Article 6 — Whether the soul of Christ knows everything with that knowledge by which it knows things in their proper nature

Sixth, it is asked whether the soul of Christ knows everything with that knowledge by which it knows things in their proper nature? (Parallel texts: In III Sent., d. 14, a. 3, qa. 1; ST III.11.1; III.12.1; Compendium Theologiae, ch. 216.)

Obj. 1: It seems that it does, for the capacity of the soul is not limited to a certain number of objects of knowledge. Accordingly, if the capacity of Christ’s soul is adequately filled with the knowledge of things in their proper genus, we must say that it knows all things according to this knowledge.

Obj. 2: Everything which is in potency is imperfect before it is reduced to act. But the potential intellect, which was not missing from the soul of Christ, is that by which one becomes all things, as is said in On the Soul. (Aristotle, On the Soul, 3.5, 430a14.) Therefore, since Christ’s understanding was not imperfect, it seems that it had knowledge of all intelligible things.

Obj. 3: Not to be able to advance in scientific knowledge pertains to the perfection of knowledge only when all things are knon scientifically. But, according to the common opinion, (That is, the Scholastics beginning with Peter Lombard, Sentences, bk. 3, d. 13, c. unic..) the soul of Christ could not advance in the habit of science. Therefore, it knew all things according to the knowledge with which it knew things in their proper genus.

On the contrary (1), the soul of Christ knew created things by a created habit of science. But a created habit of science cannot be the likeness of all things. Therefore, the soul of Christ could not know all things according to that mode of science.

I answer that we ascribe that scientific knowledge of things in their proper genus to the soul of Christ so that no natural perfection may be lacking to it, as is clear from what has been said. (John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, bk. 3, ch. 6 (PG 94:1005A; Bt 188), according to Peter Lombard, Sentences, bk. 3, d. 2, ch. 1.) Therefore, through this knowledge, he knew as much as the natural knowledge of the soul can reach, not only in this life, but after death. This is so because in his soul Christ was at once a wayfarer and one who possessed the term. (On the words comprehensor and viator, see William of Auxerre, Summa aurea, bk. 3, tract. 11, q. 2.) But there are some things which natural knowledge can in no way reach. Such are the divine essence, future contingents, the secret thoughts of men’s hearts, and other things of this sort. And the soul of Christ did not have knowledge of these things through that mode of knowledge, but knew them in the Word. It did not know them by the knowledge of prophecy, since prophecy is an imperfect participation of that sight by which things are seen in the Word. And, since this knowledge was perfect in Christ, the imperfection of prophecy had no place there. It is also clear that Christ had this knowledge more fully than Adam, since through this knowledge Adam did not know created separated substances, and the soul of Christ did. For the natural knowledge of the separated soul extends to this, although the knowledge of the soul joined to a corruptible body does not.

Reply Obj. 1: The capacity of the human soul extends to a determined class of knowable things, but not to a definite number in that class.

Reply Obj. 2: The potential intellect is in potency to receive all intelligible things which can become such through the agent intellect. Of this, the Philosopher says (Aristotle, On the Soul 3.5, 430a15.) that the agent intellect is that by which one makes all things [intelligible]. But these are the things which are abstracted from phantasms and which we can come to know through naturally known principles. Therefore, the potential intellect is in natural potency only to these things. But Christ knew all these through this knowledge. Hence, there was no imperfection in his understanding.

Reply Obj. 3: For that matter, even in this knowledge Christ could not advance in so far as the habit is concerned, since such knowledge by the nature of its genus cannot extend to more things than Christ knew through it. But in the Gospel it is said that he advanced in wisdom (Luke 2:52.) with reference to experience of those things which he knew in the habit.