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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's body was reduced to dust
in the tomb. For just as man dies in punishment of his first parent's
sin, so also does he return to dust, since it was said to the first
man after his sin: "Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return"
(Gn. 3:19). But Christ endured death in order to deliver us
from death. Therefore His body ought to be made to return to dust,
so as to free us from the same penalty.
Objection 2: Further, Christ's body was of the same nature as
ours. But directly after death our bodies begin to dissolve into
dust, and are disposed towards putrefaction, because when the natural
heat departs, there supervenes heat from without which causes
corruption. Therefore it seems that the same thing happened to
Christ's body.
Objection 3: Further, as stated above (Article 1), Christ
willed to be buried in order to furnish men with the hope of rising
likewise from the grave. Consequently, He sought likewise to return
to dust so as to give to them who have returned to dust the hope of
rising from the dust.
On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 15:10): "Nor wilt
Thou suffer Thy holy one to see corruption": and Damascene (De
Fide Orth. iii) expounds this of the corruption which comes of
dissolving into elements.
I answer that, It was not fitting for Christ's body to putrefy, or
in any way be reduced to dust, since the putrefaction of any body comes
of that body's infirmity of nature, which can no longer hold the body
together. But as was said above (Question 50, Article 1, ad
2), Christ's death ought not to come from weakness of nature, lest
it might not be believed to be voluntary: and therefore He willed to
die, not from sickness, but from suffering inflicted on Him, to
which He gave Himself up willingly. And therefore, lest His death
might be ascribed to infirmity of nature, Christ did not wish His
body to putrefy in any way or dissolve no matter how; but for the
manifestation of His Divine power He willed that His body should
continue incorrupt. Hence Chrysostom says (Cont. Jud. et Gent.
quod 'Christus sit Deus') that "with other men, especially with
such as have wrought strenuously, their deeds shine forth in their
lifetime; but as soon as they die, their deeds go with them. But it
is quite the contrary with Christ: because previous to the cross all
is sadness and weakness, but as soon as He is crucified, everything
comes to light, in order that you may learn it was not an ordinary man
that was crucified."
Reply to Objection 1: Since Christ was not subject to sin,
neither was He prone to die or to return to dust. Yet of His own
will He endured death for our salvation, for the reasons alleged above
(Question 51, Article 1). But had His body putrefied or
dissolved, this fact would have been detrimental to man's salvation,
for it would not have seemed credible that the Divine power was in
Him. Hence it is on His behalf that it is written (Ps.
19:10): "What profit is there in my blood, whilst I go down
to corruption?" as if He were to say: "If My body corrupt, the
profit of the blood shed will be lost."
Reply to Objection 2: Christ's body was a subject of corruption
according to the condition of its passible nature, but not as to the
deserving cause of putrefaction, which is sin: but the Divine power
preserved Christ's body from putrefying, just as it raised it up from
death.
Reply to Objection 3: Christ rose from the tomb by Divine power,
which is not narrowed within bounds. Consequently, His rising from
the grave was a sufficient argument to prove that men are to be raised
up by Divine power, not only from their graves, but also from any
dust whatever.
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