Whether the Son Is Equal to the Father in Power?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Son is not equal to the Father
in power. For it is said (John 5:19): "The Son cannot do anything of
Himself but what He seeth the Father doing." But the Father can act
of Himself. Therefore the Father's power is greater than the Son's.
Obj. 2: Further, greater is the power of him who commands and teaches
than of him who obeys and hears. But the Father commands the Son
according to John 14:31: "As the Father gave Me commandment so do I."
The Father also teaches the Son: "The Father loveth the Son, and
showeth Him all things that Himself doth" (John 5:20). Also, the Son
hears: "As I hear, so I judge" (John 5:30). Therefore the Father has
greater power than the Son.
Obj. 3: Further, it belongs to the Father's omnipotence to be able to
beget a Son equal to Himself. For Augustine says (Contra Maxim. iii,
7), "Were He unable to beget one equal to Himself, where would be the
omnipotence of God the Father?" But the Son cannot beget a Son, as
proved above (Q. 41, A. 6). Therefore the Son cannot do all that
belongs to the Father's omnipotence; and hence He is not equal to Him
power.
_On the contrary,_ It is said (John 5:19): "Whatsoever things the
Father doth, these the Son also doth in like manner."
_I answer that,_ The Son is necessarily equal to the Father in power.
Power of action is a consequence of perfection in nature. In
creatures, for instance, we see that the more perfect the nature, the
greater power is there for action. Now it was shown above (A. 4) that
the very notion of the divine paternity and filiation requires that
the Son should be the Father's equal in greatness--that is, in
perfection of nature. Hence it follows that the Son is equal to the
Father in power; and the same applies to the Holy Ghost in relation
to both.
Reply Obj. 1: The words, "the Son cannot of Himself do anything," do
not withdraw from the Son any power possessed by the Father, since it
is immediately added, "Whatsoever things the Father doth, the Son
doth in like manner"; but their meaning is to show that the Son
derives His power from the Father, of Whom He receives His nature.
Hence, Hilary says (De Trin. ix), "The unity of the divine nature
implies that the Son so acts of Himself [per se], that He does not
act by Himself [a se]."
Reply Obj. 2: The Father's "showing" and the Son's "hearing" are to
be taken in the sense that the Father communicates knowledge to the
Son, as He communicates His essence. The command of the Father can be
explained in the same sense, as giving Him from eternity knowledge
and will to act, by begetting Him. Or, better still, this may be
referred to Christ in His human nature.
Reply Obj. 3: As the same essence is paternity in the Father, and
filiation in the Son: so by the same power the Father begets, and the
Son is begotten. Hence it is clear that the Son can do whatever the
Father can do; yet it does not follow that the Son can beget; for to
argue thus would imply transition from substance to relation, for
generation signifies a divine relation. So the Son has the same
omnipotence as the Father, but with another relation; the Father
possessing power as "giving" signified when we say that He is able to
beget; while the Son possesses the power of "receiving," signified by
saying that He can be begotten.
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