Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Liber IV

Having laid down the arguments of those who thought the Holy Spirit to be a creature, St. Thomas intends to determine the truth¹. Concerning this, however, he does three things: first, he determines concerning the substance of the Holy Spirit; second, he explains how the things that are said of Him are to be understood, ch. 19; third, he treats of the effects attributed to Him, ch. 20.

Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he shows that the Holy Spirit is true God; second, that He is a subsisting person, in the following chapter.

I. As to the first, he argues first thus. A temple is assigned to the Holy Spirit: for it is said in 1 Cor. 6, Do you not know, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. First, because a temple is consecrated to no one except God. — Second, because our members, which are the temple of the Holy Spirit, are also members of Christ. But it would be unfitting, since Christ is true God, that His members should be the temple of the Holy Spirit unless He too were true God.

Second. The saints serve the Holy Spirit. For it is said in Phil. 3, We are the circumcision, who serve the Spirit God, as both the Greek and older Latin manuscripts have; and from the Greek itself it appears that it is to be understood of the service of latria. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because the service of latria is attributed by the saints only to true God, as is clear from Deut. 6.

It should be noted that the Greek text in certain copies has: ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή οἱ πνεύματι θεῷ λατρεύοντες; but some texts have: οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύομεν. The sense of the first text is: For we are the circumcision serving God in spirit, or, worshipping God. Yet because the term πνεύματι is in the dative case, St. Thomas takes it as though the sense were, serving the Spirit God, making the Latin dative correspond to the Greek dative; and in this sense he uses this authority for his purpose. Others skilled in the Greek language, however, attending to Greek usage, translated that dative case as an ablative in the Latin language. — The sense of the other text is, Who serve the spirit of God, or, as St. Thomas interprets it, Who serve the Spirit of God. — In both texts, however, it is clear, as St. Thomas says, that the Apostle understands it of the service of latria: for λατρεύω is the same as I worship, or, I serve and honor with latria.

II. Third. The Holy Spirit is the one who sanctifies: 1 Cor. 6, You are washed, etc.; and 2 Thess. 2, He chose, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because to sanctify men is the proper work of God, as is clear from Lev. 22.

Fourth. The life of justice of the soul is through the Holy Spirit: John 6, It is the Spirit, etc.; and in Rom. 8, If by the Spirit, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because just as the life of nature of the body is through the soul, so the life of justice of the soul itself is through God: whence the Lord, John 6, As He sent, etc.

Fifth. The power of raising up belongs to the Holy Spirit: Rom. 8, If the Spirit, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because the Lord, as an argument for His divinity, asserts that the power of raising up is in Him, John 5.

Sixth. Creation belongs to the Holy Spirit: in the Psalm, Send forth Your Spirit, etc.; Job 33, The Spirit of God, etc.; Ecclus. 1, it is said of God, He created her, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is clear. Because creation is the work of God alone.

Seventh. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because to comprehend the deep things of God belongs to no creature: whence Matt. 11, No one knows the Son, etc.

Eighth. The Spirit of God is related to God as the spirit of man is to man, according to the Apostle's comparison, 1 Cor. 2. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because the spirit of man is intrinsic to man, and is not of a foreign nature from him, but is something of him.

Ninth. The Spirit knows those deep things of God which He prepared for those who await Him, as is clear from the Apostle, previously cited². Therefore, etc. — The consequence is clear. Because no one saw that place except God, as is clear from Isaiah 64.

Tenth. In Isaiah 6 it is said, I heard the voice of God saying, etc. But Paul attributes those words to the Holy Spirit, Acts last ch. Therefore, etc.

Eleventh. The Holy Spirit spoke in the prophets: whence it is said in Acts 1, For it must be fulfilled, etc.; and Matt. 12³, How do they say, etc.; and 2 Pet. 1, For not by the will, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because from Sacred Scripture it appears that it is God who spoke through the prophets: as in Num. 12, If there be among you, etc.; and in the Psalm, I will hear, etc.

Twelfth. The revelation of mysteries is the work of the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor. 2, To us He revealed, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is clear. Because the revelation of mysteries is shown to be the proper work of God in Dan. 2, There is a God, etc.

III. Thirteenth. To teach inwardly is the proper work of the Holy Spirit: John 14, The Paraclete, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is clear. Because to teach inwardly is the proper work of God: whence in the Psalm, He who teaches, etc.; and Dan. 2, He gives wisdom, etc.

It should be noted that St. Thomas does not say absolutely that to teach is the proper work of God, but that to teach inwardly is. For as he splendidly explains in the First Part, q. 117, a. 1; and De Veritate, q. 11, a. 1, just as nature in healing is the inward and principal agent, while the physician is an instrumental agent assisting nature and providing aids to it; so in the acquisition of knowledge the principal agent is the natural light of the intellect, by which it knows self-evident principles, through which it comes to the knowledge of other things; but the teacher is said to cause knowledge in the disciple by acting outwardly, namely by proposing certain instruments and aids which the intellect of the disciple uses to acquire knowledge: for example, by proposing to him certain less universal propositions which the disciple can judge from things previously known; or by proposing sensible examples, or something of this sort, by which the intellect of the learner is led by the hand into the knowledge of the unknown truth; and also by proposing the order of principles to conclusions.

Since therefore the inward and principal agent is the natural light of the intellect; while the outward agent providing service is the teaching man; and God alone is the cause of the inward natural light: therefore it is well said that to teach inwardly is the proper work of God. — It is also the proper work of God to teach inwardly through a new illumination.

IV. Fourteenth. The operation of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the same: namely, to speak in the saints. For concerning the Son it appears in 2 Cor. last ch., Do you seek an experiment, etc.; but concerning the Holy Spirit it is said in Matt. 10, It is not you, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because those who have the same operation (namely in the same manner) must have the same nature.

Fifteenth. The Apostle attributes dwelling in the minds of the saints to the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 3, Do you not know, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because to dwell in the minds of the saints is proper to God: 2 Cor. 6, You are, etc.

Sixteenth. The Holy Spirit is everywhere: for it is said in Wis. 1, The Spirit, etc.; and in the Psalm, Whither shall I go, etc.; and Acts 1, You shall receive, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is clear. Because to be everywhere is proper to God: Jer. 23, Heaven, etc.

Seventeenth. Peter⁴, in Acts 5, expressly names the Holy Spirit God, where he says, Ananias, why, etc. — In 1⁵ Cor. 14 it is also given to be understood that the Holy Spirit is God, when it is said, He who speaks in a tongue, etc. — The same⁶ is also given to be understood from what is added, If all prophesy, etc.; where manifesting the secrets of the heart is attributed to God; which is also shown in Jer. 17. But it is clear from the things he premised, namely that the Spirit speaks mysteries, that the manifestation of the secrets of the heart is from the Holy Spirit. — Likewise⁷ a little later he says, The spirits of the prophets, etc.: where it is shown, since the graces of the prophets are from the Holy Spirit, and are from the God of peace according to the Apostle himself, that the Holy Spirit is God.

Eighteenth. The Holy Spirit is the cause of adoption: Rom. 8, You have received the Spirit, etc. Therefore, etc. — The consequence is proved. Because to adopt into sons of God belongs to God alone. Whence it is also attributed to the Son, Gal. 4, God sent, etc.

V. Finally. He is not a corporeal creature, nor a spiritual one. Therefore He is God. — The antecedent is proved. Because the Holy Spirit is poured into the minds of the saints as being participated by them: for we read that Christ was full, and also the Apostles. But no creature is poured into a spiritual creature: since a creature is not capable of being participated, but is rather participating.

2. Concerning this argument, when it is proved that no spiritual creature is poured into a spiritual creature because a creature is not capable of being participated, but is participating: a doubt arises. For if we speak of the participation of form by matter, it is clear that the Holy Spirit is not participable in this way, but a creature certainly is. — If, however, we speak of the participation of a cause by an effect, it is manifest that many effects are caused by separate substances, which participate in their power. — But if we speak of participation according to essence, namely such that one has part of the essence of another, it is clear that not even the Holy Spirit is participable by a creature in this way.

3. For the evident understanding of this, it must be considered, from the things that are held at the end of the following chapter; and in the Second Book, d. 8, a. 5, ad 3; likewise De Veritate, q. 28, a. 2, ad 8, that the proposition of St. Thomas is not to be understood otherwise than of participation according to substance: namely in such a way that the substance of one is in the other as working within its essence, and by the participation of its substance making the other good. For thus God alone is participable by the human mind: because He alone operates within its essence, creating it and preserving it in being; and He alone is His own goodness, so that it can be said that by the participation of His essence and substance the human mind is good. But no creature gives or preserves the being of the human mind: although it can cause a certain spiritual light in it. Nor is its goodness its substance, but it is something added to the essence. Therefore, if any goodness is caused by it in the human mind, the creature itself is not said to be participated according to its substance, but according to superadded perfections: nor is it said to be within the substance of the mind, but to work something extrinsically.

To the doubt therefore it is said that we are not speaking here of the participation of form by matter; nor of the participation by which the participant has part of the essence of the thing participated; but of the participation by which an effect participates according to its substance and according to its being the very power and essence of the cause; and also of the participation by which an exemplar form is said to be participated according to its substance by the thing exemplified, insofar as the thing exemplified is a certain participated or imperfect likeness of the substance of its exemplar. And thus it is clear that no creature, but God alone, is participable by the human mind.

VI. One could, however, answer to the aforesaid arguments that the aforesaid works enumerated in the arguments are attributed to the Holy Spirit not by authority as to God, but by ministry. — But St. Thomas argues against this by the authority of the Apostle, who says in 1 Cor. 12, after he enumerated diverse gifts, All these things works, etc. From which words he gives it to be understood that the Holy Spirit is God: both because he says that He works those things which above he had said God works; and because he confesses that He works according to the judgment of His own will.

It should be noted that there is a difference between him who works by authority, namely as a master, and him who works as a minister; because he who works as a master works as he wills; but he who works as a minister works not according to the judgment of his own will, but according to the will of the one whose minister he is. Therefore St. Thomas rightly infers that the Holy Spirit is God, from the fact that those things which are attributed to God as His proper effects, He Himself divides according to His own judgment and works.