Christ's human learning
The incarnate Son truly lived a human life and grew in wisdom according to His humanity. Christian teaching holds this together with the confession that the one acting subject is the eternal Son, not a separate human person.
Key points
- Growth and learning belong to Christ's complete human life.
- The one who learns humanly is the same divine Person who assumed human nature.
Scripture
- Luke 2:40-52 — Luke describes Jesus growing, becoming strong, and advancing in wisdom.
- Hebrews 5:7-9 — Hebrews speaks of the Son learning obedience through what He suffered.
Primary sources
Answering an objection about Christ's human knowledge, Gregory writes:
Gregory of Nazianzus predicates knowledge and not-knowing according to Christ's divinity and humanity while speaking of the one Son.
He knows as God, and knows not as Man
Passage context and translation
Gregory is answering an objection based on Christ's statement about not knowing the day or hour. His brief formula predicates knowledge and ignorance according to Christ's divinity and humanity while retaining the one Son.
Before the excerpt
Their tenth objection is the ignorance, and the statement that Of the last day and hour knows no man
After the excerpt
by attributing it to the Manhood, and not to the Godhead.