Tertia Pars
27. Aquinas, Summa III q.8, Articles 1-3: Christ as Head of the Church, in Body and Soul, and of All Men
Class of 2009-02-05
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[0:00] In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. God our enlightenment, guardian angels strengthen the lights of our minds, order and illumine our images, and arouse us to consider more correctly. Saint Thomas Aquinas, angelic doctor, pray for us and help us to understand all that you've written. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen. A little scriptural lesson here before we begin. You know Thomas's prayers before and after communion, and it's kind of addressed to the Father, right?

[0:37] So I was kind of struck when I was going through the Gospel of John again here, and have chapter six, which is a chapter that deals with the Eucharist, huh?

[0:47] And he says they're talking about you know what Moses or God gave us that bread from heaven and so on. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. So the Greek there says, ho Pater mou my Father, right? didosin humin ton arton the bread from what heaven, right?

[1:22] Ton alethinon the true bread, right? That kind of agrees with Thomas's what using that form of the prayer, right? He addresses it to the Father, you know, asking for the bread and to be prepared to receive the bread, and then the after communion prayer, he's thanking the Father, right? So I don't know whether that's you know attribution or not, but I mean, and I got thinking, you know, going back to the to the chapter three where he's talking to Nicodemus, and he says, For God so loved the world, huh?

[2:00] That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now, how are you to understand the word God there, right?

[2:13] Yeah, standing for the Father, right? Because he's not the Son of the Holy Spirit, he's not the Son of the Divine Nature, because that's going to get you in trouble. So it's just like in the beginning. The beginning was the Word, and the Word was toward God. Well, then God there is standing for the what Father, right? In the same way here, right? But if God, being the Father, so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, well then it's not it's in harmony with later on he also gave him his Son in the form of what this bread from heaven, huh?

[2:49] So you kind of wonder, you know, I see other communion prayers, but Thomas that stands out in my mind is addressing it to the Father, right? Why did he choose to do so, right? Well, in a sense, it's the way Christ speaks here in this chapter, that verse, anyway. And in harmony with what is said in chapter what three two. Our Lord is a Thomist Say John.

[3:15] Our Lord is a Thomist. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. You hear that famous thing when they asked John Paul II, "Are you a Thomist?" And he says, "Well, the Pope has to be a Thomist right?" So if you ask our Lord, "Are you a Thomist?" Christ has to be a Thomist. Let's look at the premium again. just where we begin question eight here. Then we're not to consider about the grace of Christ, according as he is the head of the church.

[3:52] So we've had the grace of union, and we had the what personal grace of Christ, huh? And now the grace of Christ as he's the head of the church. And about this are asked eight things. First, whether Christ is the head of the church.

[4:10] And secondly, whether he's the head of men as regards the body, or only as regards the what souls. Third, whether he is the head of all men.

[4:26] That's saying what even those who are not being in the church what does that mean? That's a good question. And even further apart, whether he's the head of the what angels, huh?

[4:43] Then whether the grace, according as he is the head of the church, is the same with the habitual grace that he has as he is an individual man.

[5:00] And then whether to be head of the church is private to Christ, huh? Unique to him. Then a little bit of to the side, huh? Same science of opposites, huh? Whether the devil is the head of all evil, and whether the antichrist can also be said to be the head of all the evil.

[5:28] So if you're interested in the evil there. You'll have some entertainment there at seven and eight. Now notice how in the first article there, he adds the according as he is man, right? To the first one goes forward. Thus, it seems that Christ, according as he is a man, does not belong to him to be the head of the what church.

[5:58] For the head flows in sense and motion to the members of the body. But sense and spiritual motion, which is by grace. Is not poured into us from Christ the Man, because, as Augustine says in the fifteenth book about the Trinity, nor also does Christ, according as he is Man, give the Holy Spirit, but only in so far as he is what, God,

[6:31] and therefore to him, according as he is Man, it does not belong to be the head of the what, Church. Moreover, of the head there does not seem to be another head, but of Christ, as he is Man, the head is God, according to that of one Corinthians eleven three, the head of Christ is God. Therefore, Christ himself is not a head. How can the head have a head?

[7:08] It's monstrous. Moreover, the head in man is a certain particular member receiving influence from the heart, but Christ is universal beginning of the whole Church. Therefore, he is not the head of the Church.

[7:37] But against this is what is said in Ephesians chapter one. He made him or gave him to be the head over the whole what, Church.

[7:51] So Thomas says I answer. It should be said that the whole Church is said to be one mystical body, by likeness to the natural body of man, which, according to its diverse members or parts, has diverse acts, as the Apostle teaches us in the Epistle to the Romans, and thus Christ is said to be the head of the Church by certain likeness of the human head,

[8:28] in which we are able to consider three things, to wit, order, perfection, and virtue. Order, because the head is the first part of man, starting from above,

[8:50] and hence it is that every beginning is customarily called a what, head. Of course, in Latin, the caput there is a word for what, chapter two, huh? That's my favorite book there. the Summa Contra Gentiles they're called Caput or Capitulum sometimes, although it's.

[9:13] Of course, in English we use the word "what" heading. The heading. According to that of Jeremiah two, to every head of the way, he laid down a what.

[9:29] What? Bravo. Is that what it is? Bravo. I looked up in Jeremiah two, but I don't know what this is about. What do you have in English there for that? Lupana. uh from Ezekiel. At every head of the way, thou hast set up a sign of thy prostitution. Yeah. That's he's probably criticizing Israel. That's yeah Okay. My English translation didn't quite fit this But the head of the way means, you know, the beginning of it, right?

[10:09] Sometimes we have an expression, "Oh, in the rivers, the headwaters." What does that mean? Yeah, yeah. So that's point one. Okay. So the idea of order, right? Order means before and after. What's first is called the head.

[10:30] The perfection, however, because in the head are what flourishing you might say, or vigorous. All the senses, both the interior senses and the exterior senses, huh? While in the other members of the body is only the sense of what touch. So smell, hearing, sight, and the interior senses, taste, huh?

[11:03] And hence it is said in Isaiah chapter nine: the old and the honorable one, he is the head." And virtue or power, because the power and motion of the other members and the governing of them in their acts is from the head, on account of the sensing power and the moving power dominating there. Whence the ruler is said to be the head of the people, right? According to that of one Kings chapter fifteen, when you were little in your eyes, you were made the head in the tribes of Israel.

[11:52] So these three things belong to Christ spiritually. For first, by his nearness to God, his grace is higher and before, although not in time, right? Because all receive grace with regard to what his grace, huh? According to that of Romans eight twenty nine, whom he foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born in many what brothers, huh?

[12:33] Secondly, as regards perfection, he has the fullness of all graces, according to that of John chapter one verse fourteen. We saw him full of grace and truth.

[12:48] And third, he has the power of pouring in grace on all members of the church. According to that of John one verse sixteen, of his fullness we have all what received, huh? And thus it is clear that suitably Christ is said to be the head of the church, huh?

[13:16] So three things there in that likeness, huh? Now, the first objection was saying to give grace belongs to what? Christ is God, not as man. But Thomas sees a distinction here, huh?

[13:38] To the first, therefore, it should be said that to give grace or the Holy Spirit belongs to Christ, according as he is God, authoritatively, right? Or as the original author, source. But instrumentally, it belongs to him, according as he is man, in so far as his humanity was a what? An instrument, a tool of his what? Divinity, right?

[14:14] And thus his actions from the power of his divinity were saving for us, right? Sufficientary, as causing grace in us both through his merit and through a certain what efficient power.

[14:40] Augustine denies Christ, according as he is man, to give the Holy Spirit by what? Yeah, and that's the idea of being the what original source of these things, huh? But instrumentally, and as ministers, which is a living instrument, even the other saints are said to give the Holy Spirit, according to that of Galatians chapter three, who rendered to you the Holy Spirit, etc.

[15:15] With the Pharisees there objecting to Christ forgiving this man's sin. Who does he think he is? Only God can forgive sins, right? But just like a priest now can forgive sins as an instrument of Christ, right? Before it's only Christ in his human nature could forgive sins as an instrument of his what divinity, huh?

[15:42] Now the second objection is saying, well, Christ has a head, which is yeah, Christ is man. So how can a head have a head, right? Well, Thomas is going to explain a little bit about speaking metaphorically.

[16:01] To the second, it should be said that in metaphorical speeches, one should not note a likeness as regards all things, because in this case there would not be a likeness, but the very truth of the things.

[16:17] Now, of the natural head, there is not another head, right? Why? Because the human body is not part of what? Another body, right? But the body, said in a way of likeness, that is somewhat ordered multitude, is a part of another multitude, huh?

[16:44] Just as the domestic multitude is a part of the what? I'm supposed to say the same thing in the army, there, right? Huh? The captain might be what? The head of his company, but the colonel is the head of the head, right? See, so it's not like Thomas is inventing this distinction, right? But you can see it in other things. And therefore, the paterfamilias huh? Who is the head of the domestic multitude?

[17:20] Has above himself as a head the ruler of the what? City, huh? Just got through reading Romeo and Juliet, right? You know, at the end there, you know, he calls together Montague and see what God has found means to punish you, you know, with your hate with the love of your children. So he's their head, right? Huh?

[17:43] You know, Mister Father Capulet was was the head of his daughter, there, right? And through in this way, nothing prevents the head of Christ to be God, when nevertheless he is the head of the what? Church, yeah.

[18:06] Interesting in Scripture, you know, the God is sometimes metaphorically called fire, and many reasons for that likeness, huh? Other times metaphorically is called what? Water, huh? You know, my soul is thirsting for God and so on, source of life. Yet in Greek philosophy, water and fire are seen as opposites because one is hot and dry, and the other is wet and moist, right? So how can he be, you know?

[18:35] Well, you don't understand what we do with metaphorical things, huh? Not supposed to be in every way like, right? If God was in every way like like fire or vice versa, and water, then you have a contradiction there, right? Okay, but he's assimilated one way to fire. Because of light and changing things and so on and subtlety and so on, and to water because of life and other things, huh?

[19:00] Okay. And likewise, you know, fire can be a metaphor for something bad in Scripture too, huh? Same like the lion, always pointing out the lion can be a metaphor for the devil going around, "Signal me, me devour." Forget the lion of the tribe of Judah, right? Is is good, so.

[19:31] Now the third objection was talking about the what? Heart, right? To third, therefore, it should be said that the head has a manifest eminence with respect to the what outside members, right? But the core has a hidden influence, huh? And therefore, to the heart is compared the what? Holy Spirit, huh? Who, in a invisible way, vivifies the church and unites it. But to the head is compared, Christ is compared to the head, according to his visible nature, right?

[20:19] By which a man is what put over other men, right? Referring to them. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is called the soul of the church too. Yeah, the other thirteenth says it's like calling the Holy Spirit, huh?

[20:42] Okay, now next article. Whether Christ is the head of men as regards their what bodies? I'm being obvious that he's obviously the head of them as their souls, right?

[21:08] To the second, one goes forward. Thus, it seems that Christ is not the head of men as regards their what body, huh? Tell that to these feminists, right?

[21:30] For Christ is said to be the head of the church, in so far as he pours in spiritual sense and the motion of grace in the church. But of this spiritual sense and motion, the body is not what capable. Therefore, he is not the head of men according to their what bodies, huh?

[21:57] Moreover, according to the bodies, we communicate or have in common with the brutes, huh? If therefore Christ were the head of men as he guards their bodies, he would follow that he was also the head of brute animals, huh? Which is doesn't fit inconvenient.

[22:24] Aristotle says in the first book of the Nicomachean Ethics that with the truth all things what fit, right? Harmony. So inconvenience doesn't fit means it's it's false, huh? Stronger than inconvenient in English.

[22:42] Moreover, Christ drew his body from what other men, right? As is seen in Luke three and Matthew one. Now those are two that have an account of the birth of Christ, huh? But the head is first among all the other members, right? Therefore, Christ is not the head of the church as regards the body, huh?

[23:11] But against this is what is said in Philippians three: He reformed the body of our what, humility, huh? Making it configured to the body of His what, clarity, huh?

[23:27] Not in terms of resurrection, this would seem to be involved here, huh? Thomas says the answer should be said that the human body has a natural order to the reasonable soul, right? Which is its own form and what mover,

[23:51] and in so far as it is the form of the body, the substantial form, or in so far as it is its form, it receives from the soul life and the other properties that are suitable to the human body according to its species, huh? And in so far as the soul is the mover of the body, the body serves the soul as a what instrument.

[24:26] Thus, therefore, it should be said that the humanity of Christ has the power of flowing in, right? In so far as it is joined to the Word of God, huh?

[24:45] To which the body is united through the soul, as has been said above, huh? Whence the whole humanity of Christ, according to its soul and body, flows into men as regards the what soul, and as regards what the body, but chiefly as regards the soul, right? In a secondary way, as regards the body, in one way, in so far as the what members of the body are put forward as arms of justice to the soul existing through Christ, as the Apostle says in Romans six thirteen, huh?

[25:40] In another way, in so far as the life of glory is derived from the soul to the what body, huh? According to that of Romans eight, who raised Jesus from the dead will vivify also our mortal bodies, huh? An account of the Spirit dwelling, His Spirit dwelling, in you.

[26:13] What is that about the the? Is it about the Eucharist sometimes that they have a thing there about the body as well as the soul, represented in some way in the in the two species in which you. We in our interview we have that sanctify, O Lord, our bodies with Your holy body, and purify our souls with Your forgiving blood. Yeah, now I see it elsewhere in Thomas and.

[26:43] That's kind of striking, right? I think it's rooted in this passage in Scripture in the Old Testament that was forbidding the eating of animals' blood because it's because the soul is in the blood. I mean, the life of the animals in its blood, so you shouldn't eat the life source of an animal. That's prohibition, but it's often used comparing Eucharist, to the species of Christ, The species of life for His soul.

[27:08] I know that one Psalm there is that one sixty-two. Oh God, you are my God, whom I seek. For you, my flesh pines, and my soul thirsts. Yeah, the body mentioned as well as the soul. Then later on, you speak of you know receiving this banquet, right? Which you sometimes apply to Eucharist, sometimes to the last state of man, huh?

[27:33] That's kind of in harmony with what he's saying there, right? Although it's one thing chiefly, right, and the other in a secondary way. So in one way, I suppose it's because the the body serves the soul in its operations, right? That it's going to be what ruled by Christ, right? And the other because it's going to what be glorified through the soul too.

[28:02] The glory of the soul will be derived down to the body. So he replied to the first objection. He says that the sense of spiritual grace does not arrive at the body first and what chiefly, but in second place and as what an instrument, huh?

[28:36] Now what about the body of those dog you are talking about there today? Well, the body of the brute animal has no relation to the rational soul, as does the what human body, right? And therefore, it's not really similar. huh It's not what the dog book said

[28:59] Yeah, the dog book says that they're intelligent. They think from some measure of free will. From some measure of free will. The third objection about Christ getting his body from all those people he's descended from. Although Christ drew the matter of his body from other men, right?

[29:29] Nevertheless, the immortal life of the body all men draw from Christ, according to that of one Corinthians fifteen. Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all are what vivified.

[29:50] Of course, Christ's what resurrection. We'll come back to that when we get to that point. Now, is Christ the head of all men, or is he? just the head of those who are in the church, huh? Maybe not even all of them.

[30:11] But Thomas is going to take the other side. To the third one goes forward. Thus, it seems that Christ is not the head of all. men.

[30:21] For the head does not have relation except to the members, right, of its body. But the unfaithful, the unbelievers, in no way are members of the church, which is the body of Christ.

[30:40] Therefore, Christ is not the head of what all men. If you're a branch cut off from the the vine, right, then, well then how can you be the head of that? It's not part of the body, right?

[31:02] Moreover, the apostle says, Ephesians five, verse twenty-five, twenty-seven, that Christ handed himself over for the church, that he might show to him a glorious church having no stain, right, or ruffle, or something of the sort. But there are many, even among the faithful, in whom is found what stain, huh, and the rust of sin. What's ruga there? Wrinkle, wrinkle. Wrinkle, wrinkle. That's yeah, wrinkle of sin. I've got a wrinkled soul.

[31:40] I didn't know that. Not only stain, but it's wrinkled. Got to be ironed out there. Therefore, neither would he be the head of of all the even all the faithful, right?

[32:02] Moreover, the sacraments of the old law are compared to Christ as shadows to a what body, as is said in Colossians two seventeen. But the fathers of the Old Testament, huh, served what those sacraments in their time, according to that Hebrews eight. The exemplar and shadows served what heavenly things. Therefore, it does not pertain to the body of Christ. huh? Therefore they do not pertain to the body of Christ.

[32:40] And thus, Christ is not the head of what all men, huh? But against this is what is said in one Timothy four, verse ten. The savior, he's the savior of all, and most of all of the what faithful, right? So it seems, in some ways of. These others, huh? And in the first Epistle John, chapter two, he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole what world, huh?

[33:20] But to save men to be a, what's the best way to translate in English? propitiator. Yeah expiator. Yeah, expiator. For the sins of them belongs to Christ according as he is head. Therefore, Christ is the head of all men. There's some question there in the words of the consecration, right? Just say all men. All men. Yeah, yeah. Pro vobis and pro multis

[33:55] I answer: It should be said that this is a difference between the natural body of a man and the mystical body of the what church, because the members or parts of the natural body are all simul together, huh? But the members of the mystical body are not all what together. Neither as regards what

[34:25] the being of nature, because the body of the church was constituted or is constituted for men who were from the beginning of the world to its end.

[34:40] So they're not all existing at the same time, right? Nor as regards what the being of grace, because of those also who are in one time, some lack grace that afterwards they are going to what have, But others already what have it, right? Thus, therefore, members of the mystical body are not only taken according as they are in act, but also as they are in what ability.

[35:19] But some are in ability which will never be reduced to act. Some are which what sometime will be reduced to act, according to this threefold grade, which one is through faith, the second through what charity of the way, and the third through the thoughtlier. Thus, therefore, it should be said that taking generally according to the whole what time of the world, Christ is the head of all men, but according to diverse grades.

[36:04] First and chiefly is the head. Of those who are united in act to him through what glory, and that's the church triumphant, I guess.

[36:18] Second, of those who enact united to him through charity, that could be the souls in purgatory, I suppose, and then people in this life who have charity. Third, of those who enact united to him through faith, but don't have maybe formed faith.

[36:43] Fourth, of those who are united to him, owning potency not yet reduced to act, which nevertheless is going to be reduced to act, right, according to divine what predestination.

[36:59] Fifth, of those who in ability, united to him, which will never be what reduced to act, as men in this world living who are not what predestined, them, who nevertheless receding from this world wholly cease to be members of Christ, and in no sense because the ability cannot be reduced to act anymore.

[37:27] Yeah, they're no longer what. Yeah, that's what Saint Thomas says in his commentary on the final judgment. Matthew says there are some who will have a sort of discussion or discerning merits and demerits, and others won't have it at all. Those are the ones who have never joined him. There's going to be no examination. They're just going to go straight to hell. Oh, they have nothing to do with Christ.

[37:55] Bang, that's it. So Thomas has what five grades here, right? Those who are united to him in glory, right, and those who are united to him what in charity but not in glory, and those who are united to him by what faith. Those who are not united to him by faith or charity but are going to be united to him, and then those who could be but will not be, and they're kind of the bottom.

[38:24] He said. Now the first one is talking about the unfaithful here, right? To the first, therefore, it should be said that those who are not believers, although in act they are not of the church, right, they are nevertheless in what ability,

[38:56] which ability is founded in two things: first and chiefly in the virtue of Christ, right, which is sufficient for the salvation of the whole of the human what race, huh? Thomas says in what? Ad Romanos? de vote, right? One drop is sufficient, right?

[39:21] Secondarily, in what? Free will, we say, right? But free judgment is the way the Latin says it. Custom. Now, what about the Church, the glorious Church, right? Not having a stain or a wrinkle. This is the ultimate end or goal to which we are led through the passion of Christ, huh? Whence this will be in the state of the fatherland, right? Not in the state of the road, huh?

[39:55] In which, if we say we do not have sin, we seduce ourselves. huh? As is said in one John, verse one. Okay, but there are nevertheless some, meaning sins, I guess, right? To wit, the mortal ones, which those who what? Lack, who are members of Christ through an actual union of charity, so they have venial sins, but not mortal sins, which should be contrary to charity.

[40:36] Whoever are subject to these sins, meaning mortal sins, I guess, right, are not members of Christ actually, but in ability, right? Except perhaps imperfectly through unformed faith, huh? As charity is a form of faith, as you know. What unites one to Christ secundum quid and non simpliciter So you tell something that you're united to Christ secundum quid and non simpliciter That distinction shows up a lot of places here, but I haven't used it yet in the confessional, though.

[41:18] Yeah, yeah. We're going to unite you simpliciter as a result of the confession. Through Christ, man might what attain the life of grace, huh? For faith without works is dead, as is said in James two.

[41:41] But these get from Christ a certain act of life, which is what to believe, just as if a dead member was moved in some way by what a man. So they moved a little bit. These people, right?

[42:01] Now the holy fathers did not insist upon the legal sacraments as it were some things, but as images and shadows of the what future things, huh?

[42:16] But the same thing is the motion in an image, in so far as it is an image, and in the thing, as is clear through the philosopher in the book of what memory reminiscence, huh?

[42:30] So you might have a picture of somebody, and you go from the picture to the what person of which it is a picture, right? And therefore the ancient fathers, in serving or observing the legal sacraments, were born towards Christ through faith and the same love by which we are also born towards Christ. And therefore the ancient fathers pertain to the same. Body of the church to which we pertain.

[43:07] Do you have the prophets there in the Te Deum, right? Apostles and the prophets and so on. Want to take a break now, or go on to the?