Vii. Of The Knowledge Of Christ: Of His Beatific Knowledge; Of His Infused Knowledge; And Of His Acquired Knowledge
VII. OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST: OF HIS BEATIFIC KNOWLEDGE; OF HIS INFUSED KNOWLEDGE; AND OF HIS ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
(A)
Besides grace are there any other prerogatives belonging to our Lord?
Yes; they are those that have reference to knowledge
What knowledge did Jesus Christ have as man?
It was threefold: the knowledge which the blessed have in heaven through the vision of the divine essence; infused knowledge which is the infusion of all ideas by God into the soul at its birth; and lastly, acquired knowledge which is gained in the ordinary way by the human faculties with the aid of the senses (IX. 2, 3, 4).
(B)
Was the beatific knowledge of Christ as man in a very high scale of perfection?
Yes; in perfection it surpasses that of all the blessed, whether angels or men. From the first instant of conception, by the beatific knowledge Christ was able to see everything in the divine Word, which is Himself as God, in such wise that there is absolutely nothing in the past, present, or future which Christ as man does not know; and He had this knowledge from the moment of the Incarnation (X. 2-4).
(C)
Was Christ's infused knowledge in a high scale of perfection?
Yes; for by this knowledge He knew all that which the human mind can know by its natural power, and also whatsoever revelation can make known to a created intelligence whether it have reference to what can be known by the gift of wisdom or the gift of prophecy, or any other such gift of the Holy Ghost; and Christ had this knowledge in a supereminent degree above angels and men (XI. 1,3,4).
(D)
What sort of acquired knowledge did Christ have?
By this knowledge He knew whatsoever the human mind can know by reasoning upon the data given by the senses; in this knowledge it was possible for Him to make progress according as His human mind had occasion to reason about new data attained by His senses; but He never learnt from any master, having already acquired what a master was able to teach in the various stages of progress of His life (XII. 1-3).
Did Christ as man ever receive any knowledge from the angels?
No. The whole of our Lord's knowledge came to Him only in the three ways just explained (XII. 4).