The Divine Knowledge of Jesus Christ By Dudley Spears

Modernists and others seek to make Jesus just an ordinary man by surmising that he was ignorant of some facts. They imagine he thus “limited” his possession of the attributes of God, which include omniscience. Many of these modernists appeal to Mark 13:32-33 as proof Jesus was ignorant of “that day” of reckoning. The passage reads, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Not one modernist has yet responded to the fact that if this means Jesus was ignorant, it also means the Holy Spirit was ignorant. If it makes Jesus a “lesser” god, it does the same for the Holy Spirit. But that is the way modernists, not Christians, think.

It is a typical of modernistic ploy to take one verse from the entire Bible that says only the Father knew this one fact, and pit it against everything else said about the divine knowledge of our marvelous Savior. But, again, that is modernist’s and not a Christian’s thinking. Against this modernistic ploy, Paul said of our Lord, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” In the same context he added, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:3, 9).

Modernists opine Jesus, as an ordinary man, actually learned everything just as other lads of his day. Well, the fact is that Jesus was not an ordinary little boy growing up in Nazareth. He was “God with us,” “God manifest in the flesh” and “God blessed forever” (Matt 1:21; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:8-9). The modernist view of Jesus makes him a limited form of “God”. That is just plain error. Jesus proved to those closest to him that he “knew all things,” and was the Son of God, the Christ (John 16:30; 21:17).

Jesus manifested his possession of omniscience on several occasions, proving that while on earth he was fully, not partially God. He knew his origin and destiny (John 8:23;16:16). He knew he was not of human origin and consistently referred to God as his father (John 5:17). He thus made himself equal with God (verse 18). He knew the glory waiting just beyond the cross (John 17:5; Heb. 12:1-3). No, Jesus didn’t have to go to Rabbinical Schools to learn. He manifested divine knowledge without any formal education. “And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15).

Modernists tell us Jesus “increased in wisdom,” (Luke 2:52) and therefore didn’t know everything. They ignore the fact that knowledge and wisdom are not the same. In this they blunder just like Joseph Smith, Jr. The charlatan Smith began Mormonism by claiming he asked the Lord for wisdom “to know” which church was the right one. He misapplied James 1:5. What he claims to have received was knowledge, or information, not wisdom.. Wisdom and knowledge are not the same thing.

The text says Jesus “increased in wisdom.” “Increase” in this verse means “advancement through practice or experience.” No scripture affirms Jesus increased in knowledge. One without knowledge may “increase knowledge” (Eccl. 1:18), but that is never said of Jesus. If it is, let some modernist point to the passage.

The text that tells us Jesus increased in wisdom says he also increased in “favor with God.” Is it even partially thinkable that God’s favor was not with Jesus in the fullest? Can a Bible believer even imagine that as Jesus grew, got more education and continued being good, God granted him more and more favor? Certainly not!. There was never a time when Jesus did not enjoy the complete fullness of God’s favor. Apparently modernists don’t agree.

Jesus increased in the favor of God the same way he increased in wisdom. He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) at each stage of his development in the body prepared for him (Heb. 10:5). To say Jesus had to increase in God’s favor, in the same way some say he increased in wisdom, is to contend that Jesus was not always in the full favor of God. But the Bible teaches us he was full of grace and truth from the time he came into the world. It is a denial of what John 1:14 says. This is hardly acceptable to sincere Bible students.

The scripture says Jesus learned. It tells us he “learned obedience by the things he suffered” (Heb. 5:8) but “learned” in this passage means learning through practice. Note 1 Tim 5:13 -- “And withal they learn to be idle” The word for receiving instruction is paideuo and is used of acquiring knowledge from instruction (Acts 7:22). Can you find a verse in scripture that proves Jesus received paideuo? If so, will you produce it? Jesus had full possession of all knowledge while here in the flesh because he was fully God in the flesh.

Luke 2:52 tells us Jesus increased in wisdom. But in the same context we are told he was already “filled with wisdom” (Luke 2:40). He was not only full of wisdom but also “full of grace and truth” from birth (John 1:14). The words filled and full in both verses are from pleroo which means: “replete, crammed full.” Something that full cannot be made fuller!

Jesus lacked neither knowledge nor wisdom. He increased in wisdom by advancing from one stage of physical development to another and in each stage was “filled with wisdom.” Jesus has always been “full of grace and truth.” There was no new truth for him to learn. He came to and left earth and remains ever as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In fact, speaking of his entrance to this earth he affirmed, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).

“In him (Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Paul says all wisdom and knowledge are (not were or will be) residing permanently in him from all eternity and not absent during the time he dwelt among men. May God help us to appreciate, love him and serve him as true God and true man, “justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Tim. 3:16).

Only modernists use arguments and interpret scripture to make Jesus a limited form of God while here on this earth. Don’t ever do that or allow it to be done – it is wrong and sinful and will tear his church apart, piece by piece.