Is God totally omniscient or are there some things for which He does not have foreknowledge. If so, what?
Theology Club: What determines the Omniscience of God
- Thread starter Bright Raven
- Start date
God foreknows everything perfectly. If possibilities are real, God foreknows them as possibilities. Although God foreknows every choice I could possibly make--even my final choice--He doesn't know my final choice as fact until after the fact. He only foreknows my final choice as a possibility. However, since God foreknows all the choices I could possibly make, He is perfectly prepared for my actual choice to the same degree He would have been prepared for it had He foreknown my actual choice as fact.
Exhaustive definite foreknowledge of future free will contingencies is not possible if libertarian free will is true (and it is).
So, God knows reality as it is correctly distinguishing possible, probable, actual/certain.
The other related issue is whether God experience eternal now timelessness or an endless duration of time. I would suggest the latter is true confirming that the future is not there yet to be know exhaustively as a certainty in relation to free will choices.
So, God knows reality as it is correctly distinguishing possible, probable, actual/certain.
The other related issue is whether God experience eternal now timelessness or an endless duration of time. I would suggest the latter is true confirming that the future is not there yet to be know exhaustively as a certainty in relation to free will choices.
So you're saying that God does not know the choices that we will make?
I don't know how godrulz will answer, but the OV believes that God does know the choices we will make. However, He doesn't know them as fact.
He knows them when they are made as a certainty. Before this, they are possible/probable. I do not believe in exhaustive definite foreknowledge from eternity past nor Molinistic 'middle knowledge'/counterfactuals of freedom that would also lead to EDF. Determinism would make FK possible, but the choices would not be free.
God knows the past/present perfectly and the future at least as partially open/unsettled.
Not all Open Theists agree that God knows all possible choices. You seem to be contradicting yourself. He either knows future choices as fact or there is an element of uncertainty. God does not know the future choices we will make in every detail. When He does know them, they will be known as settled facts. Predictability is still not certainty.
What do you mean by 'knowledge'? For me, it's a house, for another a mansion, for another a residence, for another it's home, for others it's an address, for still others it's just a pile of bricks and mortar. For one, it's a death, for another a tragedy, for another an accident, for another a statistic, for another a problem, for another a God-send, for another a biological process. Who's right? I don't see how we can make big assertions about what God knows without first getting a realistic picture of what knowledge is in the first place.
God foreknew His people Israel, whom He has not cast away. Romans 11:2 (KJV). We know this at least, as revealed from scripture.
I believe the question is what does God not know, in terms of knowledge of the future. In the OP, the word "omniscience" is used, with an identification of the word "foreknew" to be involved in the discussion.
I have answered with what I know God foreknew. In the KJV, the word "foreknew" does not elsewhere appear.
I believe the question is what does God not know, in terms of knowledge of the future. In the OP, the word "omniscience" is used, with an identification of the word "foreknew" to be involved in the discussion.
I have answered with what I know God foreknew. In the KJV, the word "foreknew" does not elsewhere appear.
I guess the easiest way to say it would be, does God know all things.
I believe that would be omniscience, which is perhaps different from the idea and concept of foreknowledge.
Omniscience is limited by what is knowable. The future is inherently not knowable in the same way the past and present are. God does have foreknowledge, but it is not exhaustive like His knowledge of the past/present is.
Why wouldn't He?
The parts of the future He has settled, He knows them as settled. The parts He leaves open, He knows them as open.
I agree.
The easiest answer is to say God knows all things knowable.
I submit that we should consider the Biblical usage of the word "foreknew", which is different, but might inform our "Theological" view.
God knows all things that are knowable, and as He is sovereign He knows only that which He wants to know among that which is knowable.
As God is always with us He look at each of our hearts and know what we will do before we do it. So yes God know all things. The question is when does He know them?
Example: I get up in the morning but I am not sure what I am going to have for breakfest, porridge or eggs. At this point God does not know what I will eat, however the moment I decide in my mind to eat eggs God know I will eat eggs before I eat them.
God said to Abe now I know, God did not know what Abe would do until Abe had it settled in his mind, once Abe had it settled in his mind what he was going to do God stopped him and said now I know.
God is not ignorant of anything knowable or He is not omniscient, even by Open Theism standards.
How would God know that there is no other God beside Him? if there were a greater God He might keep Himself secret from Jahweh God and therefore be unknowable.
All things knowable includes all things that exist.