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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's persecutors did know who
He was. For it is written (Mt. 21:38) that the husbandmen
seeing the son said within themselves: "This is the heir; come, let
us kill him." On this Jerome remarks: "Our Lord proves most
manifestly by these words that the rulers of the Jews crucified the
Son of God, not from ignorance, but out of envy: for they
understood that it was He to whom the Father says by the Prophet:
'Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy
inheritance.'" It seems, therefore, that they knew Him to be
Christ or the Son of God.
Objection 2: Further, our Lord says (Jn. 15:24): "But
now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father." Now what
is seen is known manifestly. Therefore the Jews, knowing Christ,
inflicted the Passion on Him out of hatred.
Objection 3: Further, it is said in a sermon delivered in the
Council of Ephesus (P. iii, cap. x): "Just as he who tears up
the imperial message is doomed to die, as despising the prince's
word; so the Jew, who crucified Him whom he had seen, will pay the
penalty for daring to lay his hands on God the Word Himself." Now
this would not be so had they not known Him to be the Son of God,
because their ignorance would have excused them. Therefore it seems
that the Jews in crucifying Christ knew Him to be the Son of God.
On the contrary, It is written (1 Cor. 2:8): "If they had
known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." And
(Acts 3:17), Peter, addressing the Jews, says: "I know
that you did it through ignorance, as did also your rulers."
Likewise the Lord hanging upon the cross said: "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34).
I answer that, Among the Jews some were elders, and others of
lesser degree. Now according to the author of De Qq. Nov. et
Vet. Test., qu. lxvi, the elders, who were called "rulers,
knew," as did also the devils, "that He was the Christ promised in
the Law: for they saw all the signs in Him which the prophets said
would come to pass: but they did not know the mystery of His
Godhead." Consequently the Apostle says: "If they had known it,
they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." It must,
however, be understood that their ignorance did not excuse them from
crime, because it was, as it were, affected ignorance. For they saw
manifest signs of His Godhead; yet they perverted them out of hatred
and envy of Christ; neither would they believe His words, whereby
He avowed that He was the Son of God. Hence He Himself says of
them (Jn. 15:22): "If I had not come, and spoken to them,
they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin."
And afterwards He adds (Jn. 15:24): "If I had not done
among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have
sin." And so the expression employed by Job (21:14) can be
accepted on their behalf: "(Who) said to God: depart from us, we
desire not the knowledge of Thy ways."
But those of lesser degree---namely, the common folk---who had
not grasped the mysteries of the Scriptures, did not fully comprehend
that He was the Christ or the Son of God. For although some of
them believed in Him, yet the multitude did not; and if they doubted
sometimes whether He was the Christ, on account of the manifold signs
and force of His teaching, as is stated Jn. 7:31,41,
nevertheless they were deceived afterwards by their rulers, so that
they did not believe Him to be the Son of God or the Christ. Hence
Peter said to them: "I know that you did it through ignorance, as
did also your rulers"---namely, because they were seduced by the
rulers.
Reply to Objection 1: Those words are spoken by the husbandmen of
the vineyard; and these signify the rulers of the people, who knew
Him to be the heir, inasmuch as they knew Him to be the Christ
promised in the Law, but the words of Ps. 2:8 seem to militate
against this answer: "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the
Gentiles for Thy inheritance"; which are addressed to Him of whom
it is said: "Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee."
If, then, they knew Him to be the one to whom the words were
addressed: "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the Gentiles for
Thy inheritance," it follows that they knew Him to be the Son of
God. Chrysostom, too, says upon the same passage that "they knew
Him to be the Son of God." Bede likewise, commenting on the
words, "For they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34),
says: "It is to be observed that He does not pray for them who,
understanding Him to be the Son of God, preferred to crucify Him
rather than acknowledge Him." But to this it may be replied that
they knew Him to be the Son of God, not from His Nature, but from
the excellence of His singular grace.
Yet we may hold that they are said to have known also that He was
verily the Son of God, in that they had evident signs thereof: yet
out of hatred and envy, they refused credence to these signs, by which
they might have known that He was the Son of God.
Reply to Objection 2: The words quoted are preceded by the
following: "If I had not done among them the works that no other man
hath done, they would not have sin"; and then follow the words:
"But now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father."
Now all this shows that while they beheld Christ's marvelous works,
it was owing to their hatred that they did not know Him to be the Son
of God.
Reply to Objection 3: Affected ignorance does not excuse from
guilt, but seems, rather, to aggravate it: for it shows that a man
is so strongly attached to sin that he wishes to incur ignorance lest he
avoid sinning. The Jews therefore sinned, as crucifiers not only of
the Man-Christ, but also as of God.
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