By Editorial Staff
The names and attributes of God include “the Omniscient ” and “the All-knowing”. Once a person believes in the Lord of this universe, he/she intuitively believes that this Lord is described as “Omnipotent” and “All-knowing”, simply because an ignorant being can never be God.
The New Testament implies that Jesus was neither omniscient nor all-knowing
Omniscient & All-knowing in Islam
In the Qur’an, God (called “Allah” in Arabic) is often described as “All-knowing”. For example, we read:
How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned. It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things. And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the All-knowing, the Wise.” – He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.” (Al-Baqarah 2:28-33)
God is also described as “the All-encompassing”. We read:
And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allah, of all things, encompassing. (An-Nisa’ 4:126)
God is also described as the “All-aware” and “Knower of the unseen and the witnessed”. We read:
And it is He who created the heavens and earth in truth. And the day He says, “Be,” and it is, His word is the truth. And His is the dominion [on] the Day the Horn is blown. [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed; and He is the Wise, the All-aware.(Al-An`am 6:73)
Omniscient & All-knowing in Christianity
In the Old Testament, God is described as “All-knowing”. We read: “Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD is the all-knowing God, and the magnificent works are his.” (1 Samuel 2:3)
God is also described as “knowing what is in darkness and light”. We read: Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” (Daniel 2:20-22)
As for the New Testament, though Jesus is taken as God in Christianity, the New Testament implies that he was neither omniscient nor all-knowing. It tells us that there were things which Jesus did not know, and it is God (called “Father” in Christianity) only Who knows those things. For example, we read: “But of that [exact] day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son [in His humanity], but the Father alone.” (Mark 13:32)
The New Testament informs us that even the things Jesus knew were made known to Jesus by God, that is to say Jesus did not have innate knowledge. Rather, he derived his knowledge from God. We read: So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will know then [without any doubt] that I am he, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but I say these things just as My Father taught Me.” (John 8:28)
We also read: “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.” (John 15:15)
There is no doubt that God cannot be an ignorant being or derive knowledge from someone else. God is the Omniscient and the All-knowing Who teaches rather than gets taught by others.
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References:
1- The Glorious Qur’an (Sahih International Translation)
2- The Holy Bible (Visit biblegateway.com)