Whether It Is Fitting That God Should Adopt Sons?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is not fitting that God should
adopt sons. For, as jurists say, no one adopts anyone but a stranger
as his son. But no one is a stranger in relation to God, Who is the
Creator of all. Therefore it seems unfitting that God should adopt.
Obj. 2: Further, adoption seems to have been introduced in default of
natural sonship. But in God there is natural sonship, as set down in
the First Part (Q. 27, A. 2). Therefore it is unfitting that God
should adopt.
Obj. 3: Further, the purpose of adopting anyone is that he may
succeed, as heir, the person who adopts him. But it does not seem
possible for anyone to succeed God as heir, for He can never die.
Therefore it is unfitting that God should adopt.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Eph. 1:5) that "He hath
predestinated us unto the adoption of children of God." But the
predestination of God is not ineffectual. Therefore God does adopt
some as His sons.
_I answer that,_ A man adopts someone as his son forasmuch as out of
goodness he admits him as heir to his estate. Now God is infinitely
good: for which reason He admits His creatures to a participation of
good things; especially rational creatures, who forasmuch as they are
made to the image of God, are capable of Divine beatitude. And this
consists in the enjoyment of God, by which also God Himself is happy
and rich in Himself--that is, in the enjoyment of Himself. Now a
man's inheritance is that which makes him rich. Wherefore, inasmuch
as God, of His goodness, admits men to the inheritance of beatitude,
He is said to adopt them. Moreover Divine exceeds human adoption,
forasmuch as God, by bestowing His grace, makes man whom He adopts
worthy to receive the heavenly inheritance; whereas man does not make
him worthy whom he adopts; but rather in adopting him he chooses one
who is already worthy.
Reply Obj. 1: Considered in his nature man is not a stranger in
respect to God, as to the natural gifts bestowed on him: but he is as
to the gifts of grace and glory; in regard to which he is adopted.
Reply Obj. 2: Man works in order to supply his wants: not so God, Who
works in order to communicate to others the abundance of His
perfection. Wherefore, as by the work of creation the Divine goodness
is communicated to all creatures in a certain likeness, so by the
work of adoption the likeness of natural sonship is communicated to
men, according to Rom. 8:29: "Whom He foreknew . . . to be made
conformable to the image of His Son."
Reply Obj. 3: Spiritual goods can be possessed by many at the same
time; not so material goods. Wherefore none can receive a material
inheritance except the successor of a deceased person: whereas all
receive the spiritual inheritance at the same time in its entirety
without detriment to the ever-living Father.
Yet it might be said that God ceases to be, according as He is in us
by faith, so as to begin to be in us by vision, as a gloss says on
Rom. 8:17: "If sons, heirs also."
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