I just was recentley asked a question about Mark 13:32 and how it states the father is the only who knows the exact day of judgement. I would really appreciate if someone could interpert this for me.Thank you
An excerpt from The Gospel According to St Mark by Fr Tadros Y. Malaty:
Before ending His talk by persuading them to watch, He intended to exhort His disciples to avoid preoccupying themselves with knowing the day and hour, but rather with getting ready through persistent watching and anticipating His coming, saying: [center]“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father”[/center] (verse 32)
Is it possible for the Son, not to know the hour ? !
(1) St. Ambrosius says, that the Lord Christ, the Condemner, who presented the signs of His coming, could not be unaware of that knowledge. If the day of His coming, is the true ‘Sabbath’, in which God and His saints would rest, so how could He, being “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt. 12: 8 )., be unaware of it ? !
(2) St. Augustine believes that the Lord Christ knows the day, yet, proclaims otherwise; in the sense, that He does not know it, in a way to reveal it. He may mean by that, what a teacher does, if asked to reveal the questions of his examination, his response would be that he does not know; in other words, it is a secret that he could not reveal. Likewise, if a father of confession was questioned about the confession of someone, he would pretend not to know it.
St. Augustine says: [center]Indeed, the Father does not know anything that the Son does not know; as the Son is the knowledge, the Word, and wisdom of the Father Himself. But it would not be for our own interest, to know what is not good for us to know ..... He, as a teacher, teaches us certain things, but not other things, that would harm us to know of.[/center] And he says: [center]That was said, in a sense, that humans are not to know it through the Son, and not that He Himself does not know it. That is similar to the expression:
“For the Lord Your God is testing you to know...” (Deut. 13: 3); namely, that (He let you know); And to saying, “Arise O Lord” (Psalm 3: 7), namely, (Make us arise) Thus, when it is said that the Son does not know that day, it is not that he does not know it, but He would not reveal it. [/center] St. John Chrysostom says, along the same line of thinking: [center]By saying, “Neither the angels”, He is keeping from them what even the angels themselves do not know; and by saying, “Nor the Son”, He is not only forbidding them to know, but also, even to ask.[/center]
Also Father Theophlactius says: [center]If He told them, He knows the day and hour, but He would not disclose them, He would have distressed them; but he, wisely, kept them from asking about it[/center].
St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitier also says: [center]The Lord Christ has got treasures of knowledge; So saying, that He does not know the hour, would only mean that He is not revealing the treasures of wisdom in Him.[/center]
(3) St. Irinaos sees, that if the Lord Christ, who knows everything was not embarrassed to refer the knowledge of the day of the Lord, to God the Father alone, as though He does not know it Himself; Is it not fitting for us, in the spirit of humility, to follow His example, when we are asked about certain exalted things, as for example, the way the Son is begotten from the Father; to proclaim that it is something beyond our comprehension to talk about.
The verse in question has been used notably by Jehovah Witnesses trying to dispute that the Lord is equal to the Father. It is probably one of the arguments that led to the popularity and embracing of Arianism (that Jesus is a god, but not equal to the Father). It also may have been used by the later heresies, such as the Nestorian controversy.
It is quite clear in any translations that the Lord says that He did not know the exact time of or day of His second coming. However, one plausible way of looking about this is first considering the following verse: Philippians 2:7: He made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men
This mysterious view of the unity between the Christ's Humanity and Divinity is rather difficult for us to discern, however, it must be noted that in all the Gospels the Son depended on the Father, and yet anything that was ascribed to be characteristic of the Father had likewise been ascribed to the Son. (c.f. John 5:19, 22)
It must, however, be noted that this apparent "limited knowledge" of the Son during His ministry on Earth is not anymore, since in Revelations 22:12-13 it is clear that the Son does know the hour of His return.
Further, St. Paul teaches us that "in Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). If Christ now has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, there is no knowledge that He lacks.
Even immediately proceeding the verse is an audacious claim that His words will never pass away! This is a bold claim that He is equal to the Father! No prophet has spoken with such authority!
As the Fathers have learned, the message Jesus is provoking is the futility of speculating about the Son's return and the coming Kingdom (as you can see this is a common practice among some Protestant Churches and JWs). Ironically perhaps, many groups which have used this verse to teach the inferiority of the Son have ignored its fundamental teaching.
Comments
Before ending His talk by persuading them to watch, He intended to exhort His disciples to avoid preoccupying themselves with knowing the day and hour, but rather with getting ready through persistent watching and anticipating His coming, saying:
[center]“But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father”[/center] (verse 32)
Is it possible for the Son, not to know the hour ? !
(1) St. Ambrosius says, that the Lord Christ, the Condemner, who presented the signs of His coming, could not be unaware of that knowledge. If the day of His coming, is the true ‘Sabbath’, in which God and His saints would rest, so how could He, being “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt. 12: 8 )., be unaware of it ? !
(2) St. Augustine believes that the Lord Christ knows the day, yet, proclaims otherwise; in the sense, that He does not know it, in a way to reveal it. He may mean by that, what a teacher does, if asked to reveal the questions of his examination, his response would be that he does not know; in other words, it is a secret that he could not reveal. Likewise, if a father of confession was questioned about the confession of someone, he would pretend not to know it.
St. Augustine says:
[center]Indeed, the Father does not know anything that the Son does not know; as the Son is the knowledge, the Word, and wisdom of the Father Himself. But it would not be for our own interest, to know what is not good for us to know ..... He, as a teacher, teaches us certain things, but not other things, that would harm us to know of.[/center]
And he says:
[center]That was said, in a sense, that humans are not to know it through the Son, and not that He Himself does not know it. That is similar to the expression:
“For the Lord Your God is testing you to know...” (Deut. 13: 3); namely, that (He let you know); And to saying, “Arise O Lord” (Psalm 3: 7), namely, (Make us arise) Thus, when it is said that the Son does not know that day, it is not that he does not know it, but He would not reveal it.
[/center]
St. John Chrysostom says, along the same line of thinking:
[center]By saying, “Neither the angels”, He is keeping from them what even the angels themselves do not know; and by saying, “Nor the Son”, He is not only forbidding them to know, but also, even to ask.[/center]
Also Father Theophlactius says:
[center]If He told them, He knows the day and hour, but He would not disclose them, He would have distressed them; but he, wisely, kept them from asking about it[/center].
St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitier also says:
[center]The Lord Christ has got treasures of knowledge; So saying, that He does not know the hour, would only mean that He is not revealing the treasures of wisdom in Him.[/center]
(3) St. Irinaos sees, that if the Lord Christ, who knows everything was not embarrassed to refer the knowledge of the day of the Lord, to God the Father alone, as though He does not know it Himself; Is it not fitting for us, in the spirit of humility, to follow His example, when we are asked about certain exalted things, as for example, the way the Son is begotten from the Father; to proclaim that it is something beyond our comprehension to talk about.
If any one has any thing else to add please post it.
It is quite clear in any translations that the Lord says that He did not know the exact time of or day of His second coming. However, one plausible way of looking about this is first considering the following verse:
Philippians 2:7: He made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men
This mysterious view of the unity between the Christ's Humanity and Divinity is rather difficult for us to discern, however, it must be noted that in all the Gospels the Son depended on the Father, and yet anything that was ascribed to be characteristic of the Father had likewise been ascribed to the Son. (c.f. John 5:19, 22)
It must, however, be noted that this apparent "limited knowledge" of the Son during His ministry on Earth is not anymore, since in Revelations 22:12-13 it is clear that the Son does know the hour of His return.
Further, St. Paul teaches us that "in Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). If Christ now has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, there is no knowledge that He lacks.
Even immediately proceeding the verse is an audacious claim that His words will never pass away! This is a bold claim that He is equal to the Father! No prophet has spoken with such authority!
As the Fathers have learned, the message Jesus is provoking is the futility of speculating about the Son's return and the coming Kingdom (as you can see this is a common practice among some Protestant Churches and JWs). Ironically perhaps, many groups which have used this verse to teach the inferiority of the Son have ignored its fundamental teaching.
Don't speculate, but be prepared.