cted on His body, which, however, prevailed over His body only
so far as He willed it.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 47, Art. 2]

Whether Christ Died Out of Obedience?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did not die out of obedience.
For obedience is referred to a command. But we do not read that
Christ was commanded to suffer. Therefore He did not suffer out of
obedience.

Obj. 2: Further, a man is said to do from obedience what he does from
necessity of precept. But Christ did not suffer necessarily, but
voluntarily. Therefore He did not suffer out of obedience.

Obj. 3: Further, charity is a more excellent virtue than obedience.
But we read that Christ suffered out of charity, according to Eph.
5:2: "Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and delivered
Himself up for us." Therefore Christ's Passion ought to be ascribed
rather to charity than to obedience.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Phil. 2:8): "He became obedient" to
the Father "unto death."

_I answer that,_ It was befitting that Christ should suffer out of
obedience. First of all, because it was in keeping with human
justification, that "as by the disobedience of one man, many were
made sinners: so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made
just," as is written Rom. 5:19. Secondly, it was suitable for
reconciling man with God: hence it is written (Rom. 5:10): "We are
reconciled to God by the death of His Son," in so far as Christ's
death was a most acceptable sacrifice to God, according to Eph. 5:2:
"He delivered Himself for us an oblation and a sacrifice to God for
an odor of sweetness." Now obedience is preferred to all sacrifices.
according to 1 Kings 15:22: "Obedience is better than sacrifices."
Therefore it was fitting that the sacrifice of Christ's Passion and
death should proceed from obedience. Thirdly, it was in keeping with
His victory whereby He triumphed over death and its author; because a
soldier cannot conquer unless he obey his captain. And so the
Man-Christ secured the victory through being obedient to God,
according to Prov. 21:28: "An obedient man shall speak of victory."

Reply Obj. 1: Christ received a command from the Father to suffer.
For it is written (John 10:18): "I have power to lay down My life,
and I have power to take it up again: (and) this commandment have I
received of My Father"--namely, of laying down His life and of
resuming it again. "From which," as Chrysostom says (Hom. lix i