This is the third video in the series on Middle Knowledge. This section presents the "state of the question." That is to say, it helps describe what exactly is under consideration. Thus, in this video we distinguish the issue from the issue of God knowing all possible contingent things, of God knowing necessarily contingent things (like "if the sun rises, it is day" or "if a person heartily repents, he will be saved"), and from the issue of God knowing freely contingent things prior to ALL decrees.
Instead, the question is whether God knows what men or angels (rational creatures) will freely do without a special decree preceding (if placed with these or those circumstances and in such-and-thus an order of things).
-TurretinFan
Thursday, April 16, 2009
4 comments:
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TF,
ReplyDeletesomething occurs to me to raise a point after listening today to this proffer, Part 3.
Does Turrentin use language, at sections 5-8 in the 13th question, like this: "God, by His natural knowledge knows that if the Sun rises, it will be day"; or "are you" using this language here to explain Turrentin's position?
I am assuming your reference is from his "Institutes"?
The sunrise example is from Turretin: "ut si Sol oriatur, dies erit" (that if the Sun rises, day it will be).
ReplyDeleteTurretin declares this to be "ex rei natura" (from the thing's nature) and consequently "sub Dei scienteam ... naturalem" (under God's knowledge natural).
Yes, from his Institutes, Volume 2, 3rd Topic (if I recall correctly).
-TurretinFan
thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat occurred to me might be a digression from this series, so for now, I will wait until you have presented all your parts.
Very good parts so far, needless to say!
First of all, "Yay, Westmin"
ReplyDeleteSecondly, this is really helping me in my Doctrine of God class. Although Turretin is my favorite of the 3 readings (Calvin, Bavinck, Turretin), his distinctions often have a very small/marginal silver lining between, especially for this topic. So this really helped me!