Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle, setting forth a precept to Timothy, commanded that he keep the aforesaid things until the coming of Christ, and therefore he here treats of the coming of Christ, concerning which he makes three things clear. First, that it will be at a fitting time; second, that it will be manifest; third, he shows the author of the coming.

As to the first he says *whom he will show forth in his own times*. 2 Peter, last chapter: *there shall come in the last days scoffers in deception*, etc. And therefore he wishes to show that although the coming may seem to be delayed, nevertheless it will be shown forth in its own time. Ecclesiastes 3:1: *all things have their season*. Ecclesiastes 8:6: *for every business there is a time and opportunity*. The fitting time is the end of the world, because that time is the time of harvest, and of the gathering of the fruit. And therefore it is fitting that he come at the end.

As to the second he says *he will show*, that is, he will make manifest. For although he is visible as to the flesh, yet his power is hidden; but then his divinity too will be manifest to the saints, while the reprobate will see only the glory of the flesh.

But as to the third he says that God the Trinity will show him forth. And concerning this he does two things: first he describes the coming of Christ; second, breaking forth into his commendation, he praises him, at the place *to whom be honor*, etc.

Likewise, concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the author of the coming from perfect operation; second, from singular power; third, from the incomprehensibility of nature.

The first, when he says *blessed*. For beatitude is a perfect operation, which belongs to the supreme operative power, most excellently disposed. And this is our beatitude. But the beatitude of God is that by which he knows himself. For if he did not know himself, he would not be God. Blessed Gregory: *God, while he enjoys himself, is perfectly glorious*. And fittingly he says of the author of this coming that he is blessed, because the coming of Christ is for this, that he may lead us to beatitude. Tobit 13:20: *I shall be blessed if there shall be a remnant of my seed to see the brightness of Jerusalem*.

As to the second he says *who alone is mighty*. Psalm 88:9: *thou art mighty, O Lord*, etc. But why does he say "alone"? Do not all things have power? Indeed, by participation, but God alone essentially of himself. Hence he says *King of kings, and Lord of lords*. Ambrose: *Lord is a name of power*, and king likewise. He therefore who has a lord and a king over him is subject to power, and such a one is not powerful of himself, but from another. If therefore Christ is *King of kings*, etc., it is necessary that he alone have power not from another, but that all have it from him. And a twofold power of God is designated: namely, the governing power of the world, when he says *King of kings*, as though named from governance. Proverbs 20:8: *the king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his look*. Likewise the power of creating, when he says *Lord of lords*. Psalm 99:3: *know that the Lord he is God, he made us*. Apocalypse 19:16: *and he had on his garment, and on his thigh, written: King of kings, and Lord of lords*.

As to the third he says *who alone has immortality, and inhabits light inaccessible*. The incomprehensibility of God is evident from two things. First, because he transcends whatever in creatures is comprehensible; second, because this very fact, that God is, exceeds the comprehension of all.

The first, when he says *alone*. For in every change there is a certain corruption, because everything that is changed, insofar as it is such, ceases to be such. That therefore is properly and truly incorruptible which is utterly immutable. But every creature, considered in itself, has some change, or mutability; God however is wholly immutable. But if any creature is immutable, this belongs to it from the gift of grace. And from this he shows that the nature of God transcends everything that is in created nature. Above, 1:17: *to the king of ages, immortal*, etc.

As to the second he says *light*, etc. Light among sensible things is the principle of seeing; hence that by which anything is known, in whatever way, is called light. But each thing is known through its form, and according as it is in act. Hence, as much as it has of form and act, so much it has of light. Things, therefore, which are a certain act, but not pure act, are luminous, but are not light. But the divine essence, which is pure act, is light itself. John 1:8: *he was not the light*, etc. But God dwells with himself, and this light is inaccessible, that is, not visible to the eye of flesh, but intelligible. And yet no created intellect can approach him.

It must be noted, however, that the intellect can approach the knowledge of some nature in two ways: namely, so as to know, and so as to comprehend. But it is impossible for the intellect to arrive at comprehending God, because thus it would know God as he is knowable; but God is perfectly knowable insofar as he has entity and light; but these are infinite, therefore he is infinitely knowable. But the power of the created intellect is finite. And therefore even the intellect of Christ does not comprehend God.

But there is another way of knowing God, namely by attaining to him. And according to this, no created intellect, by its own natural powers, attains to knowing that which God is. And the reason for this is that no power can reach to anything higher than its own object, just as sight [cannot] know something higher. But the proper object of the intellect is that which a thing is; hence whatever surpasses that which a thing is exceeds the proportion of every intellect. But in God, being and his quiddity are not other than each other. How then is he knowable? Let us therefore approach to know him, here through grace, and in the future through glory. Psalm 33:6: *approach unto him, and be enlightened*.

But how then does God inhabit light inaccessible? And in Psalm 96:2: *cloud and darkness are round about him*; Exodus 9: *Moses approached the darkness, in which God was*. Dionysius answers: *all darkness is inaccessible light*. It is therefore the same thing that here is called light, and there darkness; but it is darkness insofar as it is not seen, but light insofar as it is seen.

But a thing is invisible in two ways. In one way on account of itself, as the opaque; in another way on account of its excess, as the sun to the eye of the owl. Thus certain things are not visible to us on account of the defect of their being, and certain things on account of their excess; and thus God is in a certain way inaccessible to us.

*Whom no man has seen*. If this is understood of comprehension, then it is absolutely true, even of the Angels, because God alone comprehends himself. But if of the vision by which he is attained, then it is understood in three ways. In one way, no one has seen him with the bodily eye. In another way, according to essence, with the eye of the mind, no one living in the flesh has seen him, except Christ. Exodus 33:20: *man shall not see me and live*. In the third way, no one has seen what God is through himself. Matthew 11:27: *no one knows the Father*, etc. Matthew 16:17: *flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee*.

Then he breaks forth into the praise of God, saying *to whom be honor*. And he sets down two things. The first pertains to the showing of reverence, saying *honor*, which is the showing of reverence. Malachi 1:6: *if I be a father, where is my honor*, etc. The second pertains to governance, when he says *everlasting dominion*.