Sect. 199The Various States of Christ’s Life in GeneralThe Various States of Christ’s Life in General
I. Christ, being in the form of God (Phil. 2:6), had the right and the power to appear, even in His humanity, as “equal to God,” viz. with the Divine power and glory which He now enjoys sitting at the right hand of the Father. But His mission to man for the service of God made it necessary for Him “to suffer, and so to enter into His glory” (Luke 24:26); as for Him, “the author of salvation,” to be made perfect “by His passion” (Heb. 2:10); as Head and Mediator of mankind, He had to be made like unto His members and His clients (Heb. 2:10; 5:7 sqq.; 7:27, 28). Hence Christ adopted a life similar, in its successive stages, to the life of man here below.
II. The Apostles’ Creed divides the life of Christ into three stages. First, the stage of abasement: “Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and dead.” Second, the stage of transition: “Was buried, and descended into hell.” Third, the stage of exaltation: “He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father.” The opposition between the states of abasement and of exaltation is a favourite theme of St. Paul’s (1 Cor. 15; Phil. 2; cf. Heb. 1 and 2; also Ps. 2, 21, and 109).
I. Christ, being in the form of God (Phil. 2:6), had the right and the power to appear, even in His humanity, as “equal to God,” viz. with the Divine power and glory which He now enjoys sitting at the right hand of the Father. But His mission to man for the service of God made it necessary for Him “to suffer, and so to enter into His glory” (Luke 24:26); as for Him, “the author of salvation,” to be made perfect “by His passion” (Heb. 2:10); as Head and Mediator of mankind, He had to be made like unto His members and His clients (Heb. 2:10; 5:7 sqq.; 7:27, 28). Hence Christ adopted a life similar, in its successive stages, to the life of man here below.
II. The Apostles’ Creed divides the life of Christ into three stages. First, the stage of abasement: “Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and dead.” Second, the stage of transition: “Was buried, and descended into hell.” Third, the stage of exaltation: “He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father.” The opposition between the states of abasement and of exaltation is a favourite theme of St. Paul’s (1 Cor. 15; Phil. 2; cf. Heb. 1 and 2; also Ps. 2, 21, and 109).
Seção 67% da obra, de A Manual of Catholic Theology (Wilhelm & Scannell, sobre a Dogmatik de Scheeben). Ver o original.