Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

On Matt. xxiv. 36. Of Knowledge of that Day and of that Hour. 377
“If the Son is the Creator of the world, and does not know the time of the judgment,
then He does not know what He created. For He said that He was ignorant not of the
judgment, but of the time. How can this be otherwise than absurd?
“If the Son has not knowledge of all things whereof the Father has knowledge, then He
spake untruly when He said ‘All things that the Father hath are mine’ 378 and ‘As the Father
knoweth me so know I the Father.’ 379 If there is a distinction between knowing the Father
and knowing the things that the Father hath, and if, in proportion as every one is greater
than what is his, it is greater to know the Father than to know what is His, then the Son,
though He knew the greater (for no man knoweth the Father save the Son), 380 did not know
the less.
“This is impossible. He was silent concerning the season of the judgment, because it
was not expedient for men to hear. Constant expectation kindles a warmer zeal for true
religion. The knowledge that a long interval of time was to elapse would have made men
more careless about true religion, from the hope of being saved by a subsequent change of
life. How could He who had known everything up to this time (for so He said) not know
that hour also? If so, the Apostle vainly said ‘In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.’ 381
“If the Holy Spirit, who ‘searcheth the deep things of God,’ 382 cannot be ignorant of
anything that is God’s, then, as they who will not even allow Him to be equal must contend,
the Holy Ghost is greater than the Son.” 383
On Matt. xxvi. 39. Father, if it be Possible, let this Cup pass from Me.
“If the Son really said, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,’ He not only
shewed His own cowardice and weakness, but implied that there might be something impossible
to the Father. The words ‘if it be possible’ are those of one in doubt, and not thoroughly
assured that the Father could save Him. How could not He who gave the boon of
life to corpses much rather be able to preserve life in the living? Wherefore then did not
377 cf. Letter viii. p. 118.
378 John xv. 16.
379 John x. 15.
380 Matt. xi. 27.
381 Col. ii. 3.
382 1 Cor. ii. 10.
383 cf. this passage more fully treated of in Letter ccxxxvi. p. 276. The above is rather a tentative memorandum
than an explanation.
Dogmatic.
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