Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's body ought not to have risen with its scars. For it is written (1 Cor. 15:52): "The dead shall rise incorrupt." But scars and wounds imply corruption and defect. Therefore it was not fitting for Christ, the author of the resurrection, to rise again with scars.

Objection 2: Further, Christ's body rose entire, as stated above (Article 3). But open scars are opposed to bodily integrity, since they interfere with the continuity of the tissue. It does not therefore seem fitting for the open wounds to remain in Christ's body; although the traces of the wounds might remain, which would satisfy the beholder; thus it was that Thomas believed, to whom it was said: "Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed" (Jn. 20:29).

Objection 3: Further, Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv) that "some things are truly said of Christ after the Resurrection, which He did not have from nature but from special dispensation, such as the scars, in order to make it sure that it was the body which had suffered that rose again." Now when the cause ceases, the effect ceases. Therefore it seems that when the disciples were assured of the Resurrection, He bore the scars no longer. But it ill became the unchangeableness of His glory that He should assume anything which was not to remain in Him for ever. Consequently, it seems that He ought not at His Resurrection to have resumed a body with scars.

On the contrary, Our Lord said to Thomas (Jn. 20:27): "Put in thy finger hither, and see My hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into My side, and be not faithless but believing."

I answer that, It was fitting for Christ's soul at His Resurrection to resume the body with its scars. In the first place, for Christ's own glory. For Bede says on Lk. 24:40 that He kept His scars not from inability to heal them, "but to wear them as an everlasting trophy of His victory." Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxii): "Perhaps in that kingdom we shall see on the bodies of the Martyrs the traces of the wounds which they bore for Christ's name: because it will not be a deformity, but a dignity in them; and a certain kind of beauty will shine in them, in the body, though not of the body." Secondly, to confirm the hearts of the disciples as to "the faith in His Resurrection" (Bede, on Lk. 24:40). Thirdly, "that when He pleads for us with the Father, He may always show the manner of death He endured for us" (Bede, on Lk. 24:40). Fourthly, "that He may convince those redeemed in His blood, how mercifully they have been helped, as He exposes before them the traces of the same death" (Bede, on Lk. 24:40). Lastly, "that in the Judgment-day He may upbraid them with their just condemnation" (Bede, on Lk. 24:40). Hence, as Augustine says (De Symb. ii): "Christ knew why He kept the scars in His body. For, as He showed them to Thomas who would not believe except he handled and saw them, so will He show His wounds to His enemies, so that He who is the Truth may convict them, saying: 'Behold the man whom you crucified; see the wounds you inflicted; recognize the side you pierced, since it was opened by you and for you, yet you would not enter.'"

Reply to Objection 1: The scars that remained in Christ's body belong neither to corruption nor defect, but to the greater increase of glory, inasmuch as they are the trophies of His power; and a special comeliness will appear in the places scarred by the wounds.

Reply to Objection 2: Although those openings of the wounds break the continuity of the tissue, still the greater beauty of glory compensates for all this, so that the body is not less entire, but more perfected. Thomas, however, not only saw, but handled the wounds, because as Pope Leo says: "It sufficed for his personal faith for him to have seen what he saw; but it was on our behalf that he touched what he beheld."

Reply to Objection 3: Christ willed the scars of His wounds to remain on His body, not only to confirm the faith of His disciples, but for other reasons also. From these it seems that those scars will always remain on His body; because, as Augustine says (Ad Consent., De Resurr. Carn.): "I believe our Lord's body to be in heaven, such as it was when He ascended into heaven." And Gregory (Moral. xiv) says that "if aught could be changed in Christ's body after His Resurrection, contrary to Paul's truthful teaching, then the Lord after His Resurrection returned to death; and what fool would dare to say this, save he that denies the true resurrection of the flesh?" Accordingly, it is evident that the scars which Christ showed on His body after His Resurrection, have never since been removed from His body.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod corpus christi cum cicatricibus resurgere non debuerit.

Dicitur enim I Cor. XV, quod mortui resurgent incorrupti.

Sed cicatrices et vulnera ad quandam corruptionem pertinent et defectum. Non ergo fuit conveniens ut christus, qui resurrectionis auctor est, cum cicatricibus resurgeret.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, corpus christi integrum resurrexit, sicut dictum est.

Sed aperturae vulnerum contrariantur integritati corporis, quia per eas discontinuatur corpus. Non ergo videtur fuisse conveniens quod in christi corpore aperturae vulnerum remanerent, etsi remanerent ibi quaedam vulnerum insignia, quae sufficiebant ad aspectum, ad quem thomas credidit, cui dictum est, quia vidisti me, thoma, credidisti.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Damascenus dicit, in IV libro, quod post resurrectionem de christo dicuntur quaedam vere quidem, non autem secundum naturam, sed secundum dispensationem, ad certificandum quod ipsum quod passum est corpus resurrexit, ut cicatrices.

Cessante autem causa, cessat effectus. Ergo videtur quod, certificatis discipulis de sua resurrectione, cicatrices ulterius non habuit. Sed non conveniebat immutabilitati gloriae quod aliquid assumeret quod in eo perpetuo non remaneret. Videtur ergo quod non debuerit corpus cum cicatricibus in resurrectione resumere.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dominus dicit thomae, Ioan. XX, infer digitum tuum huc, et vide manus meas, et affer manum tuam et mitte in latus meum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod conveniens fuit animam christi in resurrectione corpus cum cicatricibus resumere. Primo quidem, propter gloriam ipsius christi.

Dicit enim beda, super Luc., quod non ex impotentia curandi cicatrices servavit, sed ut in perpetuum victoriae suae circumferat triumphum.

Unde et Augustinus dicit, in XXII de CIV. Dei, quod fortassis in illo regno in corporibus martyrum videbimus vulnerum cicatrices quae pro christi nomine pertulerunt, non enim deformitas in eis, sed dignitas erit; et quaedam, quamvis in corpore, non corporis, sed virtutis pulchritudo fulgebit.

Secundo, ad confirmandum corda discipulorum circa fidem suae resurrectionis.

Tertio, ut patri, pro nobis supplicans, quale genus mortis pro homine pertulerit, semper ostendat. Quarto, ut sua morte redemptis quam misericorditer sint adiuti, propositis eiusdem mortis indiciis, insinuet. Postremo, ut in iudicio quam iuste damnentur, ibidem annuntiet.

Unde, sicut Augustinus dicit, in libro de symbolo, sciebat christus quare cicatrices in suo corpore servaret. Sicut enim demonstravit thomae non credenti nisi tangeret et videret, ita etiam inimicis vulnera demonstraturus est sua, ut convincens eos veritas dicat, ecce hominem quem crucifixistis. Videtis vulnera quae infixistis. Agnoscitis latus quod pupugistis.

Quoniam per vos, et propter vos apertum est, nec tamen intrare voluistis.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod cicatrices illae quae in corpore christi permanserunt, non pertinent ad corruptionem vel defectum, sed ad maiorem cumulum gloriae, inquantum sunt quaedam virtutis insignia. Et in illis locis vulnerum quidam specialis decor apparebit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod illa apertura vulnerum, quamvis sit cum quadam solutione continuitatis, totum tamen hoc recompensatur per maiorem decorem gloriae, ut corpus non sit minus integrum, sed magis perfectum. Thomas autem non solum vidit, sed etiam vulnera tetigit, quia, ut dicit leo Papa, suffecit sibi ad fidem propriam vidisse quod viderat; sed nobis operatus est ut tangeret quem videbat.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod christus in suo corpore voluit cicatrices vulnerum remanere, non solum ad certificandum discipulorum fidem, sed etiam propter alias rationes. Ex quibus apparet quod semper in eius corpore cicatrices illae remanebunt.

Quia, ut Augustinus dicit, ad consentium de resurrectione carnis, domini corpus in caelo esse credo ut erat quando ascendit in caelum.

Et Gregorius, XIV Moral., dicit quod, si quid in corpore christi post resurrectionem potuit immutari, contra veridicam Pauli sententiam, post resurrectionem dominus rediit in mortem. Quod quis dicere vel stultus praesumat, nisi qui veram carnis resurrectionem denegat? unde patet quod cicatrices quas christus post resurrectionem in suo corpore ostendit, nunquam postmodum ab illo corpore sunt remotae.