Obj. 2: Further, according to Acts 10:34, 35, "God is not a respecter
of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh
justice, is acceptable to Him." Therefore the way of salvation should
not have been opened to one people more than to another.

Obj. 3: Further, the law was given through the angels, as stated
above (A. 3). But God always vouchsafed the ministrations of the
angels not to the Jews alone, but to all nations: for it is written
(Ecclus. 17:14): "Over every nation He set a ruler." Also on all
nations He bestows temporal goods, which are of less account with God
than spiritual goods. Therefore He should have given the Law also to
all peoples.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Rom. 3:1, 2): "What advantage then
hath the Jew? . . . Much every way. First indeed, because the words
of God were committed to them": and (Ps. 147:9): "He hath not done in
like manner to every nation: and His judgments He hath not made
manifest unto them."

_I answer that,_ It might be assigned as a reason for the Law being
given to the Jews rather than to other peoples, that the Jewish
people alone remained faithful to the worship of one God, while the
others turned away to idolatry; wherefore the latter were unworthy to
receive the Law, lest a holy thing should be given to dogs.

But this reason does not seem fitting: because that people turned to
idolatry, even after the Law had been made, which was more grievous,
as is clear from Ex. 32 and from Amos 5:25, 26: "Did you offer
victims and sacrifices to Me in the desert for forty years, O house
of Israel? But you carried a tabernacle for your Moloch, and the
image of your idols, the star of your god, which you made to
yourselves." Moreover it is stated expressly (Deut. 9:6): "Know
therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this excellent land
in possession for thy justices, for thou art a very stiff-necked
people": but the real reason is given in the preceding verse: "That
the Lord might accomplish His word, which He promised by oath to thy
fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

What this promise was is shown by the Apostle, who says (Gal. 3:16)
that "to Abraham were the promises made and to his seed. He saith
not, 'And to his seeds,' as of many: but as of one, 'And to thy
seed,' which is Christ." And so God vouchsafed both the Law and other
special boons to that people, on account of the promised made to
their fathers that Christ should be born of them.