Pints With Aquinas - All Things Were Made Through Him | Bible Study w/ Aquinas

Episode Date: June 11, 2020

In this special Bible Study with Aquinas, we'll take a look at what Thomas Aquinas has to say about the first few lines found in John 1:1-5 GIVING Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattfradd This show (and all the plans we have in store) wouldn't be possible without you. I can't thank those of you who support me enough. Seriously! Thanks for essentially being a co-producer coproducer of the show. LINKS Website: https://pintswithaquinas.com/ Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/matt-fradd FREE 21 Day Detox From Porn Course: https://www.strive21.com/  SOCIAL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattfradd Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattfradd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pints_w_aquinas  MY BOOKS Does God Exist: https://amzn.to/2MaKf7V Marian Consecration With Aquinas: https://amzn.to/2Xf94pC  The Porn Myth: https://www.ignatius.com/The-Porn-Myth-P1985.aspx CONTACT Book me to speak: https://www.mattfradd.com/speakerrequestform

G'day and welcome to Pints with Aquinas. My name is Matt Fradd and today we will be doing a Bible study with Aquinas by looking at a few verses from the beginning of John's Gospel, chapter 1. And we'll be taking a look at what Thomas Aquinas has to say in this gigantic commentary. We'll only have time to look at a few things, but I think you'll agree that what we'll look at is really fascinating. So this is the third Bible study we have done with Aquinas. If you are new to the channel, if you've just stumbled across us, it's really great to have you. If you like this video, you could help us out by clicking that subscribe button and that bell, because that way Google will be forced to let you know about a new Bible study when it comes out. And I think that's a pretty cool thing to force Google to do. So please be sure to subscribe. I also want to point out that this video is going to be more of a prayerful video. When people are on YouTube, they are in a different sort of headspace, I think.

Me as well. And so we're watching funny things and quick clips. And, you know, YouTubers as well. And so we're watching funny things and quick clips and, you know, YouTubers are very desperate for your attention. And so, you know, there's a lot of jump cuts and intense eye contact and emotional voices, you know, people saying things like, hey guys, that kind of stuff. That's my American accent in case you're wondering, hey there guys, can't do it at all. Won't do it again. But this is meant to be more of a meditative experience. So before we look at this verse, I want to say two more things and then we'll begin with the sign of the cross. First of all, you might be wondering what shirt I'm wearing.

This shirt says non nissite domine, which is Latin for nothing if not you, Lord. These words were uttered by St. Thomas Aquinas towards the end of his life when it is said that he received a vision of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. And he said to Thomas, you have written well of me, Thomas. What would you have as your reward? And apparently, Brother Reginald, his secretary, overhearing this conversation, heard Thomas say, non nisite domine, or nothing if not you, Lord, which is just a beautiful thing to say. Non nisite domine, nothing if not you, Lord. Like, I'll have everything, I'll have some of it, I'll have none of it, so long as I don't have anything without you, because you are my prize

my treasure, the fulfillment of all my desires, just below here in this YouTube channel you can see my Teespring store, you can also see it on pintswithaquinas.com, you can buy this shirt or mug if you want you don't have to, but I know a bunch of people are going to ask where to get it, so there you go, I'm telling you

so that's that okay, now let's begin with the sign of the cross. And I want to point out that whether you're a Protestant or a Catholic, you know, you can do this. I know Catholics make the sign of the cross, Orthodox make the sign of the cross, as do other Christians. Protestants shouldn't be afraid of making the sign of the cross. When Catholics and other Christians trace themselves with the cross, they are remembering the redemption that was won for them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And so what I do is I put these three fingers together, and that signifies the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These two fingers I press together, and that represents the dual natures of Christ. Christ was a divine person who had a human nature as well as a divine nature. And then I make the

sign of the cross in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. It's that simple. So as we jump into this, now that I've explained what I'm doing, why don't we make the sign of the cross together, and then we'll take a look at this verse. We want to then see what Thomas has to say about. Here we go. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, here's the verse I want to look at. Here's the verse I want to look at. This comes from John's Gospel, chapter 1. Thomas Aquinas spends a tremendous amount of ink explaining what John means by this.

And there's no way we can get to it all. So I think what we'll do is we'll have to take it in stages. As I say, today, we're just going to be looking at this one verse here, all things were made through him, because that's all the time we'll have, but we'll look at the rest later. But let's read this together, shall we? In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. I remember

I was in Canada and I was out on this dock reading from sacred scripture. And I remember this just hitting me really hard for the first time. Just this idea that even though Jesus' divinity is revealed in the other Gospels, right, not just John, although it's commonly said that that's the case, it's not. We can talk about that in another episode and what the Son of Man means and so on. struck me how clear John is in saying that Jesus Christ is God, not merely a prophet, not merely a good man, right? Not a demigod, but God. In the beginning was the Word. Okay, what's this Word? And this word that was in the beginning was with God. Oh, interesting. And this word that was in the beginning was God. The word was God. And then we read in a few verses down, John's going to say, and this word became flesh and dwelt among us. God became flesh and dwelt among us. I mean, this is the kind of, what do you want to say? Maybe not the inner mystery of Christianity,

that would be the Trinity, but here we have it being revealed in a sense or to a degree. But God became flesh and dwelt among us. You hear this a lot, but sometimes you hear it for the first time, even though you've heard it a bunch of times, you hear it again and it just strikes you. And that's what it was like for me in Canada, sitting on that dock and reading the Bible. If you want to know what God's like, if you're afraid of God, if you're afraid he loves you in an obligatory sense but doesn't like you, if you're afraid that he's sort of like an unjust police officer looking for you to mess up in any way so that he can finally get you, look to Jesus. See how Jesus behaved, acted, interacted with sinners. He is so kind. He is so merciful.

He became flesh and dwelt among us to save us. So we don't have to be afraid of this God. Let's take a look here. So Aquinas, in commenting on this clause here, all things were made through him. Now, he's reading from the Vulgate. I'm reading from the English Standard Version. All things were made through him.

Oh, that's hilarious. It's exactly the same. So there you go. All things were made through him. Now, let's see what Aquinas has to say. Aquinas says that this clause is used to show three things concerning the Word of God. First, according to St. John Chrysostom, it is used to show the equality of the Word to the Father. In other words, the Word, Jesus Christ, is not a sort of sub-God, but is equal to the Father.

Here's what Aquinas says. The error was rejected by the evangelist when he showed the co-eternity of the Son with the Father by saying he was in the beginning with God. Here, John excludes the same error when he shows the omnipotence, that is to say his being all powerful and equal in power to the father omnipotence of the son saying all things were made through him how's that for a line all things were made through this person jesus christ who became flesh all All things. How many things? All of them. Okay, so some of them, no, all things, visible or invisible. For to be the principle of all the things that are made is proper to the great omnipotent God,

as it is said, and this comes from Psalm 134.6, whatever the Lord wills, he does in heaven and on earth. Thus the word through whom all things were made is God, great and co-equal to the Father. So this is the first thing that we can learn from that. That is to say that the word is equal to the Father. Here's the second thing we learn. Aquinas writes,

Second, according to Hillary, this clause is used to show the co-eternity with the Father. So he's equal to the Father in power and everything else, but he's also co-eternal with the Father. For since someone might understand the earlier statement, in the beginning was the Word, as referring to the beginning of creatures, that is, that before there was any creatures, there was a time in which the word did not exist. To reject this, the evangelist says, all things were made through him. For if all things were made through the word, then time was also, because time is a creature of God. God exists outside of time and created time.

So if time was created through Christ, Aquinas continues, from this we can form the following argument. If all time was made through him, there was no time before him or with him, because before all these he was. Therefore the Son and the Father are eternally co-eternal, eternally co-eternal. So he is equal to the Father, he is co-eternal with the Father, and now finally Aquinas is going to draw from Saint Augustine. Third, according to Augustine, this clause is used to show the consubstantiality of the word with the Father. That is to say that the word and the Father are one substance. That Christ is God, not another God, but God. And here, of course, we're getting into deep theological waters as we begin to touch upon the mystery of the Trinity.

That God is one, but three persons, not three gods, one God in three persons. Thomas says, for if all things were made through the word, the word himself cannot be said to have been... This is really brilliant, by the way way so if you're beginning to phase out please pick up on this because the logic is excellent if all things were made through the word the word himself cannot be said to have been made

because if made he was made through some word since all things were made through the word. I'm going to read this again. So I hope you're staying with me here. Consequently, there would have been another word through whom was made the word of whom the evangelist is speaking. This word, through whom all things are made, we call the only begotten Son of God, because he is neither made nor is he a creature. And if he is not a creature, it is necessary to say that he is of the same substance with the Father, since every substance other than the divine essence is made. But a substance that is not a creature is God.

And so the word through whom all things were made is consubstantial with the Father, since he is neither made nor is he a creature. Isn't that just excellent? So, again, we're looking at this clause, all things were made through him. Okay, so let's take a look at this verse in context here. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Okay, so all things were made through the Word. So if Christ was made, he would have to have been made through the Word, but he is the Word, therefore he wasn't made through the Word. Rather, all things were made through him. That's what Augustine's saying. Let's read that again because sometimes our minds can get tied up in knots as we go through this,

but I think you'll agree if you think through it carefully that the logic is airtight. According to Augustine, this clause is used to show the consubstantiality of the word with the father. For if all things were made through the word, consequently, there would have been another word through whom was made the word of whom the evangelist is speaking. This word through whom all things are made, we call the only begotten son of God, because he is neither made nor is he a creature. And if he is not a creature, it is necessary to say that he is of the same substance with the Father, since every substance other than the divine essence is made. But a substance that is not a creature is God. And so the word through whom all things were made is consubstantial with the Father, since he is neither made nor is he a creature. And then Aquinas sums up in this one verse. He says, you have, according to Chrysostom, the equality of the word with the Father,

the co-eternity of the word with the Father, according to Hillary, and the consubstantiality of the word with the Father, according to Augustine. Now, Aquinas goes on to say much more, but I think that we'll leave it at that for now. You know, one thing I hope would happen during these Bible studies is that we would prayerfully reflect upon the Word of God. So here's what I would invite you to do if you want to go one step further.

Don't just listen to me tell you what things mean to me. Don't just listen to Aquinas. Of course, we ought to be listening to the great theologians of the church and what the church says. But read it yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you through it. So after this video, I would invite you today or tomorrow, pick up John's Gospel and read that. God bless you. Thanks for being here. Bye.