Election According to Foreknowledge and the Freedom of Salvation: A Dynamic Model Informed by the Apostles Peter and Paul
Location
Seminary Commons
Start Date
10-2-2017 10:30 AM
End Date
10-2-2017 10:30 AM
Description
Election according to foreknowledge and the freedom of salvation are harmonious in the Bible. However, the way some Bible students have traditionally understood these concepts leads to the following question. If election is according to foreknown certainties alone, is God free in giving and withholding salvation and are we free in receiving and refusing salvation? I propose an answer informed by the writings of the apostles Peter and Paul. God’s dynamic foreknowledge of the elect Savior (Acts 2:23; 1 Pet 1:20; 2:5-6) and the saved elect (1 Pet 1:2; Rom 8:29, 33; 11:2-7, 28) focuses on recurring and overlapping sequences of possibilities, certainties, options, and actions. These sequences are indicated in the often overlooked apostolic teaching that the non-elect could become elect and then could become non-elect again (2 Pet 1:10; 3:9, 15, 17; Rom 11:11, 12, 15, 20, 22-23). As such, God foreknew sequences of possible interactions (interactive options) and certain interactions (interactive actions) by which the certainly non-elect could possibly (and/or certainly) become elect and then could possibly (and/or certainly) become non-elect. God foreknew His freedom in His options; and He foreknew our freedom in His actions to facilitate our options and actions. Therefore, God foreknew possible and certain sequences of conditional divine-human interactions (1) that could happen if He facilitates them, (2) that could and might happen since He facilitates them, (3) that could, might, and would happen if we also facilitate them, and (4) that could, might, would, and will happen since we also facilitate them.
Election According to Foreknowledge and the Freedom of Salvation: A Dynamic Model Informed by the Apostles Peter and Paul
Seminary Commons
Election according to foreknowledge and the freedom of salvation are harmonious in the Bible. However, the way some Bible students have traditionally understood these concepts leads to the following question. If election is according to foreknown certainties alone, is God free in giving and withholding salvation and are we free in receiving and refusing salvation? I propose an answer informed by the writings of the apostles Peter and Paul. God’s dynamic foreknowledge of the elect Savior (Acts 2:23; 1 Pet 1:20; 2:5-6) and the saved elect (1 Pet 1:2; Rom 8:29, 33; 11:2-7, 28) focuses on recurring and overlapping sequences of possibilities, certainties, options, and actions. These sequences are indicated in the often overlooked apostolic teaching that the non-elect could become elect and then could become non-elect again (2 Pet 1:10; 3:9, 15, 17; Rom 11:11, 12, 15, 20, 22-23). As such, God foreknew sequences of possible interactions (interactive options) and certain interactions (interactive actions) by which the certainly non-elect could possibly (and/or certainly) become elect and then could possibly (and/or certainly) become non-elect. God foreknew His freedom in His options; and He foreknew our freedom in His actions to facilitate our options and actions. Therefore, God foreknew possible and certain sequences of conditional divine-human interactions (1) that could happen if He facilitates them, (2) that could and might happen since He facilitates them, (3) that could, might, and would happen if we also facilitate them, and (4) that could, might, would, and will happen since we also facilitate them.