Submitted by Rev. Carrie Albright on
Does God know everything?
One of the main questions about God concerns what He knows. Historically, the church has held that God is omniscient or all-knowing. In other words, He has all knowledge. He knows everything which has happened in the past, He knows everything which is now going on in the present and He also knows everything which will occur in the future. Not only does He know everything that will happen, He also knows everything that could possibly happen. His knowledge is without limit. This has been the traditional understanding of Scripture on this subject.
In recent years, this traditional view of God’s knowledge has been challenged by some Bible-believing Christians. They contend that God does not know the future exhaustively. While His knowledge of past and present events is thorough or complete, the same does not hold true for the future. While He knows certain things about what will occur in the future, He does not know everything which will happen. The future, they contend is open. This means that God Himself is constantly learning new things.
A New Controversy
However, this issue of the extent of the knowledge of God has become one of controversy among Bible believers. A relatively new perspective says that God’s knowledge does not extend to all future events. This movement is known by a variety of names such as the “open view of God,” “open theism,” “relational theism” and “presentism.”
It is called “open theism” because the future is open, not closed. Since the people who hold this view are Bible-believing Christians who argue that their perspective is actually taught in Scripture, it is important that we have an understanding of what they are saying on this most important of topics. Therefore, we will consider their view of God’s knowledge and other related subjects.
The Case for Open Theism
It is important to understand that open theists are not merely refining certain aspects of the traditional view of God which has been held by Christian theologians. Indeed, they are advocating an entirely new perspective on who God is, what He knows, and how He deals with humanity. They believe in a God who has limited knowledge of the future, who has limited control over what occurs, and who has give human beings complete freedom to determine their own destiny.
In their study of Scripture, open theists have made the following observations about God, His knowledge of the future, and His responses to certain events.
1. Which Speak of the Future as Unsettled
To begin with, open theists note that there are passages of Scripture which speak of what may happen in the future rather than what must happen.
For example, we read the following passage in Exodus.
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17 NIV)
In this case, God led the people away from the Philistines because He was concerned that they may be afraid and want to return to Egypt.
We find the same type of uncertainness with respect to the future in the life of Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane,
And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” (Matthew 26:39 NRSV)
Jesus asked God the Father if another way, apart from the cross, was possible. This statement of Jesus means that the future is, in some sense, uncertain.
Consequently, from these and other passages, it is argued that the Bible teaches that the future is, in some sense, open.
Therefore, contrary to traditional belief, the future is not completely set or established. The future depends upon how human beings will freely act. Our decisions will determine what will occur in the future.
2. There Are Passages Where God Asks Questions about the Future
Not only is the future uncertain in many aspects, open theists point to passages where God actually asks questions about the future. In other words, even He Himself does not know what will happen. In the Book of Kings, the Lord asks the question as to who will entice Ahab. The Bible says,
“And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.” (1 Kings 22:20 HCSB)
The Lord asked for advice as to who should cause or entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead. Open theists assume that God, like the rest of us, does not know what will occur. Therefore, the uncertain future for humanity is unknown to everyone; including God.
3. Open Theists Cite Passages Where God’s Tested People to Discover Their Responses
Another indication of God’s limited knowledge concerns His testing of certain people to learn their response. In Scripture, we find examples God testing people to discover how they will react to the test.
When Abraham obeyed God after he was told to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, the Bible records this response of the Angel of the Lord, who is the Lord Himself.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12 NIV)
It was only when Abraham obeyed God that God realized that Abraham truly did fear God. Only when Abraham was about to offer up his son Isaac did God know that Abraham truly feared Him. Before this time, He did not know what Abraham would do.
These passages, when read at face value, teach us that God did not know the outcome. Therefore, He must be learning new things. He did not know how they would respond. This gives further testimony that the future is uncertain even to God.
4. Open Theists Cite Passages Where God Expresses Surprise
Not only had God tested people to determine how they would react, we also find that He is genuinely surprised by certain reactions. Indeed, open theists point to a number of passages where God seems genuinely stunned by the outcome of certain events.
For example, we read the following passage in Jeremiah.
“And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.” (Jeremiah 7:31 ESV)
The Lord says that the building of the high places in Topheth was something He never thought would happen. This is further indication that God has not pre-determined every event which will occur or that He even knows what will occur. He, like the rest of us, has to wait to find out what will happen.
Interestingly, not every one who holds to open theism believes God is necessarily surprised by what occurs. They argue that He knew all the possible things which could happen but He did not know which of these would occur. In that sense, He was surprised.
5. Open Theists Note Passages Where God Expresses Regret
There are also passages where God expresses feelings such as regret for past decisions. Scripture states God’s feelings as to why He sent the flood upon the earth.
And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (Genesis 6:6 ESV)
Regret means that God has had second thoughts about previous decisions. Again, this teaches us that God did not know what was going to occur in certain instances. The events which did eventually happen caused God to regret some of the past decisions which He made.
Finally, open theism contends that they have the best answer for the difficult problem of the existence of evil. Evil exists because God gave human beings the freedom to choose our own destiny. According to open theists, we chose to bring evil into the world. God did not choose if for us, and according to some open theists, God did not even know that we would choose to do so.
Therefore, the existence of evil cannot be blamed upon God. He gave the human race the right to choose for ourselves and we have created our own destiny in these choices.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/stewart_don/
Posted for educational/informational/reflective purposes only