Many Calvinists make the claim that Arminianism and Open Theism are essentially one and the same or at best Open Theism is the logical conclusion of the Arminian view of free will. I have read quite a number of open theism books and blogs and my hope here is to shed a small light on some of the things that unite Arminians with Open Theists and what divides us from them. Open Theist theologians would agree with me that there are some things that unite us, but they would likewise agree that there is much that divides us. In reality, it is safe to say that Reformation Arminians would likely agree more with a Calvinist theologian on basic attributes of God but would agree with Open Theists when it comes to their view of Man.
What Unites Arminians & Open Theists
Let me begin first with what unites Arminians with Open Theists. Whenever I read a viewpoint that I don’t completely agree with but know that fundamentally they agree with me on some issues (such as many Calvinists theologians and pastors), I try to find what unites me with them and I try to see the good they have first before I find that which I disagree with and that which I divide with them over (by division I don’t necessarily mean that I don’t fellowship with them but simply disagree with them over various theological aspects).
- The Love of God
Both Arminians and Open Theists agree that God is love (1 John 4:8). In fact, the love of God is what motivates our theology. We both agree that since God is loving toward His creation and since He especially loves humanity, He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins and to shed His blood for our eternal salvation through faith in Him (John 1:29; 3:16). Furthermore, we agree that the love of God is where our theology begins. We agree that it is out of God’s love for us that He desires to have a relationship with all of us and gave His Son for us all.
Calvinism, on the other hand, often begins their theological assumptions by first emphasizing that God is sovereign (Psalm 115:3). And from their understanding of sovereignty in which God micromanages all things not just controlling them, Calvinists thus teach that God elected some to salvation and others to damnation. This view of God, both Arminians and Open Theists believe, is wrong. No doubt, at least from an Arminian viewpoint, God is sovereign, we believe that in His sovereignty God has chosen to limit His sovereignty to allow for free will among humanity who were created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). This would include a loving, trusting relationship between God and humanity through His Son.
- Free Will
Since God created Mankind in His image, He created us with the ability to reciprocate love and reject it as well. Adam, while created pure and innocent and without sin, had the freedom to either obey God or reject His commandments. He chose the latter (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12). Yet despite the Fall, both Arminians and Open Theists agree that humanity is still given, through grace, the ability to either receive or reject God’s offer of salvation through His Son.
Now it must be stated that Arminians and Open Theists don’t fully agree on the extent of the freedom of the will. I will have more to say about this later, but for now, some Arminians believe that while God has given us free will, He still has the right to step into time to effect things for His own sovereign purposes.
However, both Arminians and Open Theists reject the Calvinist understanding of free will in that they believe that libertarian free will is a mere mirage. In reality, since God is sovereign, there is no such thing as libertarian free will. God not only controls all things but He also causes all things and yet He is not the author of sin nor is He responsible for sin. In fact Calvinist theologians such as R.C. Sproul Sr. believe that God permits evil but directly influences all good. How this can be and still maintain human freedom is but a mystery to Calvinist theologians.
- Election Is In Christ
Arminians and Open Theists agree that election is based in Christ. Arminius taught that above all, election is Christ-centered. Jesus is God’s elected One who died for our sins and through Him we become part of the elect (1 Timothy 4:10). While not all Arminians agree on the extent of election (corporate versus individual), Arminians do not gloss over the “election” passages such as Acts 13:48 or Ephesians 1:4-13.
Arminians disagree with Open Theists over the nature of foreknowledge (more on this later), but we agree that God elects people through their faith in Christ Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). The elect are those who place their faith in Christ while the non-elect are those who have not placed their faith in Christ.
- Salvation is By Grace Through Faith
This is important to stress. I don’t know of any Open Theists who believe that salvation is anything but by grace through faith. While I don’t agree with Open Theists on all issues, I believe that many of them are truly saved. At times I feel that Calvinist theologians have been a bit unfair to Open Theists and believe they are cultic and even lost. I disagree. I have found, for example, Greg Boyd to be an engaging brother. I have not agreed with Dr. Boyd, but I have found him to be a man who wants to glorify Christ and that he truly believes that his exegesis of Scripture is correct. Most of the Open Theists I have interacted with have been godly in their writings. While this doesn’t necessarily mean they are regenerated, I do believe that many times they have been passionate about Jesus while disagreeing with me over other issues.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is the one point that all three groups listed in this post: Arminians, Open Theists, and Calvinists agree on. We all agree that salvation is a free gift of God given to those who place their faith fully in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done on the cross for our sins (Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:22-25). We agree that salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that no works could ever obtain nor secure salvation (Romans 4:1-5).
What Divides Arminians & Open Theists
- The Impeccability of God
Reformation Arminianism agrees with Calvinists that God does not change (1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 2:10; Hebrews 13:8). Open Theists point out that one major way in which God has changed is in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:17-18; 14:1-9; Philippians 2:5-11). Open Theists further believe that God changes in the sense that His mind can be changed through prayer and through obedience. An example of this is God’s dealings with Jonah and the wicked city of Nineveh or King Hezekiah and his prayer for God to prolong his life in 2 Kings 20:1-6. They also point to passages that speak of God relenting such as Genesis 6:6 or 1 Samuel 15:35.
However, Arminians agree with Calvinists such as Dr. Bruce Ware, who points out that while these verses appear to teach such a view, we must remember to interpret Scripture with Scripture. Ware points out that the very nature of God is perfect and that since He is perfect and He needs nothing apart from Himself, it would be fundamentally wrong to deduce God down to our level of “learning” or “repenting.” God knows all things, and since He knows all things, He is not taken back by any actions of His creatures. He foresees all that will take place.
- The Timelessness of God
This leads to the second point of division among Arminians and Open Theists, and that is the timelessness of God. It is not that Open Theists do not support the eternality of God (Psalm 90:2; Micah 5:2) but rather whether God exists outside of time. Historically, the Church has taught that God exists both in time and outside of time. Since God is eternal and omniscient, He can see the past, present, and the future all at the same time. This is quite difficult for our finite minds to comprehend, but God is not constrained by time as we are. This is why the Bible can speak of time from God’s perspective as being different than our concept of time (2 Peter 3:8).
Open Theists reject such a view of God since they hold that this would rob humanity of true free will since God would foreknow all things. While I would admit that I don’t have the answers for how we can reconcile free will with God’s exhaustive foreknowledge, I simply agree with Spurgeon that “you don’t have to reconcile friends.” The Bible teaches both the freedom of the will and the foreknowledge of God.
- The Omniscience of God
Arminians likewise agree with Calvinists that God is all-knowing. There is nothing that God does not know nor does He learn anything from humanity. Since God is omnipresent (John 4:24) and since God is omnipotent (1 Corinthians 1:25), then it logically follows God is also all-knowing and He foresees all events and He foreknows all things, even the free will decisions of men. For instance, we see this in the life of Jesus. Jesus not only is able to know the thoughts of men (Mark 2:8; John 2:25) but He also is able to foreknow the actions of others (Luke 22:31-34) and He foreknew who would betray Him (John 6:69-70). Further Jesus foreknew His time had come (John 13:1) and He was able to foresee future events (Matthew 24:1-2). John even records that Jesus foresaw Nathanael before he came to Him (John 1:48).
Since Jesus is God (John 1:1; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5-11), then it follows that the Triune God is omniscient.
To be fair, Open Theists would counter that they don’t doubt what I have stated above. Yet their point is that God Himself limits His ability to know the free will decisions of men. No doubt some things will come to pass such as the Lord Jesus’ birth, death, and His resurrection as well as His second coming, but the free will actions involving those events were not preplanned by God. God simply foreknows the events but not the actions of free creatures.
- The Nature of Prophecy
This leads to our final division and that is the nature of divine prophecy. As stated above, Open Theists acknowledge that some things are certain. For instance, Open Theists would say that Jesus will return on October 7, 2012 (this specific date is only for example), then nothing would stop that from taking place. However, such an event would not change God from allowing free will decisions up to that time by humans. And, Open Theists would add, there are some things in which God is open to changing His mind about such as the case with Jonah and his preaching to the wicked people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10).
However, Arminianism holds that God’s ability to foreknow all things leads to the amazing ability of God in the Bible to prophecy future events. For instance, God could speak of the yet born king, Cyrus, because He foreknows all things (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). Yet ponder the prophecy of Isaiah for a moment. In order for Cyrus to be God’s tool to bring about His righteous judgment against the nations would mean that God would foreknow the people it would take to get Cyrus born and in a place of leadership. This would mean moving people and positioning them as God wills in order for His purposes to be accomplished. While this doesn’t negate free will, it does show that God has power to control nations and do as He so desires (Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 4:32).
Isaiah 41:21-24 makes it clear that one of the things that makes Yahweh the only true God is the nature of prophecy. The Bible alone is the only book full of prophecies that have come to pass and those yet to come to pass such as the second coming of Jesus Christ. Yet God’s ability to foreknow all things (even the free will decisions of humans) can only lead one to worship this mighty, powerful God (Romans 11:33-36). Over and over again in Isaiah 40-45 God is able to give comfort to His people because of His sovereignty and His omniscience (Isaiah 41:10 for example).
Conclusion
I am able to read and enjoy books from both Calvinist and Open Theist theologians because I share things in common with both. I don’t believe that any of the three theological systems have a perfect understanding of God and His ways (who can understand God fully?) but I do believe that there are differences in all three among us. We should be able to see that clearly and yet be grateful for what the others bring to the table in terms of discussion.
I do have some alarms about Open Theism and perhaps I will share those in the future. For now, I see there are differences between the Arminian view and the Open View of God and other theological issues. Yet I am convinced that many of the Open Theists I have encountered do in fact love Christ. They truly want to glorify Him. While this may not be true of them all (nor of Arminians or Calvinists it is safe to say), I do believe that Open Theist theologians want to understand God and His nature.
[Link to original post and comments at Roy Ingle’s website.]
