Whether the Testimony of the Father's Voice, Saying, "This Is My
Beloved Son," Was Fittingly Added?
Objection 1: It would seem that the testimony of the Father's voice,
saying, "This is My beloved Son," was not fittingly added; for, as it
is written (Job 33:14), "God speaketh once, and repeateth not the
selfsame thing the second time." But the Father's voice had testified
to this at the time of (Christ's) baptism. Therefore it was not
fitting that He should bear witness to it a second time.
Obj. 2: Further, at the baptism the Holy Ghost appeared under the
form of a dove at the same time as the Father's voice was heard. But
this did not happen at the transfiguration. Therefore it seems that
the testimony of the Father was made in an unfitting manner.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ began to teach after His baptism.
Nevertheless, the Father's voice did not then command men to hear
him. Therefore neither should it have so commanded at the
transfiguration.
Obj. 4: Further, things should not be said to those who cannot bear
them, according to John 16:12: "I have yet many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now." But the disciples could not bear the
Father's voice; for it is written (Matt. 17:6) that "the disciples
hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid." Therefore
the Father's voice should not have been addressed to them.
On the contrary is the authority of the Gospel.
_I answer that,_ The adoption of the sons of God is through a certain
conformity of image to the natural Son of God. Now this takes place
in two ways: first, by the grace of the wayfarer, which is imperfect
conformity; secondly, by glory, which is perfect conformity,
according to 1 John 3:2: "We are now the sons of God, and it hath not
yet appeared what we shall be: we know that, when He shall appear, we
shall be like to Him, because we shall see Him as He is." Since,
therefore, it is in baptism that we acquire grace, while the clarity
of the glory to come was foreshadowed in the transfiguration,
therefore both in His baptism and in His transfiguration the natural
sonship of Christ was fittingly made known by the testimony of the
Father: because He alone with the Son and Holy Ghost is perfectly
conscious of that perfect generation.
Reply Obj. 1: The words quoted are to be understood of God's eternal
speaking, by which God the Father uttered the only-begotten and
co-eternal Word. Nevertheless, it can be said that God uttered the
same thing twice in a bodily voice, yet not for the same purpose, but
in order to show the divers modes in which men can be partakers of
the likeness of the eternal Sonship.
Reply Obj. 2: Just as in the Baptism, where the mystery of the first
regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was
made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Ghost
appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known
in the voice; so also in the transfiguration, which is the mystery of
the second regeneration, the whole Trinity appears--the Father in the
voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Ghost in the bright cloud; for
just as in baptism He confers innocence, signified by the simplicity
of the dove, so in the resurrection will He give His elect the
clarity of glory and refreshment from all sorts of evil, which are
signified by the bright cloud.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ came to give grace actually, and to promise
glory by His words. Therefore it was fitting at the time of His
transfiguration, and not at the time of His baptism, that men should
be commanded to hear Him.
Reply Obj. 4: It was fitting that the disciples should be afraid and
fall down on hearing the voice of the Father, to show that the glory
which was then being revealed surpasses in excellence the sense and
faculty of all mortal beings; according to Ex. 33:20: "Man shall not
see Me and live." This is what Jerome says on Matt. 17:6: "Such is
human frailty that it cannot bear to gaze on such great glory." But
men are healed of this frailty by Christ when He brings them into
glory. And this is signified by what He says to them: "Arise, and
fear not."
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