The Synoptics seem to imply that Christ did not receive His
great knowledge in any school. They tell us that the people of



162 THE BOYHOOD CONSCIOUSNESS OF CHRIST

the town "where He was brought up" could not account for His
wisdom, Mtt. xiii. 54; Mk. vi. 2, 3; Lk. iv. 22; nor can Lk. iv. 16
be cited as proving that Jesus had attended school, for as Plummer
(Comment, ad loc. p. 118) states, "it is best to confine xa-cA tb
eicoejq to the clause in which it is imbedded and not carry it on
to dvis'^t) ivayvtivai." In any case it only refers to Christ's custom
on Sabbath days. The Fourth Evangelist makes Christ's hearers
state that He was unschooled icios oStoi; ypdnL^a-za olSev [l^
(i.e(j.a6ir)5«S? (vii. 15), and makes Christ Himself explain in the fol-
lowing verse (16), "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent
Me"; again viii. 28: "as the Father hath taught Me, these
things I speak" (cf. also viii. 19, 20, 26). This same Evangelist
who has it that Christ was unschooled, mentions His writing on the
ground, viii. 6, 8; and twice (xvi. 30; xxi. 17) represents an
apostle as saying that He knew all things. Cf. also Jn. iii. 2;
xviii. 37. The Messiah was to know all things, cf. Jn. iv. 25; Is.
