25. Virtues, Gifts, and Grace in Christ

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Virtues in Christ #

• All virtues present: Christ possessed all virtues in their fullness—both moral virtues (temperance, courage, liberality, magnificence) and intellectual virtues
• Relationship to grace: Just as grace resides in the essence of the soul, virtues reside in the powers of the soul; grace naturally produces virtues in the powers, similar to how the soul’s essence naturally produces its powers
• Objections and responses: Some objected that grace alone suffices for right action, and that Christ need not possess virtue. Thomas responds that grace and virtue work together—grace is sufficient but works through virtue as its instrument

The Problem of Temperance Without Base Desires #

• Apparent objection: Temperance and continence concern base desires; Christ had no base desires; therefore he could not have these virtues
• Thomas’s resolution: Temperance is actually more perfect in one who lacks base desires entirely than in one who struggles against them. Continence (struggling against desires) is not a virtue but something less than virtue. The truly temperate person simply does not have base desires to resist
• Key distinction: Aristotle in Book 7 of the Ethics distinguishes virtues from continence/incontinence (which fall between virtue and vice)

Faith in Christ (Article 3) #

• Conclusion: Christ did not have faith
• Definition of faith: Faith is assent to things not seen; it involves belief regarding what one does not perceive
• Why absent in Christ: Christ possessed the beatific vision from the first instant of conception, seeing God fully through his essence. Therefore, faith—which requires assent to unseen things—could not exist in him
• Objections addressed:
  • Faith is more noble than moral virtues, yet Christ had moral virtues. Response: Faith is more noble regarding its object (divine things unseen) but implies a defect (not seeing) that is incompatible with Christ’s state
  • Christ taught faith. Response: The merit of faith consists in obedience to God regarding unseen things. Christ perfectly exemplified obedience but did not need faith itself
  • Psalm text on faith: The gloss distinguishes “faith of words and hope” (faith of things not seen) from “faith of vision” (improperly called faith, referring to certitude and firmness of adherence)

Hope in Christ (Article 4) #

• Conclusion: Christ did not have hope as a theological virtue, though some qualified sense of hope regarding things not yet obtained may apply
• Definition of hope: Hope is expectation of future goods not yet possessed; as a theological virtue, it properly concerns future enjoyment of God
• Why absent as theological virtue: Christ possessed full divine enjoyment from conception in the beatific vision. Since he already possessed the chief object of hope (enjoyment of God), he could not have hope in the proper sense
• Qualified sense: Christ could have hoped regarding things he had not yet obtained in his human nature (e.g., bodily glory, resurrection). However, this is not strictly theological hope
• Distinguished from beatific vision: The glory of the body does not belong to beatitude as that in which beatitude chiefly consists, but as an overflow from the glory of the soul

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Article 5) #

• Definition: The gifts are perfections of the soul’s powers by which they are apt to be moved by the Holy Spirit—distinct from virtues, which operate more through human agency
• Christ possessed all seven gifts: Since Christ’s soul was most perfectly moved by the Holy Spirit (“full of the Holy Spirit” from Luke 4), he possessed the gifts in supreme measure
• Distinction from virtues: Virtues incline one to act in a human way; gifts perfect the powers according to divine movement. This represents a higher mode of operation
• Objections addressed:
  • Perfect virtues need no external aid. Response: Even perfect creatures need aid from a higher nature; virtues need perfection through gifts which move the powers according to the Holy Spirit
  • Christ gives gifts; he doesn’t receive them. Response: Christ gives according to his divine nature and receives according to his human nature (distinction between natures)
  • Some gifts pertain to contemplation of the road; Christ saw the Father. Response: Even in the fatherland (heaven), the gifts exist in some way; Christ possesses knowledge of both the road and the fatherland

Key Arguments #

For Virtues in Christ #

1. Grace resides in the essence of the soul; virtues reside in the powers of the soul
2. The soul’s essence naturally produces its powers; grace naturally produces virtues in the powers
3. Since Christ had perfect grace, he necessarily had all virtues in fullness
4. The more perfect the cause, the more its effects flow forth; Christ’s grace was most perfect, so virtues extended to perfecting all powers of the soul

Against Faith in Christ #

1. Faith is of things not seen (assent to unseen matters)
2. Christ saw God fully through the beatific vision from conception
3. Therefore, the proper object of faith was not absent to Christ
4. Therefore, faith could not exist in him (not a deficiency but a sign of superior state)

Against Hope in Christ (As Theological Virtue) #

1. Hope properly expects future goods not yet possessed
2. Christ possessed full enjoyment of God from conception
3. Therefore, he did not have hope regarding the chief object of theological hope
4. However, he could hope regarding secondary goods not yet obtained

For Gifts in Christ #

1. The gifts are perfections by which the soul is moved by the Holy Spirit
2. Christ’s soul was most perfectly moved by the Holy Spirit
3. Therefore, Christ possessed all gifts in supreme measure
4. This does not contradict his beatific vision; the gifts represent a higher mode of operation

Important Definitions #

• Virtue (virtus): A habit perfecting a power of the soul to enable good action; can be moral (in appetitive powers) or intellectual (in rational powers)
• Grace: Residing in the essence of the soul, grace makes it pleasing to God and is the source from which virtues flow into the powers
• Faith (fides): Assent to things not seen; conviction regarding what is not visible or present
• Hope (spes): Expectation of future goods not yet possessed; as a theological virtue, primarily concerns future enjoyment of God
• Gift (donum): A perfection of the soul’s powers by which they are apt to be moved by the Holy Spirit; distinct from virtue in that it represents divine movement rather than human agency
• Beatific Vision (visio beatifica): Direct knowledge of God through his essence, constituting the essence of beatitude; present in Christ from conception
• Continence (continentia): Resistance to base desires through reason; not a virtue but something less than virtue, distinguished from temperance
• Heroic Virtue: Virtue exceeding the common human measure, attributed to divine men; related to the gifts and supernatural mode of operation

Examples & Illustrations #

Grace and Virtue Analogy #

Berquist explains: “Just as being two naturally produces being half of four… so if you have grace, you’re going to have virtues.” Grace in the soul naturally generates virtues in the powers, just as the essence of the soul naturally produces its powers.

Money and Grace #

A homeroom teacher tells students “money isn’t everything,” and a student replies “well, what it is, it’ll buy.” Similarly, “grace isn’t everything, but what it isn’t, it will produce—namely the virtues.”

Temperance Without Desire #

The truly temperate person does not possess the virtue temperance by struggling against base desires (continence), but by lacking such desires altogether. Christ, having no base desires, possessed temperance in its most perfect form.

Teacher and Knowledge #

Christ did not use the gift of tongues because he preached only to the Jews. Yet he possessed knowledge of all languages because nothing was hidden from him. The gift was not used because circumstances did not require it, not because he lacked it. This illustrates how the use of a gift differs from its possession.

Notable Quotes #

“Just as the powers of the soul are derived from its essence… so the virtues are certain things derived from grace.” — Thomas Aquinas, on the relationship between grace and virtue

“The more perfect a beginning or cause is, the more it presses upon things, its effects. Whence, since the grace of Christ was most perfect, it follows that from it there went forth virtues to perfecting each of the powers of the soul.” — Thomas Aquinas, explaining Christ’s fullness of virtue

“Faith is of things not seen… But Christ, in the first instant of his conception, saw God fully through his essence… Whence faith in him could not be.” — Thomas Aquinas, on the absence of faith in Christ

“Although [Christ] did not have faith with respect to anything… Nevertheless, he did not fully have all the things which pertain to his affection as a man… Because he didn’t yet have the immortality and the glory of his body which he would be able to hope.” — Thomas Aquinas, on the qualified sense of hope in Christ

“The gifts are properly certain perfections of the powers of the soul by which they’re apt to be moved by the Holy Spirit.” — Thomas Aquinas, defining the gifts of the Holy Spirit

“It is manifest, however, that the soul of Christ most perfectly was moved by the Holy Spirit… According to that of Luke chapter 4, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, came up from the Jordan.” — Thomas Aquinas, establishing Christ’s possession of the gifts

Questions Addressed #

Q1: Did Christ possess all virtues? #

A: Yes. Since grace in the soul naturally produces virtues in the powers of the soul, and Christ had most perfect grace, he possessed all virtues in their fullness—both moral and intellectual virtues.

Q2: Could Christ have had temperance and continence if he lacked base desires? #

A: Christ had temperance in its most perfect form because he lacked base desires entirely. He did not have continence, which is not a virtue but something less than virtue (struggle against bad desires). True temperance does not require internal struggle against base desires; it is more perfect in their complete absence.

Q3: Did Christ have faith? #

A: No. Faith requires assent to things unseen. Christ possessed the beatific vision from conception, seeing God fully through his essence. Therefore, the defect proper to faith (not seeing) was incompatible with his state. This absence does not diminish his perfection but demonstrates his superior state.

Q4: Did Christ have hope as a theological virtue? #

A: No, not strictly. Theological hope properly concerns future enjoyment of God, which Christ already possessed from conception. However, Christ could be said to have hoped regarding secondary goods not yet obtained in his human nature (e.g., bodily glory), though this is not strictly theological hope.

Q5: Did Christ possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit? #

A: Yes. The gifts are perfections of the soul’s powers by which they are moved by the Holy Spirit. Christ’s soul was most perfectly moved by the Holy Spirit, so he possessed all seven gifts in supreme measure. This is consistent with his beatific vision and represents a higher mode of operation than virtue.

Distinctions #

Grace and Virtue #

• Grace: Resides in the essence of the soul; makes the soul pleasing to God; the source and cause
• Virtue: Resides in the powers of the soul; perfects the powers for good action; the effects flowing from grace

Virtue and Gift #

• Virtue: Habit by which one acts in a human way; operates through human agency and reason
• Gift: Perfection by which one is moved by the Holy Spirit; operates through divine agency and suprahuman mode

Faith and Hope (Why Absent in Christ) #

• Faith: Requires assent to things not seen; implies defect of not seeing; incompatible with beatific vision
• Hope: Requires expectation of future goods not possessed; implies defect of not having; incompatible with full present enjoyment of God
• Both involve defects relative to their objects that Christ does not have

Continence and Temperance #

• Continence: Struggle against base desires with reason winning out; not a virtue but something less
• Temperance: Habit by which base desires are properly ordered or absent; true virtue
• Christ had temperance but not continence because he lacked base desires entirely