Folia Theologica 9. (1998)

Tibor Somlyói Tóth: "Habitu inventus ut homo"

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T. SOMLYÓI TÓTH

persons in a state of grace, did not become incarnate. The error of Eutyches who suggested that a third nature was produced from the union of the divine and human natures, was refuted with the phrase, formam servi, which indicates that human nature and no other was assumed. This phrase refutes Valentinus, too, who spoke of a body brought down from heaven. Finally, the Apollinarian error of denying that Christ had a human soul is answered in the phrase, in similitudinem hominum, which implies full conformity with human nature.16

2. The Summa contra Gentiles

Thomas, commentary on Philippians had either been written or was under way when he began the fourth book of the Summa contra Gentiles, probably between 1261 and 65, and the text of 2,6-7 is used extensively in the sections against those heresies that denied or obscured the union of the two natures in the one person of Christ. Thus, the refutations sketches in the commentary are built up and expanded into fully-developed, chapter-length discussions.

He first uses Philippians 2,6-7 in the section on the person of Christ (cap. 3-14) as a proof against the Photinians, who held that Christ achieved divinity through the merits of his human life. This, however, contradicts the statement in Philippians 2,6 about Christ’s pre-existence in the form of God and his equality to the Father.17 In chapter seven, directed against the Arians, Christ’s divinity and equality with the Father are again indicated by reference to that text:

By the form of God... nothing else is understood than the divine nature, just as by the form of servant nothing else is understood than human nature. The Son is therefore in the divine nature; accordingly, he is not a creature.

Per formam autem Dei non aliud intelligitur quam natura divina: sicut per formán servi non intelligitus aliud quam

16 AQUINAS, In. ep. ad Phil., cap. 2, lect. 2, vol. 2, p. 102 (62).

17 S. THOMAE AQUINATIS Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium seu summa contra Gentiles (Turin: Marietti, 1961), lib. 4, cap. 4, vol. 3, p. 248 (3369): “Secundum praediatam positionem, homo per vitae meritum profecit in Deum. Apostolus autem e converso ostendit quod, cum Deus esset, factus est homo. Dicit enim, Ad Philipp. 2,6 ...”