AGNOETES

AGNOETES, or Agnoites, a denomination given to certain ancient heretics, who denied that Christ foreknew the Day of Judgment.

The word is Greek, "Agnoetai," formed from "agnoeo," meaning, "I do not know." Eutychius, Patriarch of Alexandria, ascribes this heresy to certain solitaries in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, who in defense hereof, alleged various texts of the New Testament, and among others, this from St. Mark, C. XIII, ver. 32: "Of that day and hour knows no man; not the angels who are in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." The same passage was made use of by the Arians, and hence the Orthodox divines of those days were induced to give various explanations thereof. Some allege that our Savior here had no regard to his divine nature, but only spoke of his human. Others understand it in a way that the knowledge of the Day of Judgment does not concern our Savior considered in his quality of Messiah, but God only. Which is the most natural explanation.

AGNOETES