Whether Christ's Persecutors Knew Who He Was?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's persecutors did know who He
was. For it is written (Matt. 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.
Obj. 2: Further, our Lord says (John 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.
Obj. 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" (Luke 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 (John 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 (John 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 John 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 Obj. 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"
(Luke 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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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