ng and the price paid. For if in
redeeming something a man pays a price which is not his own, but
another's, he is not said to be the chief redeemer, but rather the
other is, whose price it is. Now Christ's blood or His bodily life,
which "is in the blood," is the price of our redemption (Lev. 17:11,
14), and that life He paid. Hence both of these belong immediately to
Christ as man; but to the Trinity as to the first and remote cause,
to whom Christ's life belonged as to its first author, and from whom
Christ received the inspiration of suffering for us. Consequently it
is proper to Christ as man to be the Redeemer immediately; although
the redemption may be ascribed to the whole Trinity as its first
cause.

Reply Obj. 1: A gloss explains the text thus: "Thou, O Lord God of
Truth, hast redeemed me in Christ, crying out, 'Lord, into Thy hands
I commend my spirit.'" And so redemption belongs immediately to the
Man-Christ, but principally to God.

Reply Obj. 2: The Man-Christ paid the price of our redemption
immediately, but at the command of the Father as the original author.

Reply Obj. 3: The sufferings of the saints are beneficial to the
Church, as by way, not of redemption, but of example and exhortation,
according to 2 Cor. 1:6: "Whether we be in tribulation, it is for
your exhortation and salvation."
_______________________

SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 48, Art. 6]

Whether Christ's Passion Brought About Our Salvation Efficiently?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's Passion did not bring about
our salvation efficiently. For the efficient cause of our salvation
is the greatness of the Divine power, according to Isa. 59:1: "Behold
the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save." But
"Christ was crucified through weakness," as it is written (2 Cor.
13:4). Therefore, Christ's Passion did not bring about our salvation
efficiently.

Obj. 2: Further, no corporeal agency acts efficiently except by
contact: hence even Christ cleansed the leper by touching him "in
order to show that His flesh had saving power," as Chrysostom
[*Theophylact, Enarr. in Luc.] says. But Christ's Passion could not
touch all mankind. Therefore it could not efficiently bring about the
salvation of all men.

Obj. 3: Further, it does not seem to be consistent for the same agent
to operate by way of merit and by way of efficiency, since he who
merits awaits the result from someone else. But it was by way of
merit that Christ's Pa