130. Christ's Ascension: Power, Place, and Salvation

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Ascension as Suitable and Fitting: Thomas argues the ascension was appropriate because Christ’s glorified, incorruptible body required a celestial place proportionate to its condition, unlike his mortal earthly existence
• Divine and Human Natures in the Ascension: The ascension belongs to Christ according to both his divine nature (as the cause of motion through divine power) and his human nature (as the subject undergoing the motion)
• The Power of the Glorified Body: Through the complete obedience of the soul to the spirit, the glorified body possesses the power to move upward, contrary to natural earthly bodies
• Ascension Above All Heavens and Creatures: Christ’s body transcends not only the physical heavens but also all spiritual creatures (angels) in dignity and place through the dignity of hypostatic union
• Causality of the Ascension for Salvation: The ascension functions as an efficient cause of salvation by moving faith, hope, and charity; and as a preparatory cause opening the way to heaven

Key Arguments #

Against the Suitability of Ascension #

• Argument from Motion: Perfect beings possess their good without motion; therefore Christ, being perfect, should not require motion
• Argument from Nature: Earthly bodies naturally move downward; upward motion contradicts the nature of Christ’s body
• Argument from Divine Power: If divine power is infinite, motion should be instantaneous, yet the disciples saw Christ ascending gradually
• Argument from Mark 16 and Acts 1: Christ was “assumed to heaven” and “elevated by clouds,” suggesting motion by another power rather than his own

Thomas’s Responses #

• Place Proportionality: Glorified, incorruptible bodies require celestial places; the ascension is fitting, not contrary to perfection, as the body must be positioned according to its elevated condition
• Glorified Body’s Nature: The glorified body, through the soul’s complete obedience to the spirit, possesses the power to move upward; this is not violent but natural to its glorified state
• Divine Will and Disposition: Infinite divine power operates according to the divine will’s disposition, not necessarily instantaneously; the body’s capacity limits the effect’s reception
• Two-Fold Power of Christ’s Human Nature: Christ ascended by (1) the power of his divine nature (principal cause), and (2) the power of his glorified soul moving the body as it wills (instrumental cause)
• Same Power of Father and Son: Christ ascended by his own power while also being elevated by the Father, because there is one power shared between them

Regarding Motion Against Nature #

• Distinction of States: What is against the nature of a body in the state of mortality (upward motion) is not violent or against nature for a glorified body, whose entire nature is subject to the spirit
• Obedience of Body to Soul: In the glorified state, the body obeys the soul’s will completely, so wherever the spirit wills, there the body is immediately present

Regarding Ascension Above All Creatures #

• Dignity Argument: Although Christ’s body is naturally below spiritual creatures, his personal union with the divine nature gives it supreme dignity, warranting the highest place
• Common Principle: To more noble things is owed a higher place, whether by bodily contact (for bodies) or spiritual contact (for spiritual substances)
• Distinction of Natures: The body’s natural inferiority to spirits is overcome by the dignity of the hypostatic union; the ascension belongs to Christ according to the ratio (reason/dignity) of the union to the divine person, not according to bodily nature alone

On the Causality of Ascension for Salvation #

• Efficient Cause on Our Side: The ascension moves us toward Christ by increasing (1) faith through his absence making him more truly God than earthly man, (2) hope through the promise of heaven, (3) charity through celestial focus, and (4) reverence by no longer estimating him as merely an earthly man
• Efficient Cause on His Side: The ascension (1) prepares a way for us to heaven, (2) establishes Christ as high priest interceding for us, and (3) enables him to send divine gifts from his seat of power
• Not a Cause by Merit: The ascension is a cause of salvation by efficient causality, not by merit (as is the passion); the passion removes obstacles to salvation through merit, while the ascension directly opens the way
• The Head-Members Principle: As the head must be joined to the body, so where Christ as head has preceded, the members (the faithful) must follow

Important Definitions #

• Glorified Body (Corpus Glorificatum): A body that has achieved immortality and incorruptibility through resurrection; possesses the power of motion through the obedience of the soul to the spirit’s will; not subject to natural limitations of earthly bodies
• Quinta Essentia (Fifth Essence): According to some philosophical interpretations, a celestial element that, when predominant in a glorified body, would naturally incline that body upward (contrasted with the elementary nature that dominates mortal bodies and inclines them downward)
• Hypostatic Union: The personal union of Christ’s human nature with the divine nature in one person; grounds the unique dignity that elevates even Christ’s body above all creatures, including spiritual ones
• Effective Cause (Causa Efficiens): The power that brings about an effect; the ascension functions as an efficient cause by moving the will toward faith, hope, and charity, and by opening the path to heaven
• Secundum quod (According to which): Can designate either the condition of the one ascending or the cause of the ascension; critical for understanding how the ascension belongs to Christ according to both natures
• Redundancy or Overflow (Redundantia): The overflow of glory from the blessed soul into the glorified body, giving the body its glorified properties

Examples & Illustrations #

• Elijah’s Ascension: Contrasted with Christ’s ascension; Elijah required a chariot (external aid), while Christ ascended by his own power, demonstrating his divinity and superiority
• High Priest in the Old Testament: Just as the high priest entered the sanctuary to intercede, Christ entered heaven to intercede for us in his glorified humanity
• The Cloud as Sign: The cloud receiving Christ from the disciples’ sight represents the glory of God (as in the cloud over the tabernacle), not a vehicle of transport; parallel to the transfiguration
• Guardian Angel in the Snow: Anecdote about a guardian angel protecting someone from harm on icy roads, illustrating the application of spiritual power to bodily situations
• Head and Members: The principle that where the body is (referring to where Christ is), the eagles (referring to the faithful) shall be gathered; extended to mean where the head proceeds, the members must follow
• Paul’s Vision of Christ (Acts 9): After the ascension, Christ appeared bodily to Paul, proving the truth of the resurrection and showing that Christ can appear bodily on earth even from heaven through divine power

Notable Quotes #

• “Christ ascended into heaven by his own power, first by his divine power, secondly, by virtue of the soul glorified, moving the body as it wishes.”
• “Who made all things was born above all by his own power” (Gregory, Homily on the Ascension)
• “It is expedient for you that I go” (John 16:7) — Christ’s statement that his ascension benefits the faithful more than his bodily presence
• “Where the spirit wills, there the body is immediately” (Augustine) — describing the obedience of the glorified body to the soul
• “Ascending on high, he led captivity captive” (Psalm 67) — Christ brought the captives of the devil with him to heaven
• “He ascended above all the heavens that he might fill all things with his gifts” (Ephesians 4, as interpreted)

Questions Addressed #

Was the Ascension Suitable? #

• Resolution: Yes. Glorified, incorruptible bodies require celestial places proportionate to their condition. The ascension was fitting and necessary to prove the resurrection and establish Christ’s authority.

Did Christ Ascend by His Own Power? #

• Resolution: Yes, through both his divine power (as principal cause) and the power of his glorified soul (which moves the body as it wills as instrumental cause). The Father is also said to have elevated him because the power of Father and Son is one and the same, so it is not contrary to his own power.

Did Christ Ascend Above All Heavens? #

• Resolution: Yes. Although a glorified body’s natural capacity does not allow it to be above all heavens by its own bodily nature, through the blessing of the soul from which it receives glory, the body of Christ ascends above all heavens. The motion is not violent because the body is entirely subject to the glorified soul.

Did Christ Ascend Above Every Spiritual Creature? #

• Resolution: Yes. Although Christ’s body is naturally below spiritual creatures, his personal union with the divine nature gives it supreme dignity. To more noble things is owed a higher place, whether by bodily contact (for bodies) or spiritual contact (for spiritual substances). The ascension belongs to Christ according to the dignity of the union, not merely according to bodily nature.

Is the Ascension a Cause of Our Salvation? #

• Resolution: Yes, in two ways: (1) On our side, by moving faith (his absence proves him truly God, not merely man), hope (through the promise of heaven), charity (through celestial focus), and reverence (knowing him as God, not earthly man); (2) On his side, by preparing the way to heaven, interceding for us as high priest, and sending divine gifts from his seat of power. It is an efficient cause, not a meritorious cause (unlike the passion).