Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the heavens should not have been opened unto Christ at His baptism. For the heavens should be opened unto one who needs to enter heaven, by reason of his being out of heaven. But Christ was always in heaven, according to Jn. 3:13: "The Son of Man who is in heaven." Therefore it seems that the heavens should not have been opened unto Him.

Objection 2: Further, the opening of the heavens is understood either in a corporal or in a spiritual sense. But it cannot be understood in a corporal sense: because the heavenly bodies are impassible and indissoluble, according to Job 37:18: "Thou perhaps hast made the heavens with Him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass." In like manner neither can it be understood in a spiritual sense, because the heavens were not previously closed to the eyes of the Son of God. Therefore it seems unbecoming to say that when Christ was baptized "the heavens were opened."

Objection 3: Further, heaven was opened to the faithful through Christ's Passion, according to Heb. 10:19: "We have a confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ." Wherefore not even those who were baptized with Christ's baptism, and died before His Passion, could enter heaven. Therefore the heavens should have been opened when Christ was suffering rather than when He was baptized.

On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 3:21): "Jesus being baptized and praying, heaven was opened."

I answer that, As stated above (Article 1; Question 38, Article 1), Christ wished to be baptized in order to consecrate the baptism wherewith we were to be baptized. And therefore it behooved those things to be shown forth which belong to the efficacy of our baptism: concerning which efficacy three points are to be considered. First, the principal power from which it is derived; and this, indeed, is a heavenly power. For which reason, when Christ was baptized, heaven was opened, to show that in future the heavenly power would sanctify baptism.

Secondly, the faith of the Church and of the person baptized conduces to the efficacy of baptism: wherefore those who are baptized make a profession of faith, and baptism is called the "sacrament of faith." Now by faith we gaze on heavenly things, which surpass the senses and human reason. And in order to signify this, the heavens were opened when Christ was baptized.

Thirdly, because the entrance to the heavenly kingdom was opened to us by the baptism of Christ in a special manner, which entrance had been closed to the first man through sin. Hence, when Christ was baptized, the heavens were opened, to show that the way to heaven is open to the baptized.

Now after baptism man needs to pray continually, in order to enter heaven: for though sins are remitted through baptism, there still remain the fomes of sin assailing us from within, and the world and the devils assailing us from without. And therefore it is said pointedly (Lk. 3:21) that "Jesus being baptized and praying, heaven was opened": because, to wit, the faithful after baptism stand in need of prayer. Or else, that we may be led to understand that the very fact that through baptism heaven is opened to believers is in virtue of the prayer of Christ. Hence it is said pointedly (Mt. 3:16) that "heaven was opened to Him"---that is, "to all for His sake." Thus, for example, the Emperor might say to one asking a favor for another: "Behold, I grant this favor, not to him, but to thee"---that is, "to him for thy sake," as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in Matth. ).

Reply to Objection 1: According to Chrysostom (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious Opus Imperfectum), as Christ was baptized for man's sake, though He needed no baptism for His own sake, so the heavens were opened unto Him as man, whereas in respect of His Divine Nature He was ever in heaven.

Reply to Objection 2: As Jerome says on Mt. 3:16,17, the heavens were opened to Christ when He was baptized, not by an unfolding of the elements, but by a spiritual vision: thus does Ezechiel relate the opening of the heavens at the beginning of his book. And Chrysostom proves this (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious Opus Imperfectum) by saying that "if the creature"---namely, heaven---"had been sundered he would not have said, 'were opened to Him,' since what is opened in a corporeal sense is open to all." Hence it is said expressly (Mk. 1:10) that Jesus "forthwith coming up out of the water, saw the heavens opened"; as though the opening of the heavens were to be considered as seen by Christ. Some, indeed, refer this to the corporeal vision, and say that such a brilliant light shone round about Christ when He was baptized, that the heavens seemed to be opened. It can also be referred to the imaginary vision, in which manner Ezechiel saw the heavens opened: since such a vision was formed in Christ's imagination by the Divine power and by His rational will, so as to signify that the entrance to heaven is opened to men through baptism. Lastly, it can be referred to intellectual vision: forasmuch as Christ, when He had sanctified baptism, saw that heaven was opened to men: nevertheless He had seen before that this would be accomplished.

Reply to Objection 3: Christ's Passion is the common cause of the opening of heaven to men. But it behooves this cause to be applied to each one, in order that he enter heaven. And this is effected by baptism, according to Rm. 6:3: "All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in His death." Wherefore mention is made of the opening of the heavens at His baptism rather than at His Passion.

Or, as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious Opus Imperfectum): "When Christ was baptized, the heavens were merely opened: but after He had vanquished the tyrant by the cross; since gates were no longer needed for a heaven which thenceforth would be never closed, the angels said, not 'open the gates,' but 'Take them away.'" Thus Chrysostom gives us to understand that the obstacles which had hitherto hindered the souls of the departed from entering into heaven were entirely removed by the Passion: but at Christ's baptism they were opened, as though the way had been shown by which men were to enter into heaven.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod christo baptizato non debuerunt caeli aperiri. Illi enim aperiendi sunt caeli qui indiget intrare in caelum, quasi extra caelum existens. Sed christus semper erat in caelo, secundum illud Ioan. III, filius hominis qui est in caelo.

Ergo videtur quod non debuerint ei caeli aperiri.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, apertio caelorum aut intelligitur corporaliter, aut spiritualiter. Sed non potest intelligi corporaliter, quia corpora caelestia sunt impassibilia et infrangibilia, secundum illud iob XXXVII, tu forsitan fabricatus es caelos, qui solidissimi quasi aere fusi sunt? similiter etiam nec potest intelligi spiritualiter, quia ante oculos filii dei caeli antea clausi non fuerant. Ergo inconvenienter videtur dici quod baptizato christo aperti fuerunt caeli.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, fidelibus caelum apertum est per christi passionem, secundum illud Heb. X, habemus fiduciam in introitum sanctorum in sanguine christi.

Unde etiam nec baptizati baptismo christi, si qui ante eius passionem decesserunt, caelos intrare potuerunt. Ergo magis debuerunt aperiri caeli christo patiente, quam eo baptizato.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Luc. III, iesu baptizato et orante, apertum est caelum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, christus baptizari voluit ut suo baptismo consecraret baptismum quo nos baptizaremur et ideo in baptismo christi ea demonstrari debuerunt quae pertinent ad efficaciam nostri baptismi. Circa quam tria sunt consideranda. Primo quidem, principalis virtus ex qua baptismus efficaciam habet, quae quidem est virtus caelestis. Et ideo baptizato christo apertum est caelum, ut ostenderetur quod de cetero caelestis virtus baptismum sanctificaret. Secundo, operatur ad efficaciam baptismi fides ecclesiae et eius qui baptizatur, unde et baptizati fidem profitentur, et baptismus dicitur fidei sacramentum. Per fidem autem inspicimus caelestia, quae sensum et rationem humanam excedunt. Et ad hoc significandum, christo baptizato aperti sunt caeli. Tertio, quia per baptismum christi specialiter aperitur nobis introitus regni caelestis, qui primo homini praeclusus fuerat per peccatum. Unde baptizato christo aperti sunt caeli, ut ostenderetur quod baptizatis patet via in caelum. Post baptismum autem necessaria est homini iugis oratio, ad hoc quod caelum introeat, licet enim per baptismum remittantur peccata, remanet tamen fomes peccati nos impugnans interius, et mundus et Daemones qui impugnant exterius.

Et ideo signanter dicitur Luc. III quod, iesu baptizato et orante, apertum est caelum, quia scilicet fidelibus necessaria est oratio post baptismum.

Vel ut detur intelligi quod hoc ipsum quod per baptismum caelum aperitur credentibus, est ex virtute orationis christi. Unde signanter dicitur, Matth. III, quod apertum est ei caelum, idest, omnibus propter eum, sicut si imperator alicui pro alio petenti dicat, ecce, hoc beneficium non illi do, sed tibi, idest, propter te illi; ut chrysostomus dicit, super Matth..

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., sicut christus secundum dispensationem humanam baptizatus est, quamvis propter se baptismo non indigeret; sic secundum humanam dispensationem aperti sunt ei caeli, secundum autem naturam divinam semper erat in caelis.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, sicut Hieronymus dicit, super Matth., caeli aperti sunt christo baptizato, non reseratione elementorum, sed spiritualibus oculis, sicut et ezechiel in principio voluminis sui caelos apertos esse commemorat.

Et hoc probat chrysostomus, super Matth., dicens quod, si ipsa creatura, scilicet caelorum, rupta fuisset, non dixisset, aperti sunt ei, quia quod corporaliter aperitur, omnibus est apertum.

Unde et marci I expresse dicitur quod iesus statim ascendens de aqua, vidit caelos apertos, quasi ipsa apertio caelorum ad visionem christi referatur.

Quod quidem aliqui referunt ad visionem corporalem, dicentes quod circa christum baptizatum tantus splendor fulsit in baptismo ut viderentur caeli aperti.

Potest etiam referri ad imaginariam visionem, per quem modum ezechiel vidit caelos apertos, formabatur enim ex virtute divina et voluntate rationis talis visio in imaginatione christi, ad significandum quod per baptismum caeli aditus hominibus aperitur.

Potest etiam ad visionem intellectualem referri, prout christus vidit, baptismo iam sanctificato, apertum esse caelum hominibus; quod tamen etiam ante viderat fiendum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod per passionem christi aperitur caelum hominibus sicut per causam communem apertionis caelorum.

Oportet tamen hanc causam singulis applicari, ad hoc quod caelum introeant. Quod quidem fit per baptismum, secundum illud Rom. VI, quicumque baptizati sumus in christo iesu, in morte ipsius baptizati sumus.

Et ideo potius fit mentio de apertione caelorum in baptismo quam in passione. Vel, sicut chrysostomus dicit, super Matth., baptizato christo caeli tantum sunt aperti, postquam vero tyrannum vicit per crucem, quia non erant portae necessariae caelo nunquam claudendo, non dicunt Angeli, aperite portas, sed, tollite portas.

Per quod dat intelligere chrysostomus quod obstacula quibus prius obsistentibus animae defunctorum introire non poterant caelos, sunt totaliter per passionem ablata, sed in baptismo christi sunt aperta, quasi manifestata iam via per quam homines in caelum erant intraturi.