Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should have preached not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. For it is written (Is. 49:6): "It is a small thing that thou shouldst be My servant to raise up the tribes of Israel and to convert the dregs of Jacob : behold, I have given thee to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth." But Christ gave light and salvation through His doctrine. Therefore it seems that it was "a small thing" that He preached to Jews alone, and not to the Gentiles.

Objection 2: Further, as it is written (Mt. 7:29): "He was teaching them as one having power." Now the power of doctrine is made more manifest in the instruction of those who, like the Gentiles, have received no tidings whatever; hence the Apostle says (Rm. 15:20): "I have so preached the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation." Therefore much rather should Christ have preached to the Gentiles than to the Jews.

Objection 3: Further, it is more useful to instruct many than one. But Christ instructed some individual Gentiles, such as the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4) and the Chananaean woman (Mt. 15). Much more reason, therefore, was there for Christ to preach to the Gentiles in general.

On the contrary, our Lord said (Mt. 15:24): "I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel." And (Rm. 10:15) it is written: "How shall they preach unless they be sent?" Therefore Christ should not have preached to the Gentiles.

I answer that, It was fitting that Christ's preaching, whether through Himself or through His apostles, should be directed at first to the Jews alone. First, in order to show that by His coming the promises were fulfilled which had been made to the Jews of old, and not to the Gentiles. Thus the Apostle says (Rm. 15:8): "I say that Christ . . . was minister of the circumcision," i.e. the apostle and preacher of the Jews, "for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers."

Secondly, in order to show that His coming was of God; because, as is written Rm. 13:1: "Those things which are of God are well ordered " . Now the right order demanded that the doctrine of Christ should be made known first to the Jews, who, by believing in and worshiping one God, were nearer to God, and that it should be transmitted through them to the Gentiles: just as in the heavenly hierarchy the Divine enlightenment comes to the lower angels through the higher. Hence on Mt. 15:24, "I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost in the house of Israel," Jerome says: "He does not mean by this that He was not sent to the Gentiles, but that He was sent to the Jews first." And so we read (Is. 66:19): "I will send of them that shall be saved," i.e. of the Jews, "to the Gentiles . . . and they shall declare My glory unto the Gentiles."

Thirdly, in order to deprive the Jews of ground for quibbling. Hence on Mt. 10:5, "Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles." Jerome says: "It behooved Christ's coming to be announced to the Jews first, lest they should have a valid excuse, and say that they had rejected our Lord because He had sent His apostles to the Gentiles and Samaritans."

Fourthly, because it was through the triumph of the cross that Christ merited power and lordship over the Gentiles. Hence it is written (Apoc. 2:26,28): "He that shall overcome . . . I will give him power over the nations . . . as I also have received of My Father"; and that because He became "obedient unto the death of the cross, God hath exalted Him . . . that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . ." and that "every tongue should confess Him" (Phil. 2:8-11). Consequently He did not wish His doctrine to be preached to the Gentiles before His Passion: it was after His Passion that He said to His disciples (Mt. 28:19): "Going, teach ye all nations." For this reason it was that when, shortly before His Passion, certain Gentiles wished to see Jesus, He said: "Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground dieth, itself remaineth alone: but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit" (Jn. 12:20-25); and as Augustine says, commenting on this passage: "He called Himself the grain of wheat that must be mortified by the unbelief of the Jews, multiplied by the faith of the nations."

Reply to Objection 1: Christ was given to be the light and salvation of the Gentiles through His disciples, whom He sent to preach to them.

Reply to Objection 2: It is a sign, not of lesser, but of greater power to do something by means of others rather than by oneself. And thus the Divine power of Christ was specially shown in this, that He bestowed on the teaching of His disciples such a power that they converted the Gentiles to Christ, although these had heard nothing of Him.

Now the power of Christ's teaching is to be considered in the miracles by which He confirmed His doctrine, in the efficacy of His persuasion, and in the authority of His words, for He spoke as being Himself above the Law when He said: "But I say to you" (Mt. 5:22,28,32,34,39,44); and, again, in the force of His righteousness shown in His sinless manner of life.

Reply to Objection 3: Just as it was unfitting that Christ should at the outset make His doctrine known to the Gentiles equally with the Jews, in order that He might appear as being sent to the Jews, as to the first-born people; so neither was it fitting for Him to neglect the Gentiles altogether, lest they should be deprived of the hope of salvation. For this reason certain individual Gentiles were admitted, on account of the excellence of their faith and devotedness.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod christus non solum Iudaeis, sed etiam gentibus debuerit praedicare.

Dicitur enim Isaiae XLIX, parum est ut sis mihi servus ad suscitandas tribus Israel et faeces Iacob convertendas, dedi te in lucem gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extrema terrae.

Sed lumen et salutem christus praebuit per suam doctrinam. Ergo videtur parum fuisse si solum Iudaeis, et non gentibus praedicavit.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, sicut dicitur Matth. VII, erat docens eos sicut potestatem habens.

Sed maior potestas doctrinae ostenditur in instructione illorum qui penitus nihil audierunt, quales erant gentiles, unde apostolus dicit, Rom. XV, sic praedicavi evangelium, non ubi nominatus est christus, ne super alienum fundamentum aedificarem.

Ergo multo magis christus praedicare debuit gentilibus quam Iudaeis.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, utilior est instructio multorum quam unius. Sed christus aliquos gentilium instruxit, sicut mulierem Samaritanam, Ioan. IV, et chananaeam, Matth. XV.

Ergo videtur quod, multo fortius, christus debuerit multitudini gentium praedicare.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dominus dicit, Matth. XV, non sum missus nisi ad oves quae perierunt domus Israel.

Sed Rom. X dicitur, quomodo praedicabunt nisi mittantur? ergo christus non debuit praedicare gentibus.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod conveniens fuit praedicationem christi, tam per ipsum quam per apostolos, a principio solis Iudaeis exhiberi. Primo quidem, ut ostenderet per suum adventum impleri promissiones antiquitus factas Iudaeis, non autem gentilibus.

Unde apostolus dicit, Rom. XV, dico christum ministrum fuisse circumcisionis, idest apostolum et praedicatorem Iudaeorum, propter veritatem dei, ad confirmandas promissiones patrum.

Secundo, ut eius adventus ostenderetur esse a deo.

Quae enim a deo sunt, ordinata sunt, ut dicitur Rom. XIII.

Hoc autem debitus ordo exigebat, ut Iudaeis, qui deo erant propinquiores per fidem et cultum unius dei, prius quidem doctrina christi proponeretur, et per eos transmitteretur ad gentes, sicut etiam et in caelesti hierarchia per superiores Angelos ad inferiores divinae illuminationes deveniunt.

Unde super illud Matth. XV, non sum missus nisi ad oves quae perierunt domus Israel, dicit Hieronymus, non hoc dicit quin ad gentes missus sit, sed quod primum ad Israel missus est.

Unde et Isaiae ult. Dicitur, mittam ex eis qui salvati fuerint, scilicet ex Iudaeis, ad gentes, et annuntiabunt gloriam meam gentibus.

Tertio, ut Iudaeis auferret calumniandi materiam.

Unde super illud Matth. X, in viam gentium ne abieritis, dicit Hieronymus, oportebat primum adventum christi nuntiari Iudaeis, ne iustam haberent excusationem, dicentes ideo se dominum reiecisse, quia ad gentes et Samaritanos apostolos miserit.

Quarto, quia christus per crucis victoriam meruit potestatem et dominium super gentes.

Unde dicitur Apoc. II, qui vicerit, dabo ei potestatem super gentes, sicut et ego accepi a patre meo.

Et philipp. II, quod, quia factus est obediens usque ad mortem crucis, deus exaltavit illum, ut in nomine iesu omne genu flectatur, et omnis lingua ei confiteatur.

Et ideo ante passionem suam noluit gentibus praedicari suam doctrinam, sed post passionem suam dixit discipulis, Matth. Ult., euntes, docete omnes gentes.

Propter quod, ut legitur Ioan. XII, cum, imminente passione, quidam gentiles vellent videre iesum, respondit, nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet, si autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert.

Et, sicut Augustinus dicit ibidem, se dicebat granum mortificandum in infidelitate Iudaeorum, multiplicandum in fide populorum.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod christus fuit in lumen et salutem gentium per discipulos suos, quos ad praedicandum gentibus misit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod non est minoris potestatis, sed maioris, facere aliquid per alios, quam per seipsum. Et ideo in hoc maxime potestas divina in christo monstrata est, quod discipulis suis tantam virtutem contulit in docendo, ut gentes, quae nihil de christo audierant, converterent ad ipsum. Potestas autem christi in docendo attenditur et quantum ad miracula, per quae doctrinam suam confirmabat; et quantum ad efficaciam persuadendi; et quantum ad auctoritatem loquentis, quia loquebatur quasi dominium habens super legem, cum diceret, ego autem dico vobis; et etiam quantum ad virtutem rectitudinis quam in sua conversatione monstrabat, sine peccato vivendo.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod, sicut christus non debuit a principio indifferenter gentilibus suam doctrinam communicare, ut Iudaeis tanquam primogenito populo deditus observaretur; ita etiam non debuit gentiles omnino repellere, ne spes salutis eis praecluderetur. Et propter hoc aliqui gentilium particulariter sunt admissi, propter excellentiam fidei et devotionis eorum.