hath
given Him a name which is above all names"--that is to say, so that
He shall be hailed as God by all; and all shall pay Him homage as
God. And this is expressed in what follows: "That in the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth." Fourthly, as to His judiciary power: for it is
written (Job 36:17): "Thy cause hath been judged as that of the
wicked cause and judgment Thou shalt recover."

Reply Obj. 1: The source of meriting comes of the soul, while the
body is the instrument of the meritorious work. And consequently the
perfection of Christ's soul, which was the source of meriting, ought
not to be acquired in Him by merit, like the perfection of the body,
which was the subject of suffering, and was thereby the instrument of
His merit.

Reply Obj. 2: Christ by His previous merits did merit exaltation on
behalf of His soul, whose will was animated with charity and the
other virtues; but in the Passion He merited His exaltation by way of
recompense even on behalf of His body: since it is only just that the
body, which from charity was subjected to the Passion, should receive
recompense in glory.

Reply Obj. 3: It was owing to a special dispensation in Christ that
before the Passion the glory of His soul did not shine out in His
body, in order that He might procure His bodily glory with greater
honor, when He had merited it by His Passion. But it was not
beseeming for the glory of His soul to be postponed, since the soul
was united immediately with the Word; hence it was beseeming that its
glory should be filled by the Word Himself. But the body was united
with the Word through the soul.
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QUESTION 50

OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST

We have now to consider the death of Christ; concerning which there
are six subjects of inquiry:

(1) Whether it was fitting that Christ should die?

(2) Whether His death severed the union of Godhead and flesh?

(3) Whether His Godhead was separated from His soul?

(4) Whether Christ was a man during the three days of His death?

(5) Whether His was the same body, living and dead?

(6) Whether His death conduced in any way to our salvation?
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FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 50, Art. 1]

Whether It Was Fitting That Christ Should Die?

Objection 1: It would seem that it was not fitting that Christ should
die. For a first principle in any order is not affected by anything
contrary to