. 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 (Rom. 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 Rom. 13:1: "Those things which are of God are well ordered
[Vulg.: 'those that are, are ordained of God']." 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 Matt. 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 (Isa. 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 Matt. 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 (Matt. 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