I appreciate your willingness to explore this, brother! Just to start, it's important to know that Open Theism isn't monolithic—there's a range of views within it. But at its core, Open Theism is about the freedom of God. If God is/was ever free to choose, then the future couldn't be entirely settled because He would have had the ability to do otherwise.
As Psalm 115:3 says, "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." This illustrates God's freedom and sovereignty, highlighting that His actions are not predetermined but are chosen according to His will.
Regarding prophecy, Open Theism doesn't require God to see a fixed future. Instead, God knows every possible outcome and is powerful enough to bring about what He promises. Think of it like a master chess player who doesn't need to see the future to guarantee victory. He knows every possible move his opponent could make and has a strategy for each one. Similarly, God knows every possibility and works through the free actions of people to accomplish His purposes.
One of the most interesting aspects of Open Theism is how it explains what some might see as ‘failed prophecy.’ In this view, prophecy isn't about God seeing a fixed future but about Him declaring intentions that are conditional on human response. This is seen in places like Jonah and Nineveh: God declared that Nineveh would be destroyed, but when they repented, God relented. The prophecy wasn’t false; it was conditional.
Open Theism acknowledges that because God honors human freedom, some prophecies are warnings or invitations to change course. This highlights God's relational nature and His willingness to adapt His plans in response to human choices—without compromising His ultimate purposes.
This perspective actually emphasizes God's sovereignty and creativity even more! I'm happy to chat more about this when you have time. Blessings to you as well!
Neopatriarch⚡
npub1fl…qrg9q
2025-02-19 08:41:54
in reply to nevent1q…jqva
Author Public Key
npub1flm9yc3vhc3dj036pn3ysl5xwd4f5gyhyjnn9rzehs5mqe9y9ynq6qrg9qPublished at
2025-02-19 08:41:54Event JSON
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"content": "I appreciate your willingness to explore this, brother! Just to start, it's important to know that Open Theism isn't monolithic—there's a range of views within it. But at its core, Open Theism is about the freedom of God. If God is/was ever free to choose, then the future couldn't be entirely settled because He would have had the ability to do otherwise.\n\nAs Psalm 115:3 says, \"Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.\" This illustrates God's freedom and sovereignty, highlighting that His actions are not predetermined but are chosen according to His will.\n\nRegarding prophecy, Open Theism doesn't require God to see a fixed future. Instead, God knows every possible outcome and is powerful enough to bring about what He promises. Think of it like a master chess player who doesn't need to see the future to guarantee victory. He knows every possible move his opponent could make and has a strategy for each one. Similarly, God knows every possibility and works through the free actions of people to accomplish His purposes.\n\nOne of the most interesting aspects of Open Theism is how it explains what some might see as ‘failed prophecy.’ In this view, prophecy isn't about God seeing a fixed future but about Him declaring intentions that are conditional on human response. This is seen in places like Jonah and Nineveh: God declared that Nineveh would be destroyed, but when they repented, God relented. The prophecy wasn’t false; it was conditional.\n\nOpen Theism acknowledges that because God honors human freedom, some prophecies are warnings or invitations to change course. This highlights God's relational nature and His willingness to adapt His plans in response to human choices—without compromising His ultimate purposes.\n\nThis perspective actually emphasizes God's sovereignty and creativity even more! I'm happy to chat more about this when you have time. Blessings to you as well!\n\n",
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