New
World Christian Ministries
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Hermann
Foreknowledge, Predestination, and Free Will
by
Ray Hermann, D.Min., D.D.
There is
probably little as controversial in Christianity as whether or not God knew all the
details of human history, and the future yet to be, before earth was created. If he did,
does this mean that it is impossible for humankind to exercise free will and that our
destiny has already been arranged? And if every detail of the entire past, present, and
future of both humans and earthly events was pre-known, of what value is prayer? Such
thoughts will be the study of this article. But before we seriously examine the details
involved in the idea, it is important to understand the meaning of the words foreknowledge
and predestination.
Most Christian religions are only interested in predestination as it
applies to being selected for salvation, but for an accurate understanding we must explore
the whole meaning. The dictionary1 states predestination is: 1) God
foreordained everything that would happen, or God predetermines certain souls to salvation
and damnation; and 2) destiny or fate.
The definition of foreknowledge is: knowledge of something
before it happens or exists. We will consider this idea first.
Foreknowledge
Although the concept appears in the Old Testament, the
word foreknowledge is only used in the New Testament. It translates from the Greek
noun prognősis (pro=before; gnősis=to know) and is used only concerning
divine foreknowledge and means that God's foreknowledge involves the exercise of faith
which brings salvation, but doesn't prevent human will. In Ephesians 1:5, 11, Paul states
that believers are chosen not because the individuals were foreknown, but because of their
actions they would be chosen for a group that was foreknown.2
As a verb (proginőskő), it simply means "to already know
something."3 As used in Romans 8:29, the word indicates that those of a
certain foreknown group (believers) will conform to the image of Christ. This indicates
that it is the process or manner that is foreknown, not the individual.4
Foreknowledge is not beyond the ability of humans, though on a minute scale
compared to that of a divine nature. From known events, we foreknow that the sun will rise
in the morning. We can even detail this event to the precise time and explain all the
astronomical events that will make this occur. And given our acquired knowledge of human
reactions, we can foreknow, with some certainty, how our spouse or children or friend will
behave in relation to something we do, or someone else does to them. We can even predict
what strangers will do, in certain situations. We have learned that there are certain
particular reactions people will have to everything and, in a small way, we plan every day
foreknowing the outcome to our efforts.
Corporations are well trained in foreknowing events and situations.
Retailers have studied population trends and psychology and have applied their knowledge
to advertising and marketing. They are able to predict how people will react to their
efforts and actually plan and produce based on their foreknowledge. Large governments are
fairly accurate in foreknowing what will happen in certain events. Wars are sometimes
started by this. And if a war is started by one country against another, do we not, as
individuals, foreknow that emotions will stress, human lives will be lost, economies will
tumble, and standards of living will be lowered.
In the science fiction novel, Foundation, a mathematician
developed a statistical science called psychohistory.5 Psychohistory dealt with
the reactions of large human populations, including those of entire planets, to fixed
social and economic stimuli. This science, based on accumulated knowledge from the past,
could actually predict the probability of future events depending on present and pending
incidents. It was based upon known reactions to particular happenings. The more
information that was known, the more accurate the prediction. Psychohistory foretold of
wars, the decline and fall of civilizations, and other important trends hundreds of years,
or millennia, in advance.
God Almighty, Yahweh, has a divine plan for humankind and, for the
overall unfolding of this plan, it is this kind of foreknowledge that he uses. God created
a physically perfect human with certain predictable attributes; he foreknew at the time of
creation the direction humans would take. He prepared the way and means for humans to
continue the process of education needed to reach total perfection through trial
and error and we are now in the midst of that schooling.
Because God foreknows the way, he foreknows the outcome. But because he
knows does not mean he is responsible. He is certain of what general trends and events
will happen, but does not determine what form these trends and events will take. Other
than for those persons who have made the choice to serve God, there is no foreknowledge of
individuals.6 God has given humankind the responsibility of self-education.
The issue is not whether or not God has the ability to foreknow
everything in detail, but whether or not he does, indeed, choose to do so. Matthew 19:26
states that with God, everything is possible, so there is no question that God has
infinite knowledge, but how he selects to use this knowledge is the issue. And Psalms
115:3 indicates that God decides how to use his wisdom: Our God is in the heavens; he
does whatever he pleases. (NRSV)
An accurate description of God's approach to the events of mankind would be
through the use of "selective foreknowledge." He chooses not to be
indiscriminate, but selective in what he foreknows. This is evident from a number of
scriptural references.
Genesis 11:5,6 indicates that it was only after observation that God
learned what was going on in Babel. Nehemiah 9:7,8 states that God "learned"
Abraham was faithful. There are other examples, but these prove that God must be selective
in what he foreknows.
Predestination
Also basically a New Testament word, predestinate
is from the Greek prooriző (pro=before; oriző=determinate) and is to be
distinguished from foreknow in that it has special reference to that to which the
subjects of God's foreknowledge are predestinated.7 In particular, this
doctrine refers to God's predetermining the individuals elected for salvation, and
naturally, this also predetermines those not elected.8
A study of Christian history reveals that the original idea of predestination
among ancient Greek writers had a much wider connotation, and narrowing it down to
applying only to individuals elected for salvation is a man-made teaching.9
Like much of modern Christian thought, the original concepts were much different than that
preached about today.
Concerning these ideas of foreknowledge and predestination, a number of
questions are raised: do humans really have free will; does God intervene and force events
to his favor; can God's ability to foreknow events influence humans' actions; and are
certain individuals actually predestined to good, and others to evil?
Does Humankind Have Free Will?
The Bible states that it is impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18).
It is not that God doesn't have the knowledge to lie, but that it is not in his nature to
do so. The statement in Hebrews is a promise and God's word is his bond. And since God is
unchanging (another promise at Mal. 3:6), we can believe his oath that he, has not, will
not, and does not lie. So, we can, therefore, believe God when he states that humankind
has free will to chose right and wrong. If humans have the ability to choose, then we
alone are responsible for what happens.
No one in any Christian religion will argue about who created the world
we live in. So that the world exists is not the issue, it is how the world
is, that is open to question. One scholar stated the situation accurately.
There have been Christians who have suggested that everything that happens in the world is predetermined by God. But the main line of Christian belief has affirmed the freedom of human beings. In creating a human world, God has not only created something other than himself but has created something with a genuine measure of independence over against himself. This is part of what is meant by saying that men and women have been created in the image of God. Although as creatures they are of a totally different level of being from the self-existent God, they do have an affinity with God. They, too, in their own way, are creators; by their decisions and their actions they contribute to the course that the continuing process of the world's creation is taking.10
Does God Intervene?
The Bible concentrates on Yahweh's plan to redeem human beings and
rescue them from their destructive course. There is no doubt that God makes many human
decisions of his own. Old Testament examples abound concerning God's choices. He chose
individuals for his purposes (Judg. 2:16; Kings 18:1; Isa. 6:1-13; Jer. 1:1-2; Amos
3:6.8), and he can choose whole groups, as he did the Hebrew people (Deut. 7:6-10). He
will alter the course of events to a redemptive conclusion.11
So, God's predestination does involve individuals, but in a way
different than that taught in most Christian religions today. God chooses individuals for
certain tasks in his plan, but he does so depending upon the choices already made by the
individual or depending upon the events leading up to the appearance of that individual.
It is quite possible, although speculative to assume, that although God
knew what his plan would be when the promised seed was mentioned in Genesis 3:15, he
didn't know precisely the time, yet, for that seed to appear. Or that when Psalms 41:9;
55:12,13; 109:8 indicate that some intimate acquaintance of Jesus would be his betrayer,
God knew humankind's inclination, but didn't know which individual it would be until a
time closer to the event.
Again, God foretold nearly two centuries beforehand that he would use a
conqueror named Cyrus to effect the release of the Jews from Babylon (Isa. 44:26-28;
45:1-6). Possibly, God stated the name beforehand to let everyone know his abilities, but
did not know who the individual would be. Maybe only at the time of that person's
conception, God knew that everything was right for that kind of person to be born and,
only then, did he intervene and make sure the person was given the name of Cyrus.
These examples are, agreeably, imperfect human opinions and may involve
flawed concepts. They are included only to give the serious bible student fresh ideas upon
which to approach the subject of God's abilities and methods in dealing with the human
race.
Only Features Foreknown
It is true that, in the beginning, God looked at his
human creation and was pleased, but this should not imply that his creation was complete.
Could it be that God, in planning the human species, created Adam and Eve knowing that
they would fail the test of obedience; actually expecting them to fail, because they were
not, yet, finished creatures? Were they actually designed to fail so that future humanity
could complete their own education? Did he predetermine the general outline of all that
would lead to the completed, self-educated, and perfect human race still to come?
A new born infant is pleasing to his parents, but still isn't complete
until he has grown, been educated, and reached maturity. The parents pre-know the overview
of what will happen to the child, because they plan the general outline of his childhood,
but don't know each separate event in his unfolding life beforehand. Therefore,
predestination is not about specifics. As mentioned in a book by a dedicated bible
scholar, God's predestination is limited to the features of his plan12 and not
to individuals or details of all specific events. God gave us free will to make choices.
These choices were not predetermined for each individual, but God knew how the species as
a whole would react to the events of his plan.
God, therefore, does not cause everything, as a religious journal
pointed out well over a hundred years ago. He grants us the free will to do as we please
within certain broad limits. Yet his wisdom and power are so magnificent that he can, if
he so decides, anticipate, counteract, and overrule the various affairs of mankind so they
will work together for what he has planned.13
# # #
© Ray Hermann, 1998
1. Webster' New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988).
2. W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, (New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, pub. 1940).
3. The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, (Springfield, Missouri: The Complete Biblical Library, 1986).
4. The New Testament Study Bible: Romans-Corinthians, (Springfield, Missouri: The Complete Biblical Library, 1989) p. 135.
5. Issac Asimov, Foundation, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1951).
6. The New Testament Study Bible: Romans-Corinthians, (Springfield, Missouri: The Complete Biblical Library, 1989) pp. 135-136.
7. W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
8. The Oxford Companion to The Bible, ed. B. M. Metzer et al, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993) p. 608.
9. Ibid.
10. The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, ed. John McManners, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990) p. 660.
11. Harper's Bible Dictionary, ed. Paul Achtemeier, (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985) p. 819.
12. Paul Johnson, Christ, Spirit, Covenants, (Philadelphia: L.H.M.M., 1950) p. 196.
13. "Fatalism," Zion's Watch Tower, Vol. 7, No. 12, Aug. 1886.
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