Is open theism doomed?

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Ricky Grimsley | PentecostalTheology.com

               

Are open-theists going to hell? If so what can they do since God either… determined that they would be open-theists, or knew they would be open-theists and created them anyway. Seriously, though. How many would consider my position that God does not have exhaustive foreknowledge a “damnable heresy”.

37 Comments

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    William Lance Huget

    Richard Swinburne points out that this was never a test of orthodoxy in creeds and councils. Your view is biblical and coherent, not essential, not salvific. Those who vilify us often misunderstand and misrepresent the view. The person and work of Christ is the heaven/hell issue, not how much tradition influenced by Greek philosophy needs rethinking.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    #DOOMED No one has ever heard of open theism before 1994. How did the church of 20 centuries never figured out such an important explanation? It’s not like it requires 21c. knowledge to be figured out

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    No one labeled it open-theism but Jonah certainly understood that God could change his mind and so did moses.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    How many people understood that messiah had to die on the cross before it happened and yet it was the plan?

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Tony Conger

    No offence but who cares who declares what orthodox

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    I have no idea what he means

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    If we could just deal with scripture for a moment, what does exodus 32:14 mean if not God changing his mind Troy Day

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    William Lance Huget

    Open Theism can be defended biblically and logically. Much of Calvinism and Arminianism came centuries after the early church. This does not mean they are automatically true or false because of this. Believers have had all kinds of wrong views, interpretations, practices throughout history. Our understanding on many theological/philosophical issues is greater for various reasons than the first century (though we have much in common on the essential, salvific issues, of course…but not all doctrinal disputes were dealt with since there is no end to areas of knowledge or error).

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    In Exodus 32:14 God was showing mercy rather than a change of mind. Moses’ extensive pleading, as well as God’s own pronouncements of judgment, were necessary to communicate the seriousness of sin.

    Open-theists have simplified this text in at least 3 argumentatively fallacy ways

    1. they fail to consider Exodus as a whole,

    2. they have misunderstood the nature of God’s statements – “repent” and

    3. God’s words to Moses were not to be viewed as unchanging promises, but rather as expressions of divine displeasure and righteous anger.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Tony Conger

    Lol Troy Day so what you’re saying is if I squint and tilt my head I can see your argument in scripture ?

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    I take the bible as a whole, not just exodus. The holy spirit could have easily wrote “hey moses im ticked off right now but dont worry ill get over it in a few.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Charles Page

    Are tongues for unbelievers?

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    Dont people get tired of saying “yeah i know thats what it says but it doesnt really mean that?”

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Charles Page

    Pickles have souls

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    So what is the the definition of “repent”.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    Is it to pretend to have feelings?

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    Did God repent from sins? Of course not. But again and again, once you start the journey from God being all in all to God being all He can be, you are walking the thin line of heresy. No way around it

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    William Lance Huget

    Repent has a range of meaning and can be used of God not in relation to sin.

  • Reply November 17, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    I will never say that God sinned. Where is the heresy. Again explain exodus 32:14? What is the Scripture trying to get across to us there?

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Gary Sawyer

    What is sin? Sin is anything that creates separation from God. We are born separated from God (hence we are born in sin) and are not reconciled with him until we are born again in the spirit by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is why the Bible calls Hell the second death in the Book of Revelation. Because death is also a form of separation. Everyone will experience the first death. The first death separates our soul from our Earthly bodies. But the second death is our soul being separated from God. As born again believers we do not experience the second death. Because we have been reconciled unto God through our blood covenant with Christ Jesus and therefore we receive a glorified body in Heaven after we die. So to say repent of sin literally means to turn away from anything that creates separation from God. Seek his forgiveness.

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    If we follow this humanistic logic of open theism with God repenting from something we come to the question what did God repented from? Wrong decision? Wrong doing? Or a wrong decision which let God to a wrong doing – the consequence of which was death? Isnt this the very Biblical definition of sin? So does open theism alludes God sinned and repented without stating it openly?

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    No one believes that God sins. It is however clear that he changes his mind, that he actually listens and interacts. Again what is you interpretation of the passage of scripture. What is the holy spirit trying to convey to us by telling us that he “repented of the evil”. No one is saying God is a sinner but he was justifiably angry and then moses appeased that anger and he decided not to kill them after first wanting to. Seems cut and dry to me.

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Tony Conger

    Would it have been sin for him to wipe out everyone and start again with Moses? No was it a sin to not wipe them out. No not everything is sin or not.

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Ricky Grimsley

    Im still waiting for alternative view of the texts.

  • Reply November 18, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    So how could have GOD repented then? Obviously the Bible here does not speak of any sin, wrong doing, wrong decision or regret of God

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    Yes, very much so! Ricky Grimsley is asking Are open-theists going to hell?

  • Street Preacherz
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Street Preacherz

    Only in theology is “God” and “exhausted” used in the same sentence.

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Surely i wont go to hell for believing the bible means what it says.

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Im not the one who constantly has to explain away the plain reading of
    Scriptures.

    • Street Preacherz
      Reply February 17, 2017

      Street Preacherz

      Brother Ricky I hope you don’t think I’m chicken but I try to avoid disputes. I’m content believing God knows the end from the beginning. I’m trusting in him. I already know he’s smarter than me. So I leave the Bible alone. If God says “I know” I’m OK with it.

    • Ricky Grimsley
      Reply February 17, 2017

      Ricky Grimsley

      He certainly knows the from the beginning because he will make it happen

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    Plain reading of Scriptures – GOD knows ALL things! (Psalm 139:7-16)

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    I dont dispute that he knows all things. Some things just dont exist.

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Genesis 18:21 KJVS
    [21] I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 17, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Genesis 22:12 KJVS
    [12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply February 18, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    doom-doom #bomb 🙂 Ricky Grimsley

  • Ricky Grimsley
    Reply February 18, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Lol

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