e Christ's Passion was not only a
sufficient but a superabundant atonement for the sins of the human
race; according to 1 John 2:2: "He is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

Reply Obj. 1: The head and members are as one mystic person; and
therefore Christ's satisfaction belongs to all the faithful as being
His members. Also, in so far as any two men are one in charity, the
one can atone for the other as shall be shown later (Suppl., Q. 13,
A. 2). But the same reason does not hold good of confession and
contrition, because atonement consists in an outward action, for
which helps may be used, among which friends are to be computed.

Reply Obj. 2: Christ's love was greater than His slayers' malice: and
therefore the value of His Passion in atoning surpassed the murderous
guilt of those who crucified Him: so much so that Christ's suffering
was sufficient and superabundant atonement for His murderer's crime.

Reply Obj. 3: The dignity of Christ's flesh is not to be estimated
solely from the nature of flesh, but also from the Person assuming
it--namely, inasmuch as it was God's flesh, the result of which was
that it was of infinite worth.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 48, Art. 3]

Whether Christ's Passion Operated by Way of Sacrifice?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's Passion did not operate by
way of sacrifice. For the truth should correspond with the figure.
But human flesh was never offered up in the sacrifices of the Old
Law, which were figures of Christ: nay, such sacrifices were reputed
as impious, according to Ps. 105:38: "And they shed innocent blood:
the blood of their sons and of their daughters, which they sacrificed
to the idols of Chanaan." It seems therefore that Christ's Passion
cannot be called a sacrifice.

Obj. 2: Further, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei x) that "a visible
sacrifice is a sacrament--that is, a sacred sign--of an invisible
sacrifice." Now Christ's Passion is not a sign, but rather the thing
signified by other signs. Therefore it seems that Christ's Passion is
not a sacrifice.

Obj. 3: Further, whoever offers sacrifice performs some sacred rite,
as the very word "sacrifice" shows. But those men who slew Christ did
not perform any sacred act, but rather wrought a great wrong.
Therefore Christ's Passion was rather a malefice than a sacrifice.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Eph. 5:2): "He delivered