Chapter X.
He proves Christ’s Divinity from the blasphemy of
Judaizing Jews as well as from the confession of converts to the faith
of Christ.
But
if you would like to have
this proved to you rather from representatives of the Jews, consider
the Jewish people when after their unhappy ignorance and wicked
persecution they were converted, and acknowledged God here and there,
and see whether they could not rightly say, “Thou art our God,
and we knew Thee not.” But I will add something else, to prove it
to you not only from those Jews who confess Him, but also from those
who deny Him. For ask those Jews who still continue in their state of
unbelief whether they know or believe in God. They will certainly
confess that they both know and believe in Him. But on the other hand
ask them whether they believe in the Son of God. They will at once deny
and begin to blaspheme against Him. You see then that the Prophet said
this of Him of whom the Jews have always been ignorant, and whom now
they know not; and not of Him whom they imagine that they believe in
and confess. And so full well can those, who after having been in
ignorance come out of Judaism to the faith, say, “Thou art our
God, and we knew Thee not.” For rightly do those, who after
having been ignorant come to believe, say that they knew not Him in
whom up to this time they have not believed, and whom they strive not
to know. For it is clear that those who after their previous ignorance
come to confess Him, say that formerly they knew Him not, whom up to
this time they have ignorantly denied.