322. Scholium. On the
revelation of the Most Holy Trinity in the O.T.
Since the O.T. is a preparation
for the full revelation of the N.T., the question naturally arises, whether and
how it includes a manifestation of the primary mystery of our faith, the Most
Holy Trinity. For it pertained to the sweet disposition of divine providence
that mankind should first be taught clearly those things that pertain to the
unity of the divine essence, especially given the fact regarding the errors of
polytheism into which a large part of humanity had fallen. However it was also
necessary that the revelation of the Trinity might not seem to be so new that
its acceptance would be too difficult, since even in itself it greatly exceeds
the power of comprehension of the human mind.
Therefore we say: the mystery of
the Most Holy Trinity is not proposed in the O.T. in such a way “that it
pertained to the common faith of the people of Israel,” but certainly in it they
are being prepared to receive the revelation of the N. T. in such a way
that the N.T. presents an excellent exposition of the teaching actually
contained in the O.T., at least with regard to some of its elements.
Particularly, the divinity of the Messiah as a person distinct from God the
Father is clearly communicated in various places. “The second person,”
Franzelin says, “without doubt has been revealed”; therefore the teaching of
the N.T. regarding this point is not simply like a new revelation of a truth
never expressed, but rather it should be taken as an explanation and more
distinct determination of the previous revelation. At least this seems to be
the mind of the holy Fathers, who on the one hand often say that the Trinity
was revealed only in the N.T., and on the other hand they bring forth many
statements of the O.T. in order to prove it. The opinions of almost all
Catholic theologians and exegetes agree on this latter point.
A distinction must be made
between the hints and insinuations of the whole trinitarian mystery and
certain statements which either in the light of the N.T. or simply in the very
text of the O.T. pertain to the mystery. In this matter, the texts
quoted by the authors of the N.T. books must be carefully analyzed, and also
certain texts understood to refer to the Trinity by the common consent of the
fourth century Fathers in the controversies with the heretics. For since Christ
himself quoted the O.T. to prove his divine sonship, and since the Apostles and
the Church had received the charism or gift of understanding the Scriptures, it
must be said that with these quotes the meaning of the teaching revealed in the
O.T. is not magnified, but simply explained and declared, namely where the mind
of the N.T. author or the consensus of the Fathers or the authority of the
Church is clearly apparent. (Joseph M. Dalmau, “One the One and Triune God,” in
Sacrae Theologiae Summa, 4 vols. [trans. Kenneth Baker; Keep The Faith,
Inc., 2016], 2A:275-76)
