Christopher Al T Arcillas

Theology 2

CAN IGNORANCE AND OMNISCIENCE CO-EXIST?

Hodge notes that along with the idea that Christ had two wills is the related idea that he

had two centers of consciousness or intelligence: “As there are two distinct natures, human and

divine, there are of necessity two intelligences and two wills, the one fallible and finite, the other

immutable and infinite.” This distinction of two wills and two centers of consciousness helps us

understand how Jesus could learn things and yet know all things. At this point someone may

object that if we say that Jesus had two centers of consciousness and two wills, that requires that

he was two distinct persons, and we have really fallen into the error of “Nestorianism.” But in

response, it must simply be affirmed that two wills and two centers of consciousness do not

require that Jesus be two distinct persons. It is mere assertion without proof to say that they do. If

someone responds that he or she does not understand how Jesus could have two centers of

consciousness and still be one person, then that fact may certainly be admitted by all. But failing

to understand something does not mean that it is impossible, only that our understanding is

limited.

On what grounds are we justified in saying that an omniscient divine nature and a human

nature with limited knowledge “cannot coexist,”? Or that an omnipotent divine nature and a

weak human nature “cannot coexist”? Such assertions fundamentally deny that infinite deity and

finite humanity can exist together in the same person—in other words, they deny that Jesus could
be fully God and fully man at the same time. In this way, they deny the essence of the

incarnation.