Thomas Aquinas, on 1Thess 2:15

“Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men;”

“Then when Paul observes, who killed both the Lord Jesus, he rebukes the Jews who started the persecution. First, he recalls their sin, and then the reason for the sin (2:16). In regard to the first point Paul does three things: first, he treats their sin in relation to God's ministers; secondly, with reference to God Himself; and thirdly as relating to the entire human race. The ministers of God are those who preach, namely, Christ, the prophets and the apostles. Preaching is performed by Christ as the one from whom the doctrine originates, by the prophets who prefigured this doctrine, and by the apostles who carry out the injunction to preach. Paul first makes reference to Christ when he says: who killed the Lord Jesus, as is clear from Matthew (21:38): "This is the heir; come, let us kill him." That it was the Gentiles who killed him is not a valid objection, for the Jews with their own words asked Pilate to kill him: "My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest, she has lifted up her voice against me" (Jer. 12:8). Paul then speaks of the prophets when he mentions: and the prophets. "Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered" (Acts 7:52). Paul next speaks of the apostles when he comments: and drove us out, that is, the apostles. "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues" (Matt. 10:17). Secondly, Paul mentions the sin of the Jews in its relation to God, with the words: and displease God, although they may think that through this they do a service to God, as is evident in John 16. Actually, because they do not have zeal for God in accordance with knowledge, they are not pleasing to God, since they do not act in keeping with right faith and "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11:6); "therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and smote them" (Is. 5:25). Thirdly, Paul considers their sin in its relation to the whole human race, when he says: and oppose all men. "His hand against every man and every man's hand against him" (Gen. 16:12).”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.