Defenders Podcast Defenders: Doctrine of God: Attributes of God (Part 15): God's Middle Knowledge
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Feb 23, 2022 Dive into the fascinating tension between God's omniscience and human free will. Discover how middle knowledge allows God to foresee human choices without overriding autonomy. The conversation explores the coexistence of divine providence and individual destinies, highlighting the impact of free will on morality. Delve into Molina's concept of middle knowledge and its implications for human responsibility amidst sin. Finally, reflect on free will in heavenly realms and the irresistible allure of divine presence.
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Foreknowledge Does Not Eliminate Free Choice
- God's foreknowledge is chronologically prior but not logically prior to events, so His knowing does not determine our choices.
- If Judas had chosen differently, God would have foreknown that instead, preserving libertarian freedom while maintaining divine foreknowledge.
What Middle Knowledge Means Theologically
- Middle knowledge is God's knowledge of subjunctive conditionals: what free creatures would do in various hypothetical circumstances.
- The question is whether God possessed this knowledge prior to His decree to create a world.
A Christmas Carol Demonstrates Hypothetical Futures
- Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol illustrates middle knowledge: the Spirit shows Scrooge what would happen if he doesn't repent, not what will inevitably occur.
- The visions are conditional outcomes tied to Scrooge's choices, not fixed foreordained events.