by Divine power: because G.o.d alone can change the order of nature; and this is what is meant by a miracle. Wherefore Pope Leo says (Ep. ad Flav. xxviii) that, while there are two natures in Christ, there is ”one,” viz. the Divine, which s.h.i.+nes forth in miracles; and ”another,” viz. the human, ”which submits to insults”; yet ”each communicates its actions to the other”: in as far as the human nature is the instrument of the Divine action, and the human action receives power from the Divine Nature, as stated above (Q. 19, A. 1).

Reply Obj. 1: When it is said that ”He could not do any miracles there,” it is not to be understood that He could not do them absolutely, but that it was not fitting for Him to do them: for it was unfitting for Him to work miracles among unbelievers. Wherefore it is said farther on: ”And He wondered because of their unbelief.”

In like manner it is said (Gen. 18:17): ”Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” and Gen. 19:22: ”I cannot do anything till thou go in thither.”

Reply Obj. 2: As Chrysostom says on Matt. 14:19, ”He took the five loaves and the two fishes, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed and brake: It was to be believed of Him, both that He is of the Father and that He is equal to Him ... Therefore that He might prove both, He works miracles now with authority, now with prayer ... in the lesser things, indeed, He looks up to heaven”--for instance, in multiplying the loaves--”but in the greater, which belong to G.o.d alone, He acts with authority; for example, when He forgave sins and raised the dead.”