Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Honors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program 2007 A Scriptural and Philosophical Evaluation of the Open Model of God as an Ontological Necessity and Its Compatibility with Evangelical Theology Richard Garrett Ham Jr. Ouachita Baptist University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Ham, Richard Garrett Jr., "A Scriptural and Philosophical Evaluation of the Open Model of God as an Ontological Necessity and Its Compatibility with Evangelical Theology" (2007). Honors Theses. 44. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/44 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CI IAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. ! Til£ EV.- \ 'I'GELICAL U'I'OEHSTAND II\"G OF SCIHPTUJn: ............................................................................................ 1 1'l1e Nature ofScriplllre ... ................................................................................................................... .................. 3 The Purpose ofScripture. ....... .... ....................... .... ..... ...... ..................................................................................... 4 'f'l1e :1 uthori~)l ofScripture ............ ............................................ ................................ ............................................. 7 BASICS OF ()PE:-1 TI!EOLOGY ................................................................................................................. .................. 9 TI!ESIS0BJECTIVE ................................................................................................................................................. 12 C IIAPTER 2: SCRIPTURE ..................................................................................................................................... 14 QtiESTIOI\ 11\'G EXIIALISTI\ 'E DI\'11\'E FOHEKI\OWLEDGE. ...................................................................................... 14 Divi11e Repentance ...... .. ....................................................... ............................................................................ 14 l'xodus 32:7- 14 ................. .. ... .. ......... .. ......... .. ... ......................... ... ................ .. ...... .. ............. ... ............ ................ .. ... .......... 15 Je remiah I 8:7-1 0 ...................... ..... ..... ................. .. ................................................... ... ............................................. ...... ... 24 !'he Book of Jona11 . .. ..... ............................................................................................................... ..................................... 25 Other passages .. ............. .. .... .. ..... .. .............. .... ....... .. .... ........ ............... .... .. ........................... ......................................... ... .. 26 '/'he Dil'ine Perhaps ................................................................................................................. .... ....... ................. 29 The Divine If. ........................ ............... ............................................................................................................... 31 The Di1•ine Consultation .. ............................................................................... .. ............... .. ................................ 34 '/he Di1•ine Question ............. ........... ...... ........ ............... .................................................... .. ....................... ......... 36 II ~: Ri\11:1\El i T!C\L FALLACIES ................................................ ................................................................................ 38 AI·FIRi\IING EX!I.-\ LIST IV E DIVII\E FOI{EKJ\"OWLEI)CE ........................................................................................... 46 I Samuel 15:29...................................................................... .. ................................................................... ......... 47 Numbers 23: /9 .............. .............................. .......... .............................................. ................................. .............. 50 Psalm 139 ... ............. .. .. .. ......... ...................................................................................................... ...... ................. 51 Isaiah -10-55 .. .......... .. ... ............. .. ........ ..................... .... ........ ........... .. .............................. ............ .. ...... ..... ............ 52 Prophecy.. ........................................... .... ............................. ............ .................................................. .. ............... 52 Peter's Denied .................................................................. ................................................................................... 57 The Predestined and the Elect ............................................................................................................................. 58 !?oman.~ 9-11 ...... ................................................................................................................................................. 59 CO'I'CLL SION ........................................................................................................................................................... 83 CIIAPTER 3: PIIILOSOPIIY AND S YSTEMATICS ........................................................................................... 84 A P ,\R.-\DIGi\1 S !!IVI' ................................................................................................................................................ 84 Divine Immutability ...... ........ ... ........... ..................... ................................................................. ........................ 84 Divine Impassibility ............ .. ..... .. .. ............... ............ .... .. .......................................... .. ............................... ........ 87 Dil'ine ForeknmF!edge .. ................................ ............................. ........................... ....................... ............ ............ 90 D~nying omniscience? .... .................... ...... .......................................................................................................... .. ............ 91 the ftnility of hJrt.:k nowledge ................................................................................................................................ ... .... ... .. 93 Issues of time and timelessness .............. .. .. .. ...... ............... ................. .. ... .. .............................................................. .. .... ..... 95 Divine .")overeignty. ........... ............. .. ........ .. .................................. .. ................................................... I 02 Gcn.:ral So1 .:rcignty ............................................................... ................... ..... ..... .............................. ........................ ....... l 02 Prcdcstination ..................................................... ......... .. .... ........................ ..... ............................... .. .......................... ....... t 06 Mctasovercignty ..................................................................... .......................................................................................... I 07 PHA(TIC,\ L li\II'LICATIOI\S ..................... .................. ......................... ..................... ............................................. 108 J>rayer .... .. .......................... .... .... ......... ......... ........... .... ..................... .... .................... .................. .... ....... 108 Providence ........................................................................................................... ........ ...................................... II 0 1heodicy ... ... .... ... .......................... .. .................................................................................... ................ ........ ..... Ill COI\CLl SIO'I' ......................................................................................................................................................... ll3 CIIAPTER 4: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 115 CO\ IP,\'1 IBLE SCHOOLS OF TJIOliC!JT'! ............................................................................................................... I 15 DEFI '11:\G S\'STEi\IA J'ICS ...................................................................................................................................... 1 16 CO'ICI.L SIO . ......................................................................................................................................................... 118