Deity of Christ
How can Jesus be both God and man if he did not know everything during his time on earth?
Quick answer
Christians believe that Jesus possesses two distinct natures: divine and human. While in his human form, he experienced limitations such as not knowing the day or hour of the end times, this does not negate his divine omniscience as God.
Full argument
The doctrine of the dual nature of Christ, known as the hypostatic union, asserts that Jesus is fully God and fully man. As God, he is omniscient, eternal, and unchanging, while as man, he experienced the limitations of time and space. This means that during his earthly ministry, Jesus operated within the confines of human experience, which included a genuine growth in wisdom and knowledge. For example, Mark 13:32 states that 'no one knows, not even the Son, but only the Father,' indicating that in his human consciousness, Jesus did not possess the full scope of divine knowledge. However, this does not imply that he was not God; rather, it highlights the mystery of his incarnation where he voluntarily set aside certain divine attributes while on earth. Furthermore, the New Testament presents numerous passages that affirm Jesus' divine knowledge, such as John 1:1, which states that 'the Word was God,' and Hebrews 1:3, which describes him as 'the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.' These verses demonstrate that Jesus, as the Son, shares the same divine knowledge as the Father, thus affirming his omniscience in his divine nature.
Key verses
Mark 13:32bible
But concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
John 1:1bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 1:3bible
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
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