John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 2:8

"which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:" — 1 Corinthians 2:8 (ASV)

None of the princes of this world knew. If you supply the words by their own discernment, the statement would not be more applicable to them than to the generality of mankind, and the very lowest of the people; for what are the attainments of all of us in this matter, from the greatest to the least?

Perhaps we may say that princes, rather than others, are charged with blindness and ignorance for this reason: they alone appear in the view of the world clear-sighted and wise. At the same time, I would prefer to understand the expression more simply, consistent with the common usage of Scripture, which usually speaks in terms of universality about things that happen ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ (that is, commonly), and also makes negative statements in terms of universality about things that happen only ἐπὶ ἔλαττον (that is, very seldom). In this sense, there would be nothing inconsistent with this statement, even if a few men of distinction, elevated above others in terms of dignity, were found who were at the same time endowed with the pure knowledge of God.

For had they known. The wisdom of God shone forth clearly in Christ, and yet there the princes did not perceive it. For those who took the lead in the crucifixion of Christ were, on the one hand, the chief men of the Jews, highly regarded for holiness and wisdom, and on the other hand, Pilate and the Roman empire.

In this, we have a most distinct proof of the utter blindness of all who are wise only according to the flesh. This argument of the Apostle, however, might appear to be weak: “What! Do we not every day see people who, with deliberate malice, fight against the truth of God, of which they are not ignorant? Indeed, even if such a manifest rebellion were not seen by us with our own eyes, what else is the sin against the Holy Ghost than a willful obstinacy against God, when a person knowingly and willingly not only opposes His word but even fights against it?”

“This is also why Christ declares that the Pharisees, and others of that description, knew Him (John 7:28), while He deprives them of all pretext of ignorance and accuses them of impious cruelty in persecuting Him, the faithful servant of the Father, for no other reason than that they hated the truth.”

I answer that there are two kinds of ignorance. The one arises from inconsiderate zeal, not expressly rejecting what is good, but from having an impression that it is evil. No one, it is true, sins in ignorance in such a way as not to be, in the meantime, chargeable in the sight of God with an evil conscience, as there is always a mixture of hypocrisy, pride, or contempt. However, at the same time, judgment and all intelligence in the human mind are sometimes so effectively choked that nothing but bare ignorance is to be seen by others, or even by the individual himself.

Such was Paul before he was enlightened. The reason he hated Christ and was hostile to His doctrine was that he was, through ignorance, hurried away with a preposterous zeal for the law. Yet he was not devoid of hypocrisy, nor exempt from pride, so as to be free from blame in the sight of God; but those vices were so completely covered over with ignorance and blindness that they were not perceived or felt even by himself.

The other kind of ignorance has more of the appearance of insanity and derangement than of mere ignorance. For those who of their own accord rise up against God are like people in a frenzy, who, seeing, see not (Matthew 13:13). Indeed, it must be regarded as a settled point that infidelity is always blind. But the difference is this: in some cases, malice is covered over with blindness to such a degree that the individual, through a kind of stupidity, is without any perception of his own wickedness.

This is the case with those who, with a good intention (as they say), or in other words, a foolish imagination, deceive themselves. In some cases, malice has the ascendancy in such a way that, in spite of the checks of conscience, the individual rushes forward into this sort of wickedness with a kind of madness.

Hence, it is no wonder that Paul declares that the princes of this world would not have crucified Christ, had they known the wisdom of God. For the Pharisees and Scribes did not recognize Christ’s doctrine as true, and consequently, they were bewildered in their mind and wandered on in their own darkness.