Open Theism

Last week I finished John Frame’s No Other God: A Response to Open Theism. The book is very insightful. He cites from Bruce Ware’s work on the subject, yet is able to contribute a lot to this discussion.

What is Open Theism? “Open Theism is the belief that God is not above time, that he does not control all of nature and history, that he does not know the future exhaustively, that he sometimes makes mistakes and changes his plans, and therefore that he is in some ways dependent on the world” (Frame 11).

The Open Theist’s starting point is libertarian free will. They argue that human beings make all decisions without ANY influence, including the influence of God. This allows man to have complete sovereignty over his choices. Of course, the only way man can be sovereign over his own destiny is if God does not know the future. Therefore predestination of future choices is out of the question because God does not know the future.

Let’s review the Open Theist’s presuppositions: (1) Man has libertarian free will, completely free of the will of God; (2) God does not, and indeed, cannot know the future; (3) God has not predestined any of man’s decisions because He does not know the future.

Open Theists will contend that God is “all-knowing,” BUT (you knew a “but” was coming) God’s knowledge does not include the future because the future has not yet occurred. The Open Theist believes that God is carried along in time from moment to moment just as man is. They are quick to point out that God has exhaustive knowledge of the past and present – but the future is everybody’s guess, including God’s.

Many Open Theists attempt to make their case from the Scriptures. They have proof texts showing that God changes his mind and learns new information. But rather than providing an exhaustive response to Open Theism, I want to give attention to their best argument:

If God does not know the future, then man has libertarian freedom in his choices.

This is actually a consistent argument. And Open Theists are right to criticize the Arminian position which believes that God does know the future, and yet man has a free will. The Open Theist rightly asks: “If God knows the future, including your future choices, are you free to do otherwise?” The obvious answer is NO. =)

Calvinism is the only consistent Biblical response to Open Theism. I will attempt to prove that God does indeed know the future, thereby refuting libertarianism.

I make my case from what has come to be called: “the trial of the false gods,” found in Isaiah 40-50. The text I will use is from Isaiah 41:21-23 where we read:

“ 21"Present your case," the LORD says. "Bring forward your strong arguments," The King of Jacob says. 22Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; 23Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.”

Here the Lord challenges the gods of the other nations to prove that they are true gods. Yahweh demands that these alleged gods “bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place,” and to reveal the outcome of former events, or “announce to us what is coming.” God then demands that they foretell the future “that we may know that you are gods.”

Yahweh’s point is that if these foreign gods can foretell future events they demonstrate their existence as true gods. However, if a god cannot perform this task he proves to be a god fashioned by the mind of sinful men. God presented this challenge to false gods knowing that only He is able foretell the future. Only the one true God of the Bible can know and declare the future:

Isaiah 48:3-7: “ 3"I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them I acted, and they came to pass. 4"Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze, 5Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, 'My idol has done them, my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.' "You have heard; look at all this. you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. 7"They are created now and not long ago; before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, 'Behold, I knew them.' “

For further study: Isaiah 42:9, 43:9-12, 44:7, and 46:10.

I realize that this is not a full response to Open Theism. But as you might have guessed, there are many related issues that need to be addressed to sufficiently respond to Open Theism.

Finally, isn’t it a wonderful thing that our Lord does know the future! What comfort that is to us as creatures – that our destiny is already settled in heaven. The Sovereign One has numbered our days and is actively ruling over His creation.

Romans 8:28: “28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Btw, I think it is hilarious that "Doc" from Back to the Future stated at the end of the final movie: "You can make whatever you want of your future. It hasn't been written yet..." LOL. Sounds like Emmitt Brown was an undercover Open Theist =)

Thanks for listening,
This is Case of Base, signing off