Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 94 (1/2)
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. lx.x.xiii, 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 a.s.sured 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 G.o.d,” 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 Pa.s.sion 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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FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 55, Art. 5]
Whether Christ Should Have Demonstrated the Truth of His Resurrection by Proofs?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should not have demonstrated the truth of His Resurrection by proofs. For Ambrose says (De Fide, ad Gratian. i): ”Let there be no proofs where faith is required.” But faith is required regarding the Resurrection. Therefore proofs are out of place there.
Obj. 2: Further, Gregory says (Hom. xxvi): ”Faith has no merit where human reason supplies the test.” But it was no part of Christ's office to void the merit of faith. Consequently, it was not for Him to confirm the Resurrection by proofs.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ came into the world in order that men might attain beat.i.tude through Him, according to John 10:10: ”I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.” But supplying proofs seems to be a hindrance in the way of man's beat.i.tude; because our Lord Himself said (John 20:29): ”Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.” Consequently, it seems that Christ ought not to manifest His Resurrection by any proofs.
_On the contrary,_ It is related in Acts 1:3, that Christ appeared to His disciples ”for forty days by many proofs, speaking of the Kingdom of G.o.d.”
_I answer that,_ The word ”proof” is susceptible of a twofold meaning: sometimes it is employed to designate any sort ”of reason in confirmation of what is a matter of doubt” [*Tully, _Topic._ ii]: and sometimes it means a sensible sign employed to manifest the truth; thus also Aristotle occasionally uses the term in his works [*Cf.
Prior. a.n.a.l. ii; Rhetor. i]. Taking ”proof” in the first sense, Christ did not demonstrate His Resurrection to the disciples by proofs, because such argumentative proof would have to be grounded on some principles: and if these were not known to the disciples, nothing would thereby be demonstrated to them, because nothing can be known from the unknown. And if such principles were known to them, they would not go beyond human reason, and consequently would not be efficacious for establis.h.i.+ng faith in the Resurrection, which is beyond human reason, since principles must be a.s.sumed which are of the same order, according to 1 Poster. But it was from the authority of the Sacred Scriptures that He proved to them the truth of His Resurrection, which authority is the basis of faith, when He said: ”All things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the Law, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me”: as is set forth Luke 24:44.
But if the term ”proof” be taken in the second sense, then Christ is said to have demonstrated His Resurrection by proofs, inasmuch as by most evident signs He showed that He was truly risen. Hence where our version has ”by many proofs,” the Greek text, instead of proof has _tekmerion_, i.e. ”an evident sign affording positive proof” [*Cf.
Prior. a.n.a.l. ii]. Now Christ showed these signs of the Resurrection to His disciples, for two reasons. First, because their hearts were not disposed so as to accept readily the faith in the Resurrection.
Hence He says Himself (Luke 24:25): ”O foolish and slow of heart to believe”: and (Mk. 16:14): ”He upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart.” Secondly, that their testimony might be rendered more efficacious through the signs shown them, according to 1 John 1:1, 3: ”That which we have seen, and have heard, and our hands have handled ... we declare.”
Reply Obj. 1: Ambrose is speaking there of proofs drawn from human reason, which are useless for demonstrating things of faith, as was shown above.
Reply Obj. 2: The merit of faith arises from this, that at G.o.d's bidding man believes what he does not see. Accordingly, only that reason debars merit of faith which enables one to see by knowledge what is proposed for belief: and this is demonstrative argument. But Christ did not make use of any such argument for demonstrating His Resurrection.
Reply Obj. 3: As stated already (ad 2), the merit of beat.i.tude, which comes of faith, is not entirely excluded except a man refuse to believe [whatever he does not see]. But for a man to believe from visible signs the things he does not see, does not entirely deprive him of faith nor of the merit of faith: just as Thomas, to whom it was said (John 20:29): ”'Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed,' saw one thing and believed another” [*Gregory, Hom. xxvi]: the wounds were what he saw, G.o.d was the object of His belief. But his is the more perfect faith who does not require such helps for belief. Hence, to put to shame the faith of some men, our Lord said (John 4:48): ”Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not.”
From this one can learn how they who are so ready to believe G.o.d, even without beholding signs, are blessed in comparison with them who do not believe except they see the like.
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SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 55, Art. 6]