Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that we were not delivered from sin through Christ's Passion. For to deliver from sin belongs to God alone, according to Is. 43:25: "I am He who blot out your iniquities for My own sake." But Christ did not suffer as God, but as man. Therefore Christ's Passion did not free us from sin.

Objection 2: Further, what is corporeal does not act upon what is spiritual. But Christ's Passion is corporeal, whereas sin exists in the soul, which is a spiritual creature. Therefore Christ's Passion could not cleanse us from sin.

Objection 3: Further, one cannot be purged from a sin not yet committed, but which shall be committed hereafter. Since, then, many sins have been committed since Christ's death, and are being committed daily, it seems that we were not delivered from sin by Christ's death.

Objection 4: Further, given an efficient cause, nothing else is required for producing the effect. But other things besides are required for the forgiveness of sins, such as baptism and penance. Consequently it seems that Christ's Passion is not the sufficient cause of the forgiveness of sins.

Objection 5: Further, it is written (Prov. 10:12): "Charity covereth all sins"; and (Prov. 15:27): "By mercy and faith, sins are purged away." But there are many other things of which we have faith, and which excite charity. Therefore Christ's Passion is not the proper cause of the forgiveness of sins.

On the contrary, It is written (Apoc. 1:5): "He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

I answer that, Christ's Passion is the proper cause of the forgiveness of sins in three ways. First of all, by way of exciting our charity, because, as the Apostle says (Rm. 5:8): "God commendeth His charity towards us: because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us." But it is by charity that we procure pardon of our sins, according to Lk. 7:47: "Many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much." Secondly, Christ's Passion causes forgiveness of sins by way of redemption. For since He is our head, then, by the Passion which He endured from love and obedience, He delivered us as His members from our sins, as by the price of His Passion: in the same way as if a man by the good industry of his hands were to redeem himself from a sin committed with his feet. For, just as the natural body is one though made up of diverse members, so the whole Church, Christ's mystic body, is reckoned as one person with its head, which is Christ. Thirdly, by way of efficiency, inasmuch as Christ's flesh, wherein He endured the Passion, is the instrument of the Godhead, so that His sufferings and actions operate with Divine power for expelling sin.

Reply to Objection 1: Although Christ did not suffer as God, nevertheless His flesh is the instrument of the Godhead; and hence it is that His Passion has a kind of Divine Power of casting out sin, as was said above.

Reply to Objection 2: Although Christ's Passion is corporeal, still it derives a kind of spiritual energy from the Godhead, to which the flesh is united as an instrument: and according to this power Christ's Passion is the cause of the forgiveness of sins.

Reply to Objection 3: Christ by His Passion delivered us from our sins causally---that is, by setting up the cause of our deliverance, from which cause all sins whatsoever, past, present, or to come, could be forgiven: just as if a doctor were to prepare a medicine by which all sicknesses can be cured even in future.

Reply to Objection 4: As stated above, since Christ's Passion preceded, as a kind of universal cause of the forgiveness of sins, it needs to be applied to each individual for the cleansing of personal sins. Now this is done by baptism and penance and the other sacraments, which derive their power from Christ's Passion, as shall be shown later (Question 62, Article 5).

Reply to Objection 5: Christ's Passion is applied to us even through faith, that we may share in its fruits, according to Rm. 3:25: "Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in His blood." But the faith through which we are cleansed from sin is not "lifeless faith," which can exist even with sin, but "faith living" through charity; that thus Christ's Passion may be applied to us, not only as to our minds, but also as to our hearts. And even in this way sins are forgiven through the power of the Passion of Christ.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod per passionem christi non simus liberati a peccato. Liberare enim a peccato est proprium dei secundum illud Isaiae XLIII, ego sum qui deleo iniquitates tuas propter me.

Christus autem non est passus secundum quod deus, sed secundum quod homo. Ergo passio christi non liberavit nos a peccato.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, corporale non agit in spirituale.

Sed passio christi corporalis est, peccatum autem non est nisi in anima, quae est spiritualis creatura. Ergo passio christi non potuit nos mundare a peccato.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, nullus potest liberari a peccato quod nondum commisit, sed quod in posterum est commissurus. Cum igitur multa peccata post christi passionem sint commissa, et tota die committantur, videtur quod per passionem christi non simus liberati a peccato.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, posita causa sufficienti, nihil aliud requiritur ad effectum inducendum. Requiruntur autem adhuc alia ad remissionem peccatorum, scilicet baptismus et poenitentia. Ergo videtur quod passio christi non sit sufficiens causa remissionis peccatorum.

Argumentum 5

Praeterea, Proverb. X dicitur, universa delicta operit caritas; et XV dicitur, per misericordiam et fidem purgantur peccata.

Sed multa sunt alia de quibus habemus fidem, et quae sunt provocativa caritatis. Ergo passio christi non est propria causa remissionis peccatorum.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Apoc. I, dilexit nos, et lavit nos a peccatis nostris in sanguine suo.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod passio christi est propria causa remissionis peccatorum, tripliciter. Primo quidem, per modum provocantis ad caritatem. Quia, ut apostolus dicit, Rom. V, commendat deus suam caritatem in nobis, quoniam, cum inimici essemus, christus pro nobis mortuus est.

Per caritatem autem consequimur veniam peccatorum, secundum illud Luc. VII, dimissa sunt ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum.

Secundo, passio christi causat remissionem peccatorum per modum redemptionis. Quia enim ipse est caput nostrum, per passionem suam, quam ex caritate et obedientia sustinuit, liberavit nos, tanquam membra sua, a peccatis, quasi per pretium suae passionis, sicut si homo per aliquod opus meritorium quod manu exerceret, redimeret se a peccato quod pedibus commisisset. Sicut enim naturale corpus est unum, ex membrorum diversitate consistens, ita tota ecclesia, quae est mysticum corpus christi, computatur quasi una persona cum suo capite, quod est christus. Tertio, per modum efficientiae, inquantum caro, secundum quam christus passionem sustinuit, est instrumentum divinitatis, ex quo eius passiones et actiones operantur in virtute divina ad expellendum peccatum.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, licet christus non sit passus secundum quod deus, tamen caro eius est divinitatis instrumentum. Et ex hoc passio eius habet quandam divinam virtutem ad expellendum peccatum, ut dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod passio christi, licet sit corporalis, sortitur tamen quandam spiritualem virtutem ex divinitate, cuius caro ei unita est instrumentum. Secundum quam quidem virtutem passio christi est causa remissionis peccatorum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod christus sua passione a peccatis nos liberavit causaliter, idest, instituens causam nostrae liberationis, ex qua possent quaecumque peccata quandocumque remitti, vel praeterita vel praesentia vel futura, sicut si medicus faciat medicinam ex qua possint etiam quicumque morbi sanari, etiam in futurum.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod, quia passio christi praecessit ut causa quaedam universalis remissionis peccatorum, sicut dictum est, necesse est quod singulis adhibeatur ad deletionem propriorum peccatorum. Hoc autem fit per baptismum et poenitentiam et alia sacramenta, quae habent virtutem ex passione christi, ut infra patebit.

Ad 5

Ad quintum dicendum quod etiam per fidem applicatur nobis passio christi ad percipiendum fructum ipsius, secundum illud Rom. III, quem proposuit deus propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine eius.

Fides autem per quam a peccato mundamur, non est fides informis, quae potest esse etiam cum peccato, sed est fides formata per caritatem, ut sic passio christi nobis applicetur non solum quantum ad intellectum, sed etiam quantum ad affectum. Et per hunc etiam modum peccata dimittuntur ex virtute passionis christi.