Defenders Podcast Defenders: Doctrine of God: Attributes of God (Part 14): Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom
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Feb 16, 2022 Delve into the fascinating interplay between God's foreknowledge and human freedom. Discover how divine knowledge of future events doesn't negate genuine choice, challenging fatalistic views. Explore the tension between autonomy and predestination with biblical insights and even quantum mechanics. Unpack various perspectives like soft determinism and open theism, shedding light on the significance of human decisions within God's overarching plan. This discussion navigates theological complexities while reinforcing the belief in true human freedom.
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Foreknowledge Tracks Choices It Does Not Cause Them
- Divine foreknowledge does not equal divine ordination because God's knowledge tracks free choices rather than causing them.
- Craig distinguishes chronological priority (God knows first) from logical/explanatory priority (your choice makes the foreknowledge true).
Knowledge Alone Cannot Make Events Necessary
- Mere knowledge of an event doesn't causally make that event necessary or fated to occur.
- Craig uses the barometer analogy: an infallible tracker doesn't determine the weather any more than God's foreknowledge determines our choices.
Peter's Denial Shows Disposition Doesn't Fix Exact Outcomes
- Craig rejects deterministic inferences from spiritual disposition using Peter's denial as an example.
- He notes Peter could have denied Jesus different numbers of times, so disposition alone can't fix the exact outcome foreknown by God.