Christian theism is indeed rooted in the truth that God is both transcendent and immanent—sovereign over creation yet intimately involved within it. However, the assumption that Open Theism denies these attributes misrepresents what Open Theists actually affirm.
The God of Scripture is not bound by creation, yet He interacts dynamically with His creatures. His knowledge is perfect—not because it must include a settled, determined future, but because He knows all that can be known and is free to act in response. The idea that He must know the future exhaustively in a fixed, settled way in order to hear and respond to prayers is an assumption, not a biblical necessity.
Furthermore, dismissing biblical descriptions of God’s emotions, responses, and interactions as mere “anthropomorphisms” overlooks the richness of God’s self-revelation. The Bible frequently portrays God as genuinely engaging with His people—grieving, relenting, responding, and making real decisions. These are not merely accommodations to human understanding; they reveal something true about His relational nature.
The false dichotomy of “Christian Theism or Paganism” ignores the fact that Open Theism is rooted in biblical exegesis and a commitment to the living, personal nature of God. If the choice is between a God who is frozen in an eternally settled future or a God who is free and engaged in relationship, the latter is far more in line with the God who walks with His people, listens to their prayers, and responds in love.
#BiblicalTheism #GodIsPersonal #OpenTheism
Neopatriarch⚡
npub1fl…qrg9q
2025-02-18 06:29:16
in reply to nevent1q…jxtw
Author Public Key
npub1flm9yc3vhc3dj036pn3ysl5xwd4f5gyhyjnn9rzehs5mqe9y9ynq6qrg9qPublished at
2025-02-18 06:29:16Event JSON
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"content": "Christian theism is indeed rooted in the truth that God is both transcendent and immanent—sovereign over creation yet intimately involved within it. However, the assumption that Open Theism denies these attributes misrepresents what Open Theists actually affirm.\n\nThe God of Scripture is not bound by creation, yet He interacts dynamically with His creatures. His knowledge is perfect—not because it must include a settled, determined future, but because He knows all that can be known and is free to act in response. The idea that He must know the future exhaustively in a fixed, settled way in order to hear and respond to prayers is an assumption, not a biblical necessity.\n\nFurthermore, dismissing biblical descriptions of God’s emotions, responses, and interactions as mere “anthropomorphisms” overlooks the richness of God’s self-revelation. The Bible frequently portrays God as genuinely engaging with His people—grieving, relenting, responding, and making real decisions. These are not merely accommodations to human understanding; they reveal something true about His relational nature.\n\nThe false dichotomy of “Christian Theism or Paganism” ignores the fact that Open Theism is rooted in biblical exegesis and a commitment to the living, personal nature of God. If the choice is between a God who is frozen in an eternally settled future or a God who is free and engaged in relationship, the latter is far more in line with the God who walks with His people, listens to their prayers, and responds in love.\n\n#BiblicalTheism #GodIsPersonal #OpenTheism",
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