The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
God as Word
Aquinas Lesson for August 2, 1998
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (John 1: 1-2)
What in the world was John talking about? His gospel begins with the same words as Genesis ("In the beginning"), but this talk about the Word is very confusing.
Aquinas explains this in his discussion of the Holy Trinity. He does not directly refer to the gospel of John, but he explains how God is Word.
God’s intellect is not distinct from his essence, as has been discussed previously. His understanding and willing likewise are not distinct.
From this, Aquinas proves that God must understand himself: "Since God is His own essence, it follows that, in Him, understanding and that whereby He understands and that which is understood are absolutely identical" (Compendium Ch. 30).
As humans, we use words to communicate our ideas. These are exterior signs of intellectual concepts.
From this, Aquinas concludes, "We must acknowledge in God the existence of His Word" (ibid. Ch. 37).
This helps to explain the beginning of John. God is His own intellect, word, pure act, and essence. Therefore, in the beginning, there was God as Word meaning God one with His intellectual concept.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
