Question XLVIII. Whether, just as in body, so also in soul, Rahab and her kinsfolk were saved?

Twofold is the salvation of souls: inchoate and perfect. The inchoate comes about through true faith, and its sacraments, and sanctifying grace. The perfect [comes] through the attainment of eternal glory and felicity. As for that inchoate salvation, it is most certain that Rahab was saved, as was proved above, ch. 2, q. 16. St. Ambrose, book 5 On the Faith, ch. 4: “The harlot,” he says, “saw this — [that] marvelous destruction of the walls of the Jerichoites; and she who, in the destruction of the city, would despair of the remedies of salvation, because faith had conquered, raising up the standards and banners of the Lord’s Passion, bound the scarlet in the window, so that the appearance of the mystic blood — which was to redeem the world — might come into bloom. Thus outside, the name of JESUS was for the warriors unto victory; within, the appearance of the Lord’s Passion was, for those in peril, unto salvation. Whence, because Rahab understood the heavenly mystery, the Lord says in the psalm: I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon, of those that know me.” [Ps. 87:4 (Vulg. 86:4)] But of this place of Psalm 89 [so printed; the verse is Ps. 86:4 Vulg. / 87:4 Heb.] I spoke in that same ch. 2, before, when I was treating of Rahab’s own name. It is also most probable that all her kinsfolk, connections, and household — who had obtained bodily safety together with her — were likewise saved. So Abulensis holds, before, at q. 56: and indeed with good reason. For they had seen the marvelous and divine ruin of the walls of the Jerichoites, the storming and destruction of the city. They had heard from Rahab of the one and greatest God, as was seen above in the same ch. 2, q. 26. Joshua’s kindness, the spies’ good faith, the people’s felicity invited them; and in the whole seven-day period, during which they had to stay outside the Israelites’ camp, who would doubt that they were excellently instructed by the priests and Levites in the Jewish religion? And the text brought forward in the previous question clearly says this same thing, when it says (v. 25) that these remained in the midst of Israel, in their very camp. For how could the Jews — now victors, and so many, roused and inflamed by regard for such and so recent divine works — suffer a few conquered, profane, and polluted [persons] to dwell in the midst of their camps? How would they not reckon the whole camp to be polluted and profaned by their contagion, as of impure ones? Therefore all took up the Israelite sacred rites; and those of them who were men were initiated by circumcision; but the women were sprinkled and washed with water, as by a kind of baptism, as Rambam [Maimonides] teaches concerning women of that kind (part 2, fol. 137). As for perfect salvation, the opinion about Rahab is beyond doubt. For the Apostle reckons her in the Catalogue of those whom true faith in God has blessed (Heb. 11:31): by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the unbelievers, receiving the spies with peace. And of all who were reckoned in that Catalogue, it is subjoined (vv. 39 and 40) that they, approved by the testimony of faith, were at length, at some time, to be consummated [made perfect]. But concerning the father and mother of Rahab herself, and the other kinsfolk, and household, [good] is deservedly to be hoped — since there is no crime by which we might condemn them: so that those whom one house saved in body, one Church received, one initiation consecrated to God, one heaven also might receive, and make blessed forever.