Israel's rejection of Jesus in ignorance is significant because it allowed God to extend mercy and forgiveness to the nation instead of destroying it.
Peter told the nation, 'I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). Les Feldick explains that this ignorance served as 'God's loophole' for Israel — had they knowingly killed their Messiah, God would have been required to destroy them. Because the act was done without full knowledge, the nation could be offered repentance and forgiveness, just as the law's cities of refuge protected a man who killed unintentionally.
Acts 3:17 — Peter directly states that Israel and their rulers killed the Messiah through ignorance, which is the foundational verse for this question.
1 Corinthians 2:8 — Paul explains that the rulers would not have crucified the Lord of glory if they had known who He was.
Luke 23:34 — Jesus prayed for forgiveness from the cross on the grounds that His crucifiers did not know what they were doing.
Scripture plainly records that Israel's leadership rejected and killed Jesus, and that this act is described as one of ignorance. Peter, preaching to the men of Israel, declares, 'And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). Earlier in the same sermon he says, 'ye killed the Prince of life' (Acts 3:15). Jesus Himself prayed from the cross, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34). As Stephen was being stoned, he similarly prayed, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge' (Acts 7:60). Paul gives the deeper explanation in 1 Corinthians 2:8: had the rulers known the hidden wisdom of God, 'they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' Under the Mosaic law, a man who killed another unintentionally — such as when an axe head slipped while hewing wood — could flee to a city of refuge and was not treated as a premeditated murderer (Deuteronomy 19:5). This legal principle is the backdrop for the way Israel's act of ignorance is regarded in the book of Acts.
Les Feldick teaches that Israel's rejection and killing of Jesus was done in ignorance, and that this ignorance is of profound significance — he calls it 'God's loophole for the nation of Israel.' Both Jesus on the cross ('Father, forgive them; they know not what they do') and Peter in Acts 3 ('through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers') pleaded the nation's ignorance. Les explains that had Israel known who Jesus was and still demanded His crucifixion, God would have had to destroy the nation. Because they acted without that knowledge, the nation could be spared and mercy remained possible. Les draws an extended comparison from the law of the cities of refuge. In Israel's law, a man who unintentionally killed another — like a farmer whose tool slips and kills someone he did not see — could flee to a city of refuge and be set free once the city fathers saw his act was not premeditated murder. Les applies this principle directly to Israel: their rejection of the Messiah was done in total ignorance, so they were not treated as common murderers and escaped the death sentence that deliberate rejection would have brought. Les also shows the place of this ignorance in the unfolding of Acts. Peter keeps appealing to Israel to repent of killing their Messiah and to accept their King. Stephen pleads the same ignorance ('Father, they know not what they do'). Israel, however, reaches the crescendo of rejection when it stones Stephen, and from that point the nation slides into dispersion as God turns to the Gentiles. Yet, as Les notes, although no Jew or Roman actually took Jesus' life — He gave it up of His own will — Peter still accuses the nation in God's dealings with her, and Israel's suffering followed. Even so, God promised He would not give up on Israel and will yet fulfill all His promises to the nation.
Les Feldick calls Israel's ignorance 'God's loophole for the nation of Israel.' When Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' — pleading their ignorance. Peter then told the Jewish leaders, 'I know that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). Les emphasizes that if Israel had known who they were killing, God would have been compelled to destroy the nation. But because they acted without knowing, God could hold out mercy and call the nation to repentance.
In the days of the cities of refuge, a man who unintentionally killed another person — as when an axe head slipped while hewing wood — could flee to a city of refuge. If the city fathers determined he had not acted in premeditated murder, he was set free, because his act was done in total ignorance. Les applies this to Israel: had they known Jesus was the Messiah and still demanded His crucifixion, they would have been put to death like a common murderer. But they escaped that verdict because they did not know what they were doing.
Les teaches that Israel reached the crescendo of rejection when they stoned Stephen in Acts 7. From that point onward, Israel slid into dispersion, lost her temple in 70 A.D., and God turned to the Gentiles. Les is careful to note that no Jew or Roman took Jesus' life — He gave it up of His own will — yet Peter, writing under inspiration, accuses the nation of killing her Messiah in God's dealings with her. Israel suffered the loss of temple and land for rejecting the promises, but God promised from the beginning that He would not give up on them and that He will yet bring them back and fulfill every promise made to their forefathers.
Peter's Charge of Ignorance
Les highlights Peter's words — 'through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers' — showing that Peter was still appealing to Israel to recognize the One they had killed as their promised Messiah.
God's Loophole for Israel
Les explains that Christ's prayer from the cross and Peter's words show Israel acted ignorantly, which he calls 'God's loophole' — if they had known who they were killing, God would have had to destroy the nation.
The City of Refuge Illustration
Les compares Israel's rejection of the Messiah to the city of refuge law — an unintentional killing was not treated as murder, so Israel escaped the death sentence because they did not know what they did.
Ignorance Averted Judgment
Les emphasizes that if Israel had acted with knowledge, God would have zapped the whole human race, but because they acted in total ignorance, mercy remained — Peter and Stephen both pleaded this ignorance.
The Rulers Did Not Know
Les notes that Israel could have known from the Scriptures, but they did not — and Paul makes clear that had the rulers known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Peter's burden was to show Israel who it was they had murdered.
Repentance Still Offered
Les shows Peter calling Israel to repent of killing their Messiah, noting the nation had not yet been forgiven of that rejection — and he warns that this teaching should never be twisted into an excuse for anti-Semitism.
The Crescendo at Stephen's Stoning
Les teaches that despite repeated appeals for repentance, Israel reached the crescendo of her rejection when she stoned Stephen, after which she slid into dispersion and God turned to the Gentiles.
Consequences and God's Faithfulness
Les clarifies that although Jesus laid down His own life, Peter still accuses the nation in God's dealings with her — Israel suffered loss of temple and land, yet God promised never to give up on her and will yet fulfill every promise.
Acts 3:17: And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Peter's explicit statement that Israel's rulers crucified Jesus in ignorance, forming the biblical basis for the entire question.
Acts 3:15: And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Peter identifies the seriousness of the act — the nation killed the very Prince of life — yet still calls them to repent.
Luke 23:34: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Jesus Himself grounds His prayer for forgiveness in the ignorance of His crucifiers.
1 Corinthians 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Paul confirms that the rulers would not have crucified Jesus if they had known His true identity.
Deuteronomy 19:5: As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the wood escapeth out of his hand, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
The city of refuge law Les cites to show that unintentional killing was treated differently from premeditated murder.
Acts 7:59-60: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen's prayer mirrors Christ's, pleading that the sin not be charged against his killers — the point at which Les says Israel reached the crescendo of rejection.
Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
The call to repentance that Peter extends to the nation because their sin was done in ignorance.
According to Peter, the nation and its rulers acted in ignorance: 'through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). Jesus Himself prayed from the cross, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34). Les Feldick emphasizes that Israel could have known from the Scriptures, but they did not.
Les teaches that because Israel rejected Jesus without fully knowing who He was, God had a basis to extend mercy — he calls it 'God's loophole.' Had they known and deliberately killed Him, God would have had to destroy the nation. Their ignorance left room for repentance and forgiveness.
In the law, a person who killed someone unintentionally could flee to a city of refuge and be freed if the death was not premeditated. Les applies that principle to Israel: their killing of the Messiah was done in ignorance, not with full knowledge, so they were not treated as premeditated murderers.
Les teaches Israel reached the crescendo of rejection at Stephen's stoning (Acts 7). From then the nation slid into dispersion, lost its temple in 70 A.D., and God turned to the Gentiles — yet He promised He would not give up on Israel and would still fulfill His promises to them.
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