THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
"I have disclosed Your name to the men whom You have entrusted to Me," He stated (John 17:6). So what does this imply? Did they not possess knowledge of God's name, despite being Jews? Where do we find the declaration, "God is known in Judah; Israel possesses a majestic name" (Psalm 75:2)? Therefore, when He says, "I have disclosed Your name to those men whom You have chosen from the world, who hear Me saying this," it refers not merely to the name by which You are called God, but rather to the name that signifies You as My Father; this name can only be made known through the revelation of the Son Himself. For the divine name as the Creator of all that exists could not possibly be concealed from the nations, even prior to their faith in Christ.
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The essence of true divinity is such that it cannot be entirely hidden from the rational being who utilizes their intellect. In truth, with only a few exceptions of those whose nature is profoundly corrupt, the entirety of humanity acknowledges God as the Creator of the cosmos. Thus, concerning His act of creation of this tangible world, God was recognized by all nations, even before they received instruction in the faith of Christ. Yet, regarding the fact that He should not be venerated alongside false deities, His identity was understood in Judea. As for His role as the Father of Christ, through whom He took away the sins of the world, this name, which had been concealed from all, was now disclosed by Christ to those whom His Father had given Him from the world.
The Jewish people often take pride in the psalm we have recited, proclaiming, "God is known in Judah, His name is great in Israel," while disparaging the Gentiles who lack knowledge of God. They claim to be the sole possessors of this knowledge because the Prophet declared, "God is known in Judah." Hence, in other regions, He is deemed unknown. However, God is, in truth, recognized in Judea, provided one understands the essence of Judea itself. Indeed, God is recognized only in Judea. It is often said that without having been in Judea, one cannot truly know God. But what does the Apostle declare? "He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter." (Rom.
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2:29) Thus, we identify two kinds of Jews: those with the physical circumcision and those with the circumcision of the heart. Many of our revered ancestors possessed both the physical circumcision as a sign of faith and the circumcision of the heart, which represents faith itself. From these ancestors, the current ones have descended, who boast in their lineage yet have abandoned their faithful deeds; they remain Jews by ethnicity but Gentiles in spirit. The Jews are those who descended from Abraham, who had Isaac, who in turn had Jacob, from whom emerged the twelve Patriarchs, and ultimately, all the people of Judah. They were called Jews due to Judah being one of Jacob's twelve sons, leading to the royal lineage among them. The descendants of Jacob formed twelve tribes, which can be conceptualized as separate families or communities. As such, this people consisted of twelve tribes, one of which was Judah, known for kings, and another was Levi, recognized for priests. Since no land was designated for the priests serving in the Temple (Num. 18:20), the entirety of the Promised Land was divided among the twelve tribes. When we mention Joseph, he had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Before his death, Jacob embraced his grandsons as his own, stating to Joseph, "The others who are born shall be yours; they will share in the inheritance alongside their relatives." (Gen. 48:5) Though the land had not yet been allocated, Jacob spoke prophetically. If we consider Joseph’s two sons, this results in thirteen tribes; however, excluding the priestly tribe of Levi, we revert to twelve. Within these twelve, the tribe of Judah produced kings. Initially, Saul, from a different tribe, was given reign (1 Samuel 9:1) but was dismissed as a wicked ruler. In contrast, King David arose from the tribe of Judah, and subsequently, kingship continued in that lineage. Jacob proclaimed, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until He comes to whom it belongs." (Gen. 49:10) Our Lord Jesus Christ originates from this tribe of Judah, as the scriptures affirm, being of David’s lineage, born from Mary. (2 Tim. 2:8) In His divine nature, wherein He is equal to the Father, Christ existed not only before the Jews but also before Abraham himself (John 8:58), before Adam, and even before the creation of heaven and earth, as all things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made. (Jn. 1:3) Prophecy declares, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah," indicating the continuity of Judean kings, with foreign rule commencing only with Herod, who reigned at the time of the Lord's birth. Henceforth, foreign kings have emerged since Herod’s rule (Luke 3:1). Prior to Herod, all rulers were from Judah, continuing until the promise was fulfilled with the arrival of the Lord. Consequently, the kingdom of Judah was dissolved when the true King arrived, leaving the Jews without a sovereign because they failed to recognize Him. Consider whether they still deserve the title of Jews. Their own actions reveal they cannot rightfully bear that name; they declared, "We have no king but Caesar." (John 19:15) O you who presume to be Jews but are not! If your allegiance is solely to Caesar, it indicates that the true Prince of the Jews has not prevailed; indeed, the One to whom the promise was given has come. The true Jews are those who, from within the Judaic fold, embraced Christianity; the rest who reject Christ forfeit even their identity. Thus, the essence of true Judea lies within the Church of Christ, which believes in the King who heralded from the tribe of Judah through the Virgin Mary; it believes in Him of whom the Apostle wrote to Timothy, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel." (2 Tim. 2:8) David belongs to Judah, and from David arises the Lord Jesus Christ. We who believe in Christ are part of Judah and acknowledge Him. Even though we have not seen Him with our own eyes, we hold Him in faith. Therefore, let not those who are no longer true Jews criticize us; their own claim of allegiance to Caesar renders them ineligible for the title. It would be more fitting for them to embrace Christ, of David’s lineage and from Judah. Nonetheless, since Christ is indeed a descendant of David by birth, He reigns as our King and our God; our King by virtue of being from Judah, the Saviour who is Christ the Lord; our God, existing before Judah, all of creation, as all things were brought into being through Him, irrespective of spiritual or physical realms. If all creations were made by Him, even Mary, His mother, was created by Him. In Judah, God is recognized; in Israel, His Name is exalted. (Psalm 75:1) We should understand Israel similarly to Judah: as they are not true Jews, so likewise, they are not true Israelites. What defines Israel? A person who perceives God. And how do they perceive God? In the flesh, He walked among them, yet they, concerning Him as merely a man, brought about His death... His Name is indeed great in Israel. Will you aspire to be an Israelite? Consider the individual whom the Lord referred to as, "Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit." (John 1:47) If a true Israelite is without deceit, then the wicked and crafty do not fit that description. Thus, let them refrain from claiming God's favor, asserting that His name is revered in Israel. They must demonstrate their true Israelite identity, and only then can I concede that His Name is indeed great in Israel.