Open Theist to Speak at Columbia Church

Columbia's Woodcrest Chapel is having author and pastor Greg Boyd speak at her Sunday morning services. For those of you unfamiliar with Boyd, he has debated for the last several years with John Piper regarding "open theism" or "openness theology." Boyd argues that God is often ignorant about the future (lacks simple foreknowledge). Piper has opposed that view and has argued to keep the teaching out of the denomination of the two men (Baptist General Conference).

Boyd's favorite illustration is to speak of a young girl called to missions who marries another man who senses the same vocation from God. They go on the mission field together. They don't live happily ever after, however. The man (I think while on furlough) ends up having an affair and leaving his wife. When the distraught young lady heads to Boyd for counsel, he responds with this: God is just as surprised and grieved as you are.

Boyd argues that historic Arminianism fails miserably in explaining God's providence. First, he argues, what is the ontological grounding of God's foreknowledge? If I haven't made decisions yet-- if those choices aren't acted out-- then how can they be known? Second, Boyd asks, doesn't God having simple foreknowledge render things just as fixed as in a Calvinistic system? If he foreknows it, it is gonna happen, right? Third, if God does have simple foreknowledge, then how is that of providential benefit? As an illustration, if you know that next year you're business is going to crash and you're going to lose everything, does that really help you? The answer is no. Boyd takes these arguments, props them up with some questionable proof-texts, and proclaims God's "openness" (meaning the future is open for God, as well).

Boyd gives a stirring rebuke to historic Arminian understandings of providence. His point is that historic Arminianism leaves things just as determined as Calvinism. He has some valid points in that regard. His problem is that he butchers Scripture in the process. For example, much of the book of Isaiah serves to show how, unlike the un-gods, the God of the Bible knows the future.

Isa 46:9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.

God knows the future, because He plans the future. That is why the historic Reformed understanding of providence makes the most sense biblically. Boyd tries to rescue people from historic Arminian or Calvinist concepts of God, yet He clearly denies the God of the Bible. And He robs people of the comfort that comes from that God. Of what comfort is it to someone to say, "I know that guy left you, but God's just as clueless as you are"? How he argues that such teaching has pastoral benefit baffles me.

It is troubling that Woodcrest has invited him to speak (for at least the second time). If the church's pastors do not endorse open theism (doubtful), then they risk exposing them to a man who does. Boyd has denied the historic, biblical understanding of God. That is a serious problem.

For more reading on this issue, I suggest these articles by John Piper:

Pastoral Implications of Greg Boyd's View in Dealing with Suffering
Answering Greg Boyd's Openness of God Texts
The Enormous Ignorance of God
Is the Glory of God at Stake in God's Foreknowledge of Human Choices?
Does God Make Mistakes?

In addition, I commend these books to you from a trusted former professor and elder of mine.

Ware, Bruce. God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism
Ware, Bruce. Their God Is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God.