Слово 22. На [слова] «О дни же томъ и часѣ никтоже вѣсть, ни ангели небесніи, токмо Отецъ Мой единъ» 895

Objection from Christ-fighters. And how, they say, will the Son be essentially like the Father when He says that He does not know the day of the end of the age 896, while the Father knows, as He Himself admits? After all, this shows a fair amount of dissimilarity and some natural difference. Rebuttal to this. If He Himself is the Creator of ages, years and times - and He really is - then how is He considered by you not to know one day and one hour? So, we need to examine what He said to the disciples. And one can clearly see from this that, as God, He knows both the day and the hour, although, showing in Himself what is characteristic of man, He says that He does not know. After all, if He accurately describes everything that has to happen before this day and hour and says that, they say, this will happen, this will happen, and then the end, then it is clear that, knowing what is before him, He knows this day itself. For after what He has enumerated, He declares that [then] the end of 897. What else is the end, if not the last day, about which He economically said that He does not know it, once again preserving for humanity its due rank? After all, it is human nature not to know the future. OTHER, in narrative form. In the words of the Savior it is necessary to examine the time when they were spoken by Him, for in this way we will avoid error. So, if before the incarnation of God the Word is found saying something humble about Himself, then let this be attached to His Divinity, and let [such] sayings apply to Him. And if then, when He became flesh 898, He used human expressions in order to truly show Himself also as a man, then wouldn’t it be logical to relate to humanity what was said in a human way? For this means to perceive the tropos of economy. After all, if He did not become a man, then let him speak as God; and if he became a man, then let Him be allowed to speak like a man, despite the fact that the economy of humanity does not harm Him in the least in relation to the Divinity. For “this means what Paul said: “Captivating every mind to the obedience of Christ” 899. So, the property of the Word, since He is the Word, is to know the beginning and the end of what He has created; and one of the creations is time, and He who created it knows in every way how and for what time it was given to exist. OTHER. [Christ] nowhere says, turning to the Father: “Father, the hour has come: glorify Thy Son” 900. So, if He knows exactly the hour about which He says that it will come. what prevents Him from knowing and the one about whom He, as a man, says that He does not know him, for the sake of what is proper to humanity (ignorance), but which He knows in every way as God? And one must not condemn God the Word for this statement and not foolishly attribute to Him some kind of ignorance, but rather marvel at His love for mankind, according to which, out of love for us, He does not refuse to lower Himself into such humility in order to bear all our [weaknesses], one of which is ignorance. OTHER. It is necessary to ask the anti-Christ fighters, why did the Savior, after listing the angels and the Son, not mention the Spirit at all? After all, He did not say: “The Spirit does not know,” but “the angels do not know, and the Son does not know.” And He said “Son” simply, without adding “God.” So, it is clear that about the angels He said that they do not know how to be created. Not wanting, for some secret economic reason, to say to the disciples: “Who has understood the mind of the Lord, and who will be His counselor?” 901 so as not to appear to be hiding [something] from them, and thus not to upset them. He also called the Son ignorant, saying about Himself something extremely human. as about a person, but retaining for Himself, on the other hand, [the ability] to know everything. like God. That's why He didn't say it. that even the Spirit does not know. After all, if the Spirit tests all things, even the depths of God 902, as it is written, then it is obvious that He knows everything that is in Him. And if the Spirit, who knows everything and is able to explore everything, receives [this ability] from the Son, for He, says [the Savior], will receive from Mine 903, then how can one not know the Word, which gives [this] to the Spirit who knows everything? OTHER. If the Father does everything through the Son, according to what the Scripture says: “Without Worth there was nothing” 904, and one of all is to appoint the day and hour at which the world will come to an end, then this too is determined and sealed through the Son. How is it possible that He does not know certain things through Him? Therefore, He knows as God, although He says that He does not know, since He was flesh 905 and philosophizes befitting a man. OTHER. If all that the Father has is the Son, as He Himself says, and the Father has knowledge of the day and hour, then it is obvious that the Son also has it. Because in this way. He will speak the truth, affirming: “Everything that the Father has is Mine” 906. OTHER. If the one who says the truth says: “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me,” 907, and the Father knows that day and hour, then the Son, who is in the Father and knows everything that is in Him, and has in Himself the knowing Father, also knows. OTHER. The Son is called and is the unchanging image of the Father. If the Father knows the day and the hour, but the Son does not know, then how can one who does not know bear the image of one who knows? But He is the image of the Father, even if this was not acceptable to the Christ-fighters. Therefore, He is like the Father in this too, and as He knows, so does He. OTHER. He who says that the Son, because He is the Word, does not know this day and hour, will not be free from accusations of blasphemy. After all, if He knows the Father 908 - as He Himself says - then what prevents Him from knowing the end of creation? If they say that knowing the end of creation is more than knowing the Father, then they will be punished for blasphemy. If, then, to know the Father surpasses all knowledge, how can he who knows more not know less? OTHER, in narrative form. Not [actually] not knowing, the Word - since He is the Word and Wisdom of the Father - says: “I do not know,” but showing in Himself human [nature], to which ignorance is most appropriate, for this is characteristic of humanity. So, since He took on our flesh, He pretended to have our ignorance (τὴν ἡμῶν ἄγνοιαν ἔχειν ἐσχηματίζετο). For the fact that He attributes ignorance to humanity, and not to His own nature, can be understood from here. After all, citing the history of the people who were in the time of Noah and saying: “Yadyahu, piyahu. I am marrying, encroaching, until the flood comes, and everything is taken away” 909, He immediately added: “Beware, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come” 910; and again: “For at this hour, do not forget, the Son of Man will come” 911. It would be fitting for Him - if indeed He, as the Word, were ignorant - to say: “I do not know on what day I will come, and at what hour I do not think I will be sent.” Since He attributed ignorance to the listeners of the time or day of His coming, it is obvious that He Himself, as the Word, knew it. And what He does not know, He speaks, because He has clothed itself in the likeness of those who tend not to know, that is, men. OTHER. If, using the example of Noah, He wants to show the time of His second coming, when He will come, judge the universe 912, and is shown not to those who did not know the day of the flood (after all, He said this to Noah: “Go in, you and your sons into the ark; yet in the seventh day I will bring rain on the earth” 913), then, therefore, He also knows the day of His coming. and an hour, so that the likeness of things might be preserved, and the image contained in them would point to this [His second coming]. OTHER, again on the same [words]: “No one has news of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, except My Father alone” 914. When the Divine Scripture speaks of our Savior, Christ, that He hungered and thirsted, and was weary from the journey, and slept in a boat, then what will the anti-Christ fighters do? Will they dare to say that this also refers to God the Word, or will they attribute this, as characteristic of humanity, to the flesh, and confess the Word of God to be free from this, since He is the Word? So, just as He allowed Himself, as having become a man, to hunger and thirst, together with men, and to endure other things that were said about Him, in the same way one should not be tempted if He, as a man, says that together with men He does not know, since He has put on the same flesh as us. For He knows how Wisdom and the Word are in the Father, but He speaks “I do not know” for our sake and with us, as a man. OTHER, by which it is clearly shown that the Savior knows some things, but due to dispensation he pretends not to know. The Savior says nowhere to His disciples: “Lazarus our friend was successful” 915. Although no one told Him about this, [He speaks] as God, who knows everything. Then, having traveled a long way together with his disciples, He comes to the sisters of the aforementioned [Lazarus] and asks: “Where will you lay him?” 916 He who knew that he was deceased, how does he not know the place where the body lies? But [of course He] knew. For it is incredible to know one thing and not the other. So, just as, due to some kind of economy, He said that He did not know where Lazarus lay, so also about the day and hour - although He says that He does not know, [however] He does this, arranging something [for us] useful and good; for He knows as God does. OTHER, carrying the same thought. Arriving in the countries of Caesarea Philippi, the Savior asked His disciples, saying: “Whom do men say I am, the Son of Man?” 917; and when Peter, having answered, said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” 918, he immediately added: “Blessed are you, Simon, var Jonah, for the Father has shown you, who is in heaven.” 919. For no one knows the Son except the Father 920, according to the words of the Savior Himself. And if the Father does everything through the Son, and one of the works is revelation, then the Word Itself turns out to have revealed to Peter what [was revealed to him] from the Father. How then does the opener ask as if he doesn’t know what people are saying? Of course, the appearance of ignorance often serves a purpose. Namely, knowing [in advance] what the disciples had to say, He asks a question in order to confirm faith by accepting their answer. OTHER, in narrative form. The Son does not know the day and hour of His coming, since He is the Word and Wisdom, but in order not to create sadness in the disciples by His unwillingness to answer the question they asked, as a person says: “I do not know,” having the right to say so, since He, as it is written, became flesh and took upon Himself the infirmities of the flesh. For what He said precisely for this reason that He did not know, we will understand from here. After all, after the resurrection from the dead, intending to finally ascend to heaven, when the disciples asked Him when the end would be and when He would come again, He answered, saying: “You cannot understand the times and years that the Father has laid down in His power” 921. But if He did not know, then He should have clearly said: “I already told you that I don’t know.” However, He denounces them as having asked unreasonably, and chastises them as investigating something that is beyond their measure. So, it is obvious that even then He, although knowing everything as God, said in a human way that he did not know that day and hour, since this knowledge was above [the level of] the disciples. OTHER. When we see God saying to Adam in paradise: “Where are you?” 922; or to Cain: “Where is your brother Abel?” 923 - what do you say to this? If you say that He asks a question without knowing, then you will be clearly blasphemous. And if you admit that this introduces a certain image of economy, then do not be surprised if the Word of God, through which even then God asked questions to Adam and Cain, arranging something [for us] useful, says as a person that he does not know that day and hour, although he knows everything, like the Wisdom of the Father. OTHER, by which it is clearly shown that the Savior sometimes, economically, takes upon Himself the appearance of ignorance. When in the desert the Savior wanted to feed those who followed Him, He said to Philip: “How much bread do you have?” 924 And this question is as if one does not know. However, the evangelist immediately testifies, saying: “This is what he said, tempting Philip: He himself knows what he wants to do.” 925. So, if He, knowing what He wants to do, asks as if he does not know, then what prevents Him from now, for the sake of some benefit, allowing Himself to say that He does not know the day and hour? And He does not lie when he says this, for, knowing as God the Word, He may not know as a man, but in everything he will be like the brothers 926, according to the word of Pavlov. Also on [the words]: “No one has news of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, except the Father alone” 927 The argument seems to be on behalf of heretics. Everything, they say, is known by the Father, but not everything by the Son, according to His own words; after all, they are best used for proof. So, if the Father knows this hour, but the Son does not know, then how can one who is not of the same nature be of the same nature as the omniscient? Rebuttal to this. If the Son, in your opinion, does not know everything, oh, Christ-fighters! - then it is necessary to say that the divine Scriptures lie, and boldly confront the saints who speak about Him: “All things were known before their being (γενέσεως)” 928. After all, one of the “all” is the day of the end [of the age], for nothing can be outside of “everything.” If the Son does not know this [day], then how does He know everything? But the verbs of the saints deserve to be true in every way. And the Son knows everything. If the end must be considered one of all, then your sophism turns out to be in vain. For, of course, according to the economy, Christ says that he does not know the hour, and not in fact he does not know. OTHER. If Paul speaks the truth when he asserts that everything is naked and declared before Him 929 - that is, before the Son, he means - and this hour is one of all, then how does He not know it, to Whom everything is declared before His eyes 930? OTHER. If you do not consider it blasphemous to say that the Son does not know anything that exists, then so be it, in your opinion. However, let us see if you are not mistaken in thinking this way about Him. From the thing itself we can conclude whether you are relying on the most rotten opinions, as if on a reed rod. The son said that he did not know just one day. So, if He does not know only this day, then He knows the others, and among the others is the one preceding this one. And how does one who knows the [day] preceding this one not know that the [day] that He knows is immediately followed by this one, which, in your opinion, is unknown to Him? After all, this is as if someone said that they do not know the number “ten” - what position it occupies - those who know [the number] “nine”. After all, it is obvious that a ten comes after a nine. So, if [the Son] knows [the day] before this, how will he not know it? How can he who says that He knows so many signs that precede the end not know that behind the signs is the end? So you appear crazy from everywhere, daring to lie about the truth. For the Son knows everything, although economically he says that he does not know something. You might be interested in: