12. Explicit Faith in Christ and the Trinity: Necessity for Salvation

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Necessity of Explicit Faith in Christ’s Mystery #

• Thomas teaches that the mystery of the incarnation, passion, and resurrection of Christ must be believed by all in some way, but diversely according to times and persons
• The path to beatitude passes through Christ; no other name is given for salvation (Acts 4:12)
• Before Adam’s sin: explicit faith in incarnation but not in passion/resurrection (since sin had not yet occurred)
• After sin: explicit faith required in both incarnation AND passion/resurrection, since human redemption depends on these
• After Christ’s coming and the time of grace: all are held to explicit faith in the mysteries of Christ, especially those publicly celebrated in the Church (e.g., the articles on divinity and incarnation)

Prefigurement and Veiled Knowledge in the Old Law #

• The sacrifices of the Old Testament prefigured Christ’s passion explicitly
• The greater ones among the ancients knew these things explicitly
• The lesser ones knew them “under a veil,” believing divine things were disposed regarding Christ’s coming
• As one draws nearer to Christ in history, knowledge becomes more distinct and explicit

The Trinity Before and After Christ #

• Before Christ’s advent, faith in the Trinity was hidden in the faith of the “ancient ones” (maiores)
• Through Christ, the Trinity was manifested and made known to the world and apostles
• The object of beatitude—God’s supreme goodness (bonum summum)—can be understood without explicit knowledge of the Trinity of persons
• But according as God is understood in Himself as seen by the blessed, the Trinity of persons cannot be understood without it
• The missions of the divine persons (especially the Son’s incarnation and the Spirit’s role) lead to beatitude

Necessity of Trinitarian Faith After Christ #

• Since Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and assumed flesh to renovate the world through grace, explicit faith in the Trinity became necessary
• All who are reborn in Christ achieve this through invocation of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19—baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
• This applies to “all who are reborn in Christ,” not necessarily to those outside the Church who may have implicit faith through divine providence

Key Arguments #

Article 7: Necessity of Explicit Faith in Christ #

Objections:

• The angels were ignorant of the mystery of the incarnation (Psalm 24: “Who is this king of glory?”; Isaiah 63)
• Therefore, men are not held to explicit faith in what even angels did not know
• John the Baptist, the greatest among those born of woman, seemed ignorant of Christ, asking “Are you the one to come, or do we expect another?” (Matthew 11)
• Therefore, even the greatest are not held to explicit faith in Christ
• Gentiles obtained salvation through angelic ministry without explicit or implicit faith in Christ (Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy)

Thomas’s Response:

• The mystery of Christ must be believed by all in some way (per aliquem modum), but differently according to times and persons
• The way of coming to beatitude is through the mystery of the incarnation and passion of Christ
• Diversity occurs according to the progression of revealed truth and the state of the person

Article 8: Necessity of Explicit Faith in the Trinity #

Objection:

• Hebrews 11:6 requires belief that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him
• This can be believed without faith in the Trinity
• Therefore, explicit Trinitarian faith is not necessary for all

Thomas’s Response (elegantly concise):

• Two things are necessary explicitly for God in all times and regard to all people, but this is not sufficient for every time and for all
• The highest goodness of God can be understood according to the mode of our knowledge from effects without the Trinity
• But as understood in itself, as seen by the blessed, it cannot be understood without the Trinity of persons

The Role of Divine Revelation #

• Human reason is not the rule of faith; divine truth is
• Those who fail to attain explicit faith through lack of revelation may have implicit faith in divine providence, believing God is the liberator of men according to common ways (per communes vias)
• If someone has not received revelation of Christ, they are saved not without faith in the mediator, but through implicit faith in divine providence

Important Definitions #

• Explicit Faith: Direct, conscious belief in specific mysteries (e.g., Christ’s incarnation, the Trinity)
• Implicit Faith: Belief in divine providence and God’s providence for human salvation, without knowledge of specific revealed mysteries
• The Mystery of Christ (mysterium Christi): The incarnation, passion, and resurrection by which the human race is freed from sin and death
• Beatitude (beatitudo): The ultimate end and happiness of human beings, achieved through knowing and seeing God
• Bonum Summum: The supreme good, God’s highest goodness
• Per Aliquem Modum: “In some way”—indicating the necessity of faith in Christ’s mystery exists for all, but is specified differently according to circumstances

Examples & Illustrations #

John the Baptist’s Knowledge #

• John explicitly confessed Jesus as “the Son of God” (John 1:34)
• He explicitly foretold Christ’s passion: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)
• His question from prison was not from doubt or ignorance, but:
  • From piety (Ambrose’s view)
  • To provide instruction for his disciples (Chrysostom’s view)
  • Or concerning the descent to hell, which he desired to see (Gregory’s view—John desired to understand how the passion would extend to those in limbo)
• Therefore, John was not ignorant of Christ’s coming in the flesh or His passion

The Gentiles and Divine Revelation #

• Job 19:25: “I know that my Redeemer lives”
• The Sibyls pronounced things about Christ (Augustine)
• A sepulcher found in Roman times during Constantine and Irene bore an inscription: “Christ born from the Virgin, and I believe in Him. Oh soul, by the times of Irene and Constantine, again I will see [him]”
• These examples show that some revelation was made to Gentiles, either directly or through various means

The Personal Example of Implicit Faith #

• Berquist illustrates the principle: those to whom explicit revelation has not been made but who believe in God as liberator through divine providence have implicit faith sufficient for salvation

Questions Addressed #

Q: Must all people explicitly believe in Christ’s mystery? A: All must believe in some way, but the manner varies: before sin, only the incarnation was required explicitly; after sin, the passion and resurrection too; and after Christ’s time, all Christians must have explicit faith in the mysteries celebrated by the Church.

Q: Are the angels held to explicit faith in the incarnation? A: The angels were not entirely ignorant; some reasons of the mystery were revealed to them, though not perfectly until Christ Himself revealed them.

Q: Did John the Baptist know Christ? A: Yes, explicitly. His question from prison was not from doubt but from piety or to instruct his disciples, or concerning knowledge of the descent to hell.

Q: Can Gentiles be saved without explicit faith in Christ? A: Yes, if they have implicit faith through belief in divine providence and God as liberator, when explicit revelation has not been made to them.

Q: Is explicit faith in the Trinity necessary for all? A: Those things pertaining to God’s existence and nature of rewarder are necessary for all explicitly. But explicit Trinitarian faith is necessary especially after Christ’s revelation, when all the reborn in Christ invoke the Trinity in baptism.

Structure of Thomas’s Argument #

Thomas employs a methodical progression:

1. Question posed: Is explicit faith in Christ/Trinity necessary for all for salvation?
2. Objections: Three or more scriptural or patristic arguments suggesting it is not
3. Authority cited: A passage from Scripture or patristic teaching affirming the necessity
4. Answer: Distinguishes between different times and persons; employs the principle of progressive revelation
5. Replies to objections: Resolves each objection by clarifying what implicit faith means, what the figures in question actually knew, etc.

This structure reflects Berquist’s observation that Thomas “begins here with the mystery of Christ rather than the mystery of the Trinity,” since explicit faith in Christ’s incarnation and passion is the historical foundation upon which knowledge of the Trinity unfolds.