God in Eternity and Time: A New Case for Human Freedom

When theology begins with God’s eternal will and knowledge, determinism results. In God in Eternity and Time, eminent scholar Robert Picirilli argues that we should look first to God’s creation and the incarnation-to the created order where God has chosen to act and reveal himself. As God’s decrees and foreknowledge in eternity are then read in light of his acts within time, his interactions with human beings on the personal level clearly reveal themselves.God in Eternity and Time is divided into two sections. The first part explores how God speaks and acts in creation. The second carefully examines foreknowledge and “middle knowledge” to demonstrate the fallacy of logical arguments against freedom based on foreknowledge. Based on these two sections, the reader will discover Picirilli’s fresh argument for libertarian human freedom.Review“Renowned theologian and New Testament scholar Dr. Robert Picirilli has written a book that makes compelling reading for his fellow Baptists and for all others interested in a truly biblical theology. Picirilli argues that to construct a truly biblical theology, one should start with the Bible itself as ‘the best evidence of God’s plan,’ believing that ‘it is better to infer what God has decreed in eternity, from the Bible’s account of how God acted in the history . . . of man and the cosmos’ rather than starting with the classical ‘decrees’ and imposing them on biblical revelation. This Scripture-honoring approach produces powerful and important insights into such thorny issues as God’s will, human freedom, and divine foreknowledge. God in Eternity and Time merits and will reward every dedicated Christian’s rapt and focused attention.”-Richard Land, executive editor, Christian Post, and president emeritus of Southern Evangelical Seminary and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission“Dr. Picirilli demonstrates how human libertarian freedom is consistent with key divine attributes and actions. In so doing, Picirilli masterfully provides understandable and plausible explanations for complex doctrines such as immutability, timelessness, and foreknowledge, as well as God’s work in creation, incarnation, and redemption. This book provides answers to thorny theological questions that concern many Christians.”-Steve Lemke, provost emeritus and professor of philosophy and ethics, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary“Certainly, Picirilli brings many fresh ideas in support of human freedom, answering conundrums proposed by determinists of every sort. Perhaps his most striking contribution, however, is to throw the more speculative aspects of systematic theology back upon the surer footing of biblical theology. One might even assert that this book is essentially a hermeneutical guide to the issue of divine sovereignty and human freedom. Clearly and concisely written, the book will straighten out many a crooked argument in the complex debate, and will invite readers to connect with Picirilli’s previous works on the Calvinist-Arminian issue.”-James M. Leonard, vice president, Society of Evangelical Arminians“While differing from the Molinist model to which I subscribe, Picirilli offers a well-reasoned and innovative model of the relationship between divine eternity and divine temporality. Grounded first and foremost in revealed theology, Picirilli insightfully argues that the events comprising God’s relationships with creatures in time are ontologically identical with those same events in eternity. His model effectively avoids the-in my judgment-erroneous extremes of divine determinism and divine openness. This book will be read profitably by biblical theologians who seek an understanding of God that reconciles the scriptural data on divine sovereignty, divine counterfactual knowledge, divine foreknowledge, and genuine human freedom.”-Kirk R. MacGregor, associate professor of philosophy and religion and department chair, McPherson College“Robert Picirilli has wri