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Objection 1: It would seem that it was not necessary for Christ to
rise again. For Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv):
"Resurrection is the rising again of an animate being, which was
disintegrated and fallen." But Christ did not fall by sinning, nor
was His body dissolved, as is manifest from what was stated above
(Question 51, Article 3). Therefore, it does not properly
belong to Him to rise again.
Objection 2: Further, whoever rises again is promoted to a higher
state, since to rise is to be uplifted. But after death Christ's
body continued to be united with the Godhead, hence it could not be
uplifted to any higher condition. Therefore, it was not due to it to
rise again.
Objection 3: Further, all that befell Christ's humanity was
ordained for our salvation. But Christ's Passion sufficed for our
salvation, since by it we were loosed from guilt and punishment, as is
clear from what was said above (Question 49, Article 1,3).
Consequently, it was not necessary for Christ to rise again from the
dead.
On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 24:46): "It behooved
Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead."
I answer that, It behooved Christ to rise again, for five reasons.
First of all; for the commendation of Divine Justice, to which it
belongs to exalt them who humble themselves for God's sake, according
to Lk. 1:52: "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and
hath exalted the humble." Consequently, because Christ humbled
Himself even to the death of the Cross, from love and obedience to
God, it behooved Him to be uplifted by God to a glorious
resurrection; hence it is said in His Person (Ps. 138:2):
"Thou hast known," i.e. approved, "my sitting down," i.e.
My humiliation and Passion, "and my rising up," i.e. My
glorification in the resurrection; as the gloss expounds.
Secondly, for our instruction in the faith, since our belief in
Christ's Godhead is confirmed by His rising again, because,
according to 2 Cor. 13:4, "although He was crucified through
weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God." And therefore it is
written (1 Cor. 15:14): "If Christ be not risen again,
then is our preaching vain, and our faith is also vain": and (Ps.
29:10): "What profit is there in my blood?" that is, in the
shedding of My blood, "while I go down," as by various degrees of
evils, "into corruption?" As though He were to answer: "None.
'For if I do not at once rise again but My body be corrupted, I
shall preach to no one, I shall gain no one,'" as the gloss
expounds.
Thirdly, for the raising of our hope, since through seeing Christ,
who is our head, rise again, we hope that we likewise shall rise
again. Hence it is written (1 Cor. 15:12): "Now if
Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how do some among you
say, that there is no resurrection of the dead?" And (Job
19:25,27): "I know," that is with certainty of faith,
"that my Redeemer," i.e. Christ, "liveth," having risen from
the dead; "and" therefore "in the last day I shall rise out of the
earth . . . this my hope is laid up in my bosom."
Fourthly, to set in order the lives of the faithful: according to
Rm. 6:4: "As Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the
Father, so we also may walk in newness of life": and further on;
"Christ rising from the dead dieth now no more; so do you also reckon
that you are dead to sin, but alive to God."
Fifthly, in order to complete the work of our salvation: because,
just as for this reason did He endure evil things in dying that He
might deliver us from evil, so was He glorified in rising again in
order to advance us towards good things; according to Rm. 4:25:
"He was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our
justification."
Reply to Objection 1: Although Christ did not fall by sin, yet
He fell by death, because as sin is a fall from righteousness, so
death is a fall from life: hence the words of Micheas 7:8 can be
taken as though spoken by Christ: "Rejoice not thou, my enemy,
over me, because I am fallen: I shall rise again." Likewise,
although Christ's body was not disintegrated by returning to dust,
yet the separation of His soul and body was a kind of disintegration.
Reply to Objection 2: The Godhead was united with Christ's flesh
after death by personal union, but not by natural union; thus the soul
is united with the body as its form, so as to constitute human nature.
Consequently, by the union of the body and soul, the body was
uplifted to a higher condition of nature, but not to a higher personal
state.
Reply to Objection 3: Christ's Passion wrought our salvation,
properly speaking, by removing evils; but the Resurrection did so as
the beginning and exemplar of all good things.
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