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Objection 1: It seems that God is a body. For a body is that
which has the three dimensions. But Holy Scripture attributes the
three dimensions to God, for it is written: "He is higher than
Heaven, and what wilt thou do? He is deeper than Hell, and how
wilt thou know? The measure of Him is longer than the earth and
broader than the sea" (Job 11:8,9). Therefore God is a
body.
Objection 2: Further, everything that has figure is a body, since
figure is a quality of quantity. But God seems to have figure, for
it is written: "Let us make man to our image and likeness" (Gn.
1:26). Now a figure is called an image, according to the text:
"Who being the brightness of His glory and the figure," i.e. the
image, "of His substance" (Heb. 1:3). Therefore God is a
body.
Objection 3: Further, whatever has corporeal parts is a body. Now
Scripture attributes corporeal parts to God. "Hast thou an arm like
God?" (Job 40:4); and "The eyes of the Lord are upon the
just" (Ps. 33:16); and "The right hand of the Lord hath
wrought strength" (Ps. 117:16). Therefore God is a body.
Objection 4: Further, posture belongs only to bodies. But
something which supposes posture is said of God in the Scriptures:
"I saw the Lord sitting" (Is. 6:1), and "He standeth up to
judge" (Is. 3:13). Therefore God is a body.
Objection 5: Further, only bodies or things corporeal can be a
local term "wherefrom" or "whereto." But in the Scriptures God
is spoken of as a local term "whereto," according to the words,
"Come ye to Him and be enlightened" (Ps. 33:6), and as a
term "wherefrom": "All they that depart from Thee shall be written
in the earth" (Jer. 17:13). Therefore God is a body.
On the contrary, It is written in the Gospel of St. John (Jn.
4:24): "God is a spirit."
I answer that, It is absolutely true that God is not a body; and
this can be shown in three ways. First, because no body is in motion
unless it be put in motion, as is evident from induction. Now it has
been already proved (Question 2, Article 3), that God is the
First Mover, and is Himself unmoved. Therefore it is clear that
God is not a body. Secondly, because the first being must of
necessity be in act, and in no way in potentiality. For although in
any single thing that passes from potentiality to actuality, the
potentiality is prior in time to the actuality; nevertheless,
absolutely speaking, actuality is prior to potentiality; for whatever
is in potentiality can be reduced into actuality only by some being in
actuality. Now it has been already proved that God is the First
Being. It is therefore impossible that in God there should be any
potentiality. But every body is in potentiality because the
continuous, as such, is divisible to infinity; it is therefore
impossible that God should be a body. Thirdly, because God is the
most noble of beings. Now it is impossible for a body to be the most
noble of beings; for a body must be either animate or inanimate; and
an animate body is manifestly nobler than any inanimate body. But an
animate body is not animate precisely as body; otherwise all bodies
would be animate. Therefore its animation depends upon some other
thing, as our body depends for its animation on the soul. Hence that
by which a body becomes animated must be nobler than the body.
Therefore it is impossible that God should be a body.
Reply to Objection 1: As we have said above (Question 1,
Article 9), Holy Writ puts before us spiritual and divine things
under the comparison of corporeal things. Hence, when it attributes
to God the three dimensions under the comparison of corporeal
quantity, it implies His virtual quantity; thus, by depth, it
signifies His power of knowing hidden things; by height, the
transcendence of His excelling power; by length, the duration of His
existence; by breadth, His act of love for all. Or, as says
Dionysius (Div. Nom. ix), by the depth of God is meant the
incomprehensibility of His essence; by length, the procession of His
all-pervading power; by breadth, His overspreading all things,
inasmuch as all things lie under His protection.
Reply to Objection 2: Man is said to be after the image of God,
not as regards his body, but as regards that whereby he excels other
animals. Hence, when it is said, "Let us make man to our image and
likeness", it is added, "And let him have dominion over the fishes
of the sea" (Gn. 1:26). Now man excels all animals by his
reason and intelligence; hence it is according to his intelligence and
reason, which are incorporeal, that man is said to be according to the
image of God.
Reply to Objection 3: Corporeal parts are attributed to God in
Scripture on account of His actions, and this is owing to a certain
parallel. For instance the act of the eye is to see; hence the eye
attributed to God signifies His power of seeing intellectually, not
sensibly; and so on with the other parts.
Reply to Objection 4: Whatever pertains to posture, also, is only
attributed to God by some sort of parallel. He is spoken of as
sitting, on account of His unchangeableness and dominion; and as
standing, on account of His power of overcoming whatever withstands
Him.
Reply to Objection 5: We draw near to God by no corporeal steps,
since He is everywhere, but by the affections of our soul, and by the
actions of that same soul do we withdraw from Him; thus, to draw near
to or to withdraw signifies merely spiritual actions based on the
metaphor of local motion.
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