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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's Ascension into heaven
belonged to Him according to His Divine Nature. For, it is
written (Ps. 46:6): "God is ascended with jubilee": and
(Dt. 33:26): "He that is mounted upon the heaven is thy
helper." But these words were spoken of God even before Christ's
Incarnation. Therefore it belongs to Christ to ascend into heaven as
God.
Objection 2: Further, it belongs to the same person to ascend into
heaven as to descend from heaven, according to Jn. 3:13: "No
man hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended from heaven":
and Eph. 4:10: "He that descended is the same also that
ascended." But Christ came down from heaven not as man, but as
God: because previously His Nature in heaven was not human, but
Divine. Therefore it seems that Christ ascended into heaven as
God.
Objection 3: Further, by His Ascension Christ ascended to the
Father. But it was not as man that He rose to equality with the
Father; for in this respect He says: "He is greater than I," as
is said in Jn. 14:28. Therefore it seems that Christ ascended
as God.
On the contrary, on Eph. 4:10: "That He ascended, what is
it, but because He also descended," a gloss says: "It is clear
that He descended and ascended according to His humanity."
I answer that, The expression "according to" can denote two
things; the condition of the one who ascends, and the cause of his
ascension. When taken to express the condition of the one ascending,
the Ascension in no wise belongs to Christ according to the condition
of His Divine Nature; both because there is nothing higher than the
Divine Nature to which He can ascend; and because ascension is local
motion, a thing not in keeping with the Divine Nature, which is
immovable and outside all place. Yet the Ascension is in keeping with
Christ according to His human nature, which is limited by place, and
can be the subject of motion. In this sense, then, we can say that
Christ ascended into heaven as man, but not as God.
But if the phrase "according to" denote the cause of the Ascension,
since Christ ascended into heaven in virtue of His Godhead, and not
in virtue of His human nature, then it must be said that Christ
ascended into heaven not as man, but as God. Hence Augustine says
in a sermon on the Ascension: "It was our doing that the Son of man
hung upon the cross; but it was His own doing that He ascended."
Reply to Objection 1: These utterances were spoken prophetically of
God who was one day to become incarnate. Still it can be said that
although to ascend does not belong to the Divine Nature properly, yet
it can metaphorically; as, for instance, it is said "to ascend in
the heart of man" (cf. Ps. 83:6), when his heart submits and
humbles itself before God: and in the same way God is said to ascend
metaphorically with regard to every creature, since He subjects it to
Himself.
Reply to Objection 2: He who ascended is the same as He who
descended. For Augustine says (De Symb. iv): "Who is it that
descends? The God-Man. Who is it that ascends? The self-same
God-Man." Nevertheless a twofold descent is attributed to
Christ; one, whereby He is said to have descended from heaven,
which is attributed to the God-Man according as He is God: for He
is not to be understood as having descended by any local movement, but
as having "emptied Himself," since "when He was in the form of
God He took the form of a servant." For just as He is said to be
emptied, not by losing His fulness, but because He took our
littleness upon Himself, so likewise He is said to have descended
from heaven, not that He deserted heaven, but because He assumed
human nature in unity of person.
And there is another descent whereby He descended "into the lower
regions of the earth," as is written Eph. 4:9; and this is local
descent: hence this belongs to Christ according to the condition of
human nature.
Reply to Objection 3: Christ is said to ascend to the Father,
inasmuch as He ascends to sit on the right hand of the Father; and
this is befitting Christ in a measure according to His Divine
Nature, and in a measure according to His human nature, as will be
said later (Question 58, Article 3)
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