Whether Each of the Divine Persons Could Have Assumed Human Nature?
Objection 1: It would seem that no other Divine Person could have
assumed human nature except the Person of the Son. For by this
assumption it has been brought about that God is the Son of Man. But
it was not becoming that either the Father or the Holy Ghost should
be said to be a Son; for this would tend to the confusion of the
Divine Persons. Therefore the Father and Holy Ghost could not have
assumed flesh.
Obj. 2: Further, by the Divine Incarnation men have come into
possession of the adoption of sons, according to Rom. 8:15: "For you
have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but the spirit
of adoption of sons." But sonship by adoption is a participated
likeness of natural sonship which does not belong to the Father nor
the Holy Ghost; hence it is said (Rom. 8:29): "For whom He foreknew
He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His
Son." Therefore it seems that no other Person except the Person of
the Son could have become incarnate.
Obj. 3: Further, the Son is said to be sent and to be begotten by the
temporal nativity, inasmuch as He became incarnate. But it does not
belong to the Father to be sent, for He is innascible, as was said
above (I, Q. 32, A. 3; First Part, Q. 43, A. 4). Therefore at least
the Person of the Father cannot become incarnate.
_On the contrary,_ Whatever the Son can do, so can the Father and the
Holy Ghost, otherwise the power of the three Persons would not be
one. But the Son was able to become incarnate. Therefore the Father
and the Holy Ghost were able to become incarnate.
_I answer that,_ As was said above (AA. 1, 2, 4), assumption implies
two things, viz. the act of the one assuming and the term of the
assumption. Now the principle of the act is the Divine power, and the
term is a Person. But the Divine power is indifferently and commonly
in all the Persons. Moreover, the nature of Personality is common to
all the Persons, although the personal properties are different. Now
whenever a power regards several things indifferently, it can
terminate its action in any of them indifferently, as is plain in
rational powers, which regard opposites, and can do either of them.
Therefore the Divine power could have united human nature to the
Person of the Father or of the Holy Ghost, as It united it to the
Person of the Son. And hence we must say that the Father or the Holy
Ghost could have assumed flesh even as the Son.
Reply Obj. 1: The temporal sonship, whereby Christ is said to be the
Son of Man, does not constitute His Person, as does the eternal
Sonship; but is something following upon the temporal nativity.
Hence, if the name of son were transferred to the Father or the Holy
Ghost in this manner, there would be no confusion of the Divine
Persons.
Reply Obj. 2: Adoptive sonship is a certain participation of natural
sonship; but it takes place in us, by appropriation, by the Father,
Who is the principle of natural sonship, and by the gift of the Holy
Ghost, Who is the love of the Father and Son, according to Gal. 4:6:
"God hath sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba,
Father." And therefore, even as by the Incarnation of the Son we
receive adoptive sonship in the likeness of His natural sonship, so
likewise, had the Father become incarnate, we should have received
adoptive sonship from Him, as from the principle of the natural
sonship, and from the Holy Ghost as from the common bond of Father
and Son.
Reply Obj. 3: It belongs to the Father to be innascible as to eternal
birth, and the temporal birth would not destroy this. But the Son of
God is said to be sent in regard to the Incarnation, inasmuch as He
is from another, without which the Incarnation would not suffice for
the nature of mission.
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