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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should have preached to the
Jews without offending them. For, as Augustine says (De Agone
Christ. xi): "In the Man Jesus Christ, a model of life is
given us by the Son of God." But we should avoid offending not only
the faithful, but even unbelievers, according to 1 Cor.
10:32: "Be without offense to the Jews, and to the Gentiles,
and to the Church of God." Therefore it seems that, in His
teaching, Christ should also have avoided giving offense to the
Jews.
Objection 2: Further, no wise man should do anything that will
hinder the result of his labor. Now through the disturbance which His
teaching occasioned among the Jews, it was deprived of its results;
for it is written (Lk. 11:53,54) that when our Lord
reproved the Pharisees and Scribes, they "began vehemently to urge
Him, end to oppress His mouth about many things; lying in wait for
Him, and seeking to catch something from His mouth, that they might
accuse Him." It seems therefore unfitting that He should have given
them offense by His teaching.
Objection 3: Further, the Apostle says (1 Tim. 5:1):
"An ancient man rebuke not; but entreat him as a father." But the
priests and princes of the Jews were the elders of that people.
Therefore it seems that they should not have been rebuked with
severity.
On the contrary, It was foretold (Is. 8:14) that Christ
would be "for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to the two
houses of Israel."
I answer that, The salvation of the multitude is to be preferred to
the peace of any individuals whatsoever. Consequently, when certain
ones, by their perverseness, hinder the salvation of the multitude,
the preacher and the teacher should not fear to offend those men, in
order that he may insure the salvation of the multitude. Now the
Scribes and Pharisees and the princes of the Jews were by their
malice a considerable hindrance to the salvation of the people, both
because they opposed themselves to Christ's doctrine, which was the
only way to salvation, and because their evil ways corrupted the morals
of the people. For which reason our Lord, undeterred by their taking
offense, publicly taught the truth which they hated, and condemned
their vices. Hence we read (Mt. 15:12,14) that when the
disciples of our Lord said: "Dost Thou know that the Pharisees,
when they heard this word, were scandalized?" He answered: "Let
them alone: they are blind and leaders of the blind; and if the blind
lead the blind, both fall into the pit."
Reply to Objection 1: A man ought so to avoid giving offense, as
neither by wrong deed or word to be the occasion of anyone's downfall.
"But if scandal arise from truth, the scandal should be borne rather
than the truth be set aside," as Gregory says (Hom. vii in
Ezech.).
Reply to Objection 2: By publicly reproving the Scribes and
Pharisees, Christ promoted rather than hindered the effect of His
teaching. Because when the people came to know the vices of those
men, they were less inclined to be prejudiced against Christ by
hearing what was said of Him by the Scribes and Pharisees, who were
ever withstanding His doctrine.
Reply to Objection 3: This saying of the Apostle is to be
understood of those elders whose years are reckoned not only in age and
authority, but also in probity; according to Num. 11:16:
"Gather unto Me seventy men of the ancients of Israel, whom thou
knowest to be ancients . . . of the people." But if by sinning
openly they turn the authority of their years into an instrument of
wickedness, they should be rebuked openly and severely, as also
Daniel says (Dan. 13:52): "O thou that art grown old in
evil days," etc.
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