Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did endure all sufferings, because Hilary (De Trin. x) says: "God's only-begotten Son testifies that He endured every kind of human sufferings in order to accomplish the sacrament of His death, when with bowed head He gave up the ghost." It seems, therefore, that He did endure all human sufferings.

Objection 2: Further, it is written (Is. 52:13): "Behold My servant shall understand, He shall be exalted and extolled, and shall be exceeding high; as many as have been astonished at Him , so shall His visage be inglorious among men, and His form among the sons of men." But Christ was exalted in that He had all grace and all knowledge, at which many were astonished in admiration thereof. Therefore it seems that He was "inglorious," by enduring every human suffering.

Objection 3: Further, Christ's Passion was ordained for man's deliverance from sin, as stated above (Article 3). But Christ came to deliver men from every kind of sin. Therefore He ought to have endured every kind of suffering.

On the contrary, It is written (Jn. 19:32): "The soldiers therefore came: and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him; but after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs." Consequently, He did not endure every human suffering.

I answer that, Human sufferings may be considered under two aspects. First of all, specifically, and in this way it was not necessary for Christ to endure them all, since many are mutually exclusive, as burning and drowning; for we are dealing now with sufferings inflicted from without, since it was not beseeming for Him to endure those arising from within, such as bodily ailments, as already stated (Question 14, Article 4). But, speaking generically, He did endure every human suffering. This admits of a threefold acceptance. First of all, on the part of men: for He endured something from Gentiles and from Jews; from men and from women, as is clear from the women servants who accused Peter. He suffered from the rulers, from their servants and from the mob, according to Ps. 2:1,2: "Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against His Christ." He suffered from friends and acquaintances, as is manifest from Judas betraying and Peter denying Him.

Secondly, the same is evident on the part of the sufferings which a man can endure. For Christ suffered from friends abandoning Him; in His reputation, from the blasphemies hurled at Him; in His honor and glory, from the mockeries and the insults heaped upon Him; in things, for He was despoiled of His garments; in His soul, from sadness, weariness, and fear; in His body, from wounds and scourgings.

Thirdly, it may be considered with regard to His bodily members. In His head He suffered from the crown of piercing thorns; in His hands and feet, from the fastening of the nails; on His face from the blows and spittle; and from the lashes over His entire body. Moreover, He suffered in all His bodily senses: in touch, by being scourged and nailed; in taste, by being given vinegar and gall to drink; in smell, by being fastened to the gibbet in a place reeking with the stench of corpses, "which is called Calvary"; in hearing, by being tormented with the cries of blasphemers and scorners; in sight, by beholding the tears of His Mother and of the disciple whom He loved.

Reply to Objection 1: Hilary's words are to be understood as to all classes of sufferings, but not as to their kinds.

Reply to Objection 2: The likeness is sustained, not as to the number of the sufferings and graces, but as to their greatness; for, as He was uplifted above others in gifts of graces, so was He lowered beneath others by the ignominy of His sufferings.

Reply to Objection 3: The very least one of Christ's sufferings was sufficient of itself to redeem the human race from all sins; but as to fittingness, it sufficed that He should endure all classes of sufferings, as stated above.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod christus omnes passiones sustinuerit.

Dicit enim Hilarius, in X de Trin., unigenitus dei, ad peragendum mortis suae sacramentum, consummasse in se omne humanarum genus passionum testatur, cum, inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

Videtur ergo quod omnes passiones humanas sustinuerit.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, Isaiae LII dicitur, ecce, intelliget servus meus, et exaltabitur, et elevabitur, et sublimis erit valde. Sicut obstupuerunt super eum multi, sic inglorius erit inter viros aspectus eius, et forma eius inter filios hominum.

Sed christus est exaltatus secundum hoc quod habuit omnem gratiam et omnem scientiam, pro quo super eo multi admirantes obstupuerunt. Ergo videtur quod inglorius fuerit sustinendo omnem passionem humanam.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, passio christi ordinata est ad liberationem hominis a peccato, ut supra dictum est.

Sed christus venit liberare homines ab omni peccatorum genere. Ergo debuit pati omne genus passionum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Ioan. XIX, quod milites primi quidem fregerunt crura et alterius qui crucifixus est cum eo, ad iesum autem cum venissent, non fregerunt eius crura.

Non ergo passus est omnem humanam passionem.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod passiones humanae possunt considerari dupliciter. Uno modo, quantum ad speciem. Et sic non oportuit christum omnem humanam passionem pati, quia multae passionum species sibi invicem contrariantur, sicut combustio in igne et submersio in aqua. Loquimur enim nunc de passionibus ab extrinseco illatis, quia passiones ab intrinseco causatas, sicut sunt aegritudines corporales, non decuit eum pati, ut supra dictum est.

Sed secundum genus, passus est omnem passionem humanam. Quod quidem potest considerari tripliciter. Uno modo, ex parte hominum. Passus est enim aliquid et a gentilibus, et a Iudaeis; a masculis et feminis, ut patet de ancillis accusantibus Petrum.

Passus est etiam a principibus, et a ministris eorum, et popularibus, secundum illud Psalmi, quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania? astiterunt reges terrae, et principes convenerunt in unum, adversus dominum et adversus christum eius.

Passus est etiam a familiaribus et notis, sicut patet de Iuda eum prodente, et Petro ipsum negante. Alio modo patet idem ex parte eorum in quibus homo potest pati. Passus est enim christus in suis amicis eum deserentibus; in fama per blasphemias contra eum dictas; in honore et gloria per irrisiones et contumelias ei illatas; in rebus per hoc quod etiam vestibus spoliatus est; in anima per tristitiam, taedium et timorem; in corpore per vulnera et flagella. Tertio potest considerari quantum ad corporis membra. Passus est enim christus in capite pungentium spinarum coronam; in manibus et pedibus fixionem clavorum; in facie alapas et sputa; et in toto corpore flagella. Fuit etiam passus secundum omnem sensum corporeum, secundum tactum quidem, flagellatus et clavis confixus; secundum gustum, felle et aceto potatus; secundum olfactum, in loco fetido cadaverum mortuorum, qui dicitur calvariae, appensus patibulo; secundum auditum, lacessitus vocibus blasphemantium et irridentium; secundum visum, videns matrem et discipulum quem diligebat flentes.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod verbum illud Hilarii est intelligendum quantum ad omnia genera passionum, non autem quantum ad omnes species.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod similitudo ibi attenditur, non quantum ad numerum passionum et gratiarum, sed quantum ad magnitudinem utriusque, quia sicut sublimatus est in donis gratiarum super alios, ita deiectus est infra alios per ignominiam passionis.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, secundum sufficientiam, una minima passio christi suffecit ad redimendum genus humanum ab omnibus peccatis.

Sed secundum convenientiam, sufficiens fuit quod pateretur omnia genera passionum, sicut iam dictum est.