by Phil JohnsonIf God knows every detail of the future with infallible certainty, then (by definition) the outcome of all things is already determined. And if things are predetermined but God did not ordain whatsoever comes to pass, then you have two choices:
1. A higher sovereignty belongs to some being (or beings) other than God. That is idolatry.
2. Some impersonal force did the determining. That is fatalism.
Therefore if the thinking Arminian wants to avoid both fatalism and idolatry, he or she must deny God's foreknowledge, thereby nullifying God's omniscience—in other words, they essentially undeify God. That is of course blasphemy. But that is precisely the road Open Theism takes.
The Nuisance of Biblical Logic
But not all things are predetermined. Can't imagine why God was surprised by various choices of men and Israel in the Bible if He predetermined them.
ReplyDeleteYour supposition is based on the statement that everything is pre-determined and that God knows every detail of the future. But that is not established anywhere in the Bible. Now some things God has determined from the beginning to the end..... but that is far far away from saying that every minute detail in determined and foreknew.
I believe the future is real - not just a played out already planned script. It's at least partially open (in the areas that God hasn't made plans). The Bible continually speaks how God's will isn't always done. How is that possible if everything is determined? Why pray the Lord's prayer 'Thy willbe done on earth as it is in heaven' if His will is always done on earth?
Hi, Tim! Thanks for commenting on this post. I appreciate your opinion although I don't share it. Open Theism isn't a damnable heresy but I just don't think it's true.
ReplyDeleteBut not all things are predetermined. Can't imagine why God was surprised by various choices of men and Israel in the Bible if He predetermined them.
If it weren't for passages like Isaiah 46:10 I would agree with you. Ho9w can God make known the end from the beginning if he doesn't already know. To be fair I recognize that you are not saying that God does not predetermine anything so I have to ask what does God not predetermine? Is there anything you can do that God did not know about? If all things truly work together for the good of them who love the Lord and call according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) then I would have to answer "No". I also have to think about Acts 17. It says that the times and places we are born and live was determined by God so that we may best find him. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I don;'t think there is a single verse telling us that God was taken aback by anything anyone has done. He knew it, but he didn't like it.
Your supposition is based on the statement that everything is pre-determined and that God knows every detail of the future. But that is not established anywhere in the Bible. Now some things God has determined from the beginning to the end..... but that is far far away from saying that every minute detail in determined and foreknew.
Can you give an example of anything that God does not know? If there is something that God does not know then he does not know everything. The problem is that the Bible says he knows everything.
I believe the future is real - not just a played out already planned script. It's at least partially open (in the areas that God hasn't made plans). The Bible continually speaks how God's will isn't always done. How is that possible if everything is determined? Why pray the Lord's prayer 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' if His will is always done on earth?
I agree the future is will and that our choices matter. I can't find a single verse that says that God's will does not always happen. Remember Isaiah 16:10 says God is in complete control.
When we pray for God's will to done, it's not because of the possibility that it won't be, but it's about aligning ourselves with that will.