Open Theism: A Biblical Refutation of a Flawed View of God's Foreknowledge and Sovereignty

Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

$5.00

Introduction: The Rise and Error of Open Theism

Open Theism is a theological system that has gained attention in recent decades for its attempt to reconcile the problem of evil with human freedom by modifying the classical understanding of God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty. Advocates of this view claim that God does not exhaustively know the future because the future is not fully determined—it is “open.” Therefore, God learns things as they unfold, responds dynamically to human choices, and adapts His plans as history progresses.

Prominent proponents of Open Theism include Clark Pinnock, Gregory Boyd, John Sanders, and William Hasker. These theologians argue that for human freedom to be meaningful, the future must be partly unknown—even to God. They reject the traditional understanding of divine omniscience, which includes exhaustive foreknowledge of all future events and choices. In their view, God knows all that can be known, but the future choices of genuinely free creatures are unknowable until they are actualized.

While Open Theism presents itself as a “more relational” and “more biblical” model of God, in reality it denies essential attributes of the God of Scripture—namely His omniscience, immutability, and sovereignty. It redefines divine omniscience, introduces philosophical speculation foreign to the text, and ultimately undermines the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. This article will analyze the claims of Open Theism and demonstrate from Scripture and reason why it must be rejected as a false and dangerous theological error.

The Core Claims of Open Theism

The main tenets of Open Theism can be summarized as follows:

The future is not completely settled; some of it is genuinely open.
God knows everything that can be known, but the future free decisions of creatures are not knowable in advance.
God changes His mind and reacts in real time to the unfolding of history.
God takes risks and experiences regret and disappointment based on human actions.
The openness of the future allows for a more authentic relationship between God and man.

Each of these claims contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture and introduces a conception of God that is anthropomorphic, mutable, and fallible. The God of Open Theism is not the God of the Bible.

Illustrating the concept of Open Theism in Christian Apologetics.

A Biblical Response: The God of Scripture Knows All Things

The Bible repeatedly and unequivocally affirms that God’s knowledge is exhaustive—including foreknowledge of all future events and free actions. There is no limitation on what God knows, no “openness” in the future from His eternal perspective.

Isaiah 46:9–10:

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.’”

This verse alone dismantles Open Theism. God declares the end from the beginning—not merely because He can predict, but because He ordains what will come to pass. His counsel will stand, not be adjusted in response to unforeseen events.

Psalm 139:4, 16:

“Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Jehovah, you know it altogether. … Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

God does not merely react to events. He knows our days before we live them and our words before we speak them. That includes free human actions.

Matthew 11:21:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago…”

Here Jesus reveals counterfactual knowledge—what people would have done under different circumstances. This is a clear demonstration of God’s ability to know not only what will happen, but what would happen in all possible situations. Open Theism cannot accommodate such knowledge.

Acts 2:23:

“This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put him to death.”

The crucifixion of Christ was both foreknown and foreordained by God. It was not an accident or an adjustment to unforeseen rebellion. Open Theism cannot explain how the most evil event in history was part of God’s eternal purpose.

Romans 8:29–30:

“For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined…”

Biblical foreknowledge is not merely foreseeing events but knowing persons and ordaining outcomes. The Greek term proginōskō carries relational and volitional meaning, not mere intellectual awareness.

Open Theism Misrepresents God’s Attributes

1. Omniscience
Open Theism redefines omniscience to mean “knowing all that can be known.” But this is a limitation not imposed by Scripture. The Bible teaches that God knows everything—past, present, and future, including the intentions and decisions of free agents.

2. Immutability
Malachi 3:6 declares:

“For I, Jehovah, do not change.”
God’s being and purposes are unchanging. Open Theism’s view that God grows in knowledge and alters His plans denies this foundational truth.

3. Sovereignty
Daniel 4:35 affirms:

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

A God who must adapt to creaturely decisions is not sovereign. Open Theism demotes God from King to co-participant in history.

Misinterpreted Proof Texts in Open Theism

Open Theists often appeal to passages where God “repents” or “regrets,” or where He “changes His mind.” These include:

Genesis 6:6 — “Jehovah regretted that he had made man on the earth.”
1 Samuel 15:11, 29 — “I regret that I have made Saul king.”

However, these must be interpreted within the framework of divine immutability and omniscience. These anthropopathic expressions (attributing human emotions to God) describe God’s response in history in terms humans can understand. They do not imply that God was ignorant of future outcomes. In fact, 1 Samuel 15:29 explicitly says:

“The Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

The language of “regret” in Scripture communicates relational dynamics, not literal changes in divine knowledge or purpose. God does not regret in the human sense of wishing He had done something differently based on new information. The events unfold exactly as God intended, even while He engages with His creation in a personal way.

Philosophical Flaws in Open Theism

Open Theism is rooted in libertarian free will, the idea that a person must be free to choose otherwise in every situation. From this, Open Theists argue that if God knows a future choice with certainty, it cannot be free. But this is a philosophical assumption, not a biblical one.

Scripture presents compatibilism—that God’s sovereign decree and human responsibility coexist. Joseph’s brothers sinned freely, yet God ordained it for good (Genesis 50:20). Judas betrayed Jesus by his own volition, yet it fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 41:9; Acts 1:16). The Bible never defends libertarian freedom, nor does it demand an “open” future for moral responsibility to be real.

Moreover, Open Theism leads to a God who is not trustworthy. If He can’t know the future, He cannot guarantee the fulfillment of prophecy. He can’t assure final victory. He can’t know if evil will ultimately be defeated. Such a god is not worthy of worship or faith.

The Dangerous Consequences of Open Theism

Open Theism is not a harmless theological variation. It undermines the entire foundation of biblical theism:

It denies God’s complete foreknowledge.
It distorts God’s immutability and sovereignty.
It redefines prophecy, providence, and prayer.
It cannot guarantee God’s promises.
It lowers God to the level of a reactive being.

This is not merely an alternate view—it is a false view. It leads to weak theology, a diminished gospel, and a god made in man’s image. The God of Open Theism is not the all-knowing, all-powerful Jehovah who rules over all creation. He is a bystander, a responder, and at best, a co-director of history.

Conclusion: Open Theism Is a Theological Error That Must Be Rejected

Open Theism fails both scripturally and logically. It denies essential attributes of God and replaces the sovereign Lord of the Bible with a limited, changeable, and reactive deity. In seeking to protect human freedom and make God more “relational,” Open Theism ends up creating a god who is fundamentally less than God.

The biblical testimony is clear: God knows the end from the beginning. He does not change. He cannot be thwarted. His foreknowledge is perfect, exhaustive, and unerring. He is not surprised by human choices, and He does not improvise. He is the sovereign Lord, executing His plan with perfect wisdom, knowledge, and power.

To uphold the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, Open Theism must be fully rejected. God is not waiting to see what will happen. He is the one who declares what will happen—and then brings it to pass.

You May Also Enjoy

Oneness Pentecostalism: A Biblical Refutation of a False Religion Denying the Triune God

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).