Thomas Aquinas, on Heb 12:9

“Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?”

“679. – Then (v. 9) he gives the second reason drawn from our own experience, namely, paternal correction. This proceeds according to the twofold difference between God the Father and the father of our flesh. The first difference is that a man begets a man as to the body, but not as to the soul, which is created and not transmitted: 'I have not given you a spirit and a soul' (2 Macc 7:22); hence, he says, We have had earthly fathers to discipline us: 'Have you children? Instruct them' (Sir. 7:25). And we respected them: 'Honor your father and your mother' (Ex. 20:12). But God is our Father in a more excellent way, namely, as to the soul, which He creates: 'The spirit will return to God who gave it' (Ec 12:7). Furthermore, He makes the soul just by adopting us as sons: 'The Spirit gives testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God' (Rom. 8:16). Hence, he says, shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, i.e., our souls, which are called spirits, because they are not evolved from matter, and live? for the end of obedience is everlasting life: 'If anyone keep my word, he will not taste death forever' (Jn. 8:52); 'He became to all that obey him the cause of eternal salvation' (Heb. 5:9).”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.