As I mentioned in one of my other post I have been doing some more reading into the Early Church Fathers, and their views regarding Free Will / Predestination / and Foreknowledge. I paste my findings at the bottom of this post.
But basically they believed in Free Will, according to the principle that:
1Ti 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all
They also believed in foreknowledge. But now to the meat of the topic, Free Will and foreknowledge are hard concepts to join together, without a "mysterious" element. Below I give a "possible" explanation of how it "might" work. I am interested to know what you think of foreknowledge.
My best guess, is that at the very initial point of creation God did not fully "know" how creation would play out. I say this because there is scripture that suggests "the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth". My theory is that God experienced all of His creation, seeing all of the choices made. Once all of this was completed, He could move back through time, like a "time traveller", and share the knowledge He had acquired. This is why some times in scripture God seems to "not know things", and in others makes strong declarations. Now this is just a wild guess, I don't say it is truth.
Gen 6:5-7 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
What did the Early Church Believe about Predestination
After reading some more Early Church Fathers, I can see two main points regarding the Predestination, Free Will argument.
- The Early Church believed that God has foreknowledge, that He knows the future before it comes to pass.
- That the Early Church believed that all people (all mankind) are extended a true offer of salvation
- That man has free will, that God does not force man into salvation, or damnation, that man’s response to God determines their fate. That He (God) gives His good will to all people, because He loves all of those whom He created. That man’s free will is not altered by Foreknowledge.
Point One: God has foreknowledge
Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202)
Our God, one and the same, is also their God, who knows hidden things, who knoweth all things before they can come to pass; and for this reason has He said, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” – Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202), Against Heresies - Book 4 Ch 21
If, therefore, in the present time also, God, knowing the number of those who will not believe, since He foreknows all things, has given them over to unbelief, and turned away His face from men of this stamp, leaving them in the darkness which they have themselves chosen for themselves, what is there wonderful if He did also at that time give over to their unbelief, Pharaoh, who never would have believed, along with those who were with him? Irenaeus (A.D. 180) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.1 pg. 502
Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195)
He then avoids denying Christ through fear by reason of the command; nor does he sell his faith in the hope of the gifts prepared, but in love to the Lord he will most gladly depart from this life; perhaps giving thanks both to him who afforded the cause of his departure hence, and to him who laid the plot against him, for receiving an honorable reason which he himself furnished not, for showing what he is, to him by his patience, and to the Lord in love, by which even before his birth he was manifested to the Lord, who knew the martyr’s choice. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.411
Point 2 and 3: People have free will, foreknowledge does not change it
Justin Martyr (110-165)
But lest some suppose, from what has been said by us, that we say that whatever happens, happens by a fatal necessity, because it is foretold as known beforehand, this too we explain. We have learned from the prophets, and we hold it to be true, that punishments, and chastisements, and good rewards, are rendered according to the merit of each man’s actions. Since if it be not so, but all things happen by fate, neither is anything at all in our own power. For if it be fated that this man, e.g., be good, and this other evil, neither is the former meritorious nor the latter to be blamed. And again, unless the human race have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free choice, they are not accountable for their actions, of whatever kind they be. But that it is by free choice they both walk uprightly and stumble, we thus demonstrate. We see the same man making a transition to opposite things. Now, if it had been fated that he were to be either good or bad, he could never have been capable of both the opposites, nor of so many transitions. But not even would some be good and others bad, since we thus make fate the cause of evil, and exhibit her as acting in opposition to herself; or that which has been already stated would seem to be true, that neither virtue nor vice is anything, but that things are only reckoned good or evil by opinion; which, as the true word shows, is the greatest impiety and wickedness. But this we assert is inevitable fate, that they who choose the good have worthy rewards, and they who choose the opposite have their merited awards. For not like other things, as trees and quadrupeds, which cannot act by choice, did God make man: for neither would he be worthy of reward or praise did he not of himself choose the good, but were created for this end; nor, if he were evil, would he be worthy of punishment, not being evil of himself, but being able to be nothing else than what he was made -Justin Martyr (110-165) First Apology - Ch 43)
I said briefly by anticipation, that God, wishing men and angels to follow His will, resolved to create them free to do righteousness; possessing reason, that they may know by whom they are created, and through whom they, not existing formerly, do now exist; and with a law that they should be judged by Him, if they do anything contrary to right reason: and of ourselves we, men and angels, shall be convicted of having acted sinfully, unless we repent beforehand. But if the word of God foretells that some angels and men shall be certainly punished, it did so because it foreknew that they would be unchangeably [wicked], but not because God had created them so. So that if they repent, all who wish for it can obtain mercy from God: and the Scripture foretells that they shall be blessed, saying, ‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin;’... - Justin Martyr(110-165) Dialoque with Trypho, Ch 141
Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202)
This expression [of our Lord], “How often would I have gathered thy children together, and thou wouldest not,” (
Mat 23:37) set forth the ancient law of human liberty, because God made man a free [agent] from the beginning, possessing his own power, even as he does his own soul, to obey the behests (ad utendum sententia) of God voluntarily, and not by compulsion of God. For there is no coercion with God, but a good will [towards us] is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good counsel to all. And in man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice (for angels are rational beings), so that those who had yielded obedience might justly possess what is good, given indeed by God, but preserved by themselves. On the other hand, they who have not obeyed shall, with justice, be not found in possession of the good, and shall receive condign punishment: for God did kindly bestow on them what was good; but they themselves did not diligently keep it, nor deem it something precious, but poured contempt upon His super-eminent goodness. – Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202), Against Heresies - Book 4 Ch 37
Clement of Alexandria. (AD 195)
But the Lord, in His love to man, invites all men to the knowledge of the truth, and for this end sends the Paraclete. (Q 1)
Do not, however, faint. You may, if you choose, purchase salvation, though of inestimable value, with your own resources, love and living faith, which will be reckoned a suitable price. This recompense God cheerfully accepts; “for we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe.” (Q 2)
Those men that draw near through fear, He converts. (Q 3)
But it has been God’s fixed and constant purpose to save the flock of men: for this end the good God sent the good Shepherd. And the Word, having unfolded the truth, showed to men the height of salvation, that either repenting they might be saved, or refusing to obey, they might be judged. This is the proclamation of righteousness: to those that obey, glad tidings; to those that disobey, judgment. (Q 4)
What, then, is the exhortation I give you? I urge you to be saved. This Christ desires. In one word. He freely bestows life on you. (Q 5)
to us who are obedient to the Word and masters of ourselves, who have believed, and are saved by voluntary choice, and are rationally, not irrationally, frightened by terror. (Q 6)
For the same who is Instructor is judge, and judges those who disobey Him; and the loving Word will not pass over their transgression in silence. He reproves, that they may repent. For “the Lord willeth the repentance of the sinner rather than his death.” (Q 7)
By the little grain, as it is figuratively called, He bestows salvation on all humanity abundantly. (Q8)
Tatian the Assyrian
This particular teacher was a disciple of Justin Martyr, as such adds clarity, to the belief held by him. It is said of Tatian that he did toward the end of his life bring some heresy, but I put this here to clarify how Justin Martyr taught about free choice, and fate. (Note I have not read all of Tatian).
The Logos, too, before the creation of men, was the Framer of angels. And each of these two orders of creatures was made free to act as it pleased, not having the nature of good, which again is with God alone, but is brought to perfection in men through their freedom of choice, in order that the bad man may be justly punished, having become depraved through his own fault, but the just man be deservedly praised for his virtuous deeds, since in the exercise of his free choice he refrained from transgressing the will of God. Such is the constitution of things in reference to angels and men. And the power of the Logos, having in itself a faculty to foresee future events, not as fated, but as taking place by the choice of free agents, foretold from time to time the issues of things to come; (Tatian 110-172 AD, Address to the Greeks Chapter 7)
