SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREKNOWLEDGE

SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREKNOWLEDGE

The NOUN prognōsis ("to know before") is used only in Acts 2:23 and 1 Pet. 1:2. The VERB proginōskō is used theologically in Rom. 8:29; 11:2.

This concept of God's knowing all of human history ahead of time is difficult for Bible believers to reconcile with human free will. God is an eternal, spiritual Being who is not limited by temporal sequence. Although He controls and shapes history (cf. 1 Pet. 1:20), humans are responsible for their motives and acts in time (see SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT). Foreknowledge does not affect God's love and election. If so, then it would be conditional on future human effort and merit. God is sovereign and He has chosen that His Covenant followers have some freedom of choice in responding to Him (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 8:28-29; 10:9-13). See SPECIAL TOPIC: ELECTION

There are two extremes in this area of theology:

freedom pushed too far: some say God does not know the future choices and actions of humans (i.e., Open Theism, which is a philosophical extension of Process Thought)
sovereignty pushed too far, which becomes God choosing some to heaven and some to hell (supralapsarianism, double-edged Calvinism)
I prefer the treat truths expressed in Psalm 139!

God knows the future but demands that humans must respond to His offer of grace and forgiveness in Christ on an individual basis. See SPECIAL TOPIC: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "RECEIVE," "BELIEVE," "CONFESS/PROFESS," AND "CALL UPON"?

This requirement of an individual, repentant, faith response does not diminish the Bible's clear revelation that God loves all humans and desires their salvation (cf. Isa. 55:1-3; Ezek. 18:23,32; John 1:29; 3:16; 6:33,51; 2 Cor. 5:19; 2 Tim. 2:4; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 John 2:2; 4:14).

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN