What is Molinism?

Smack in the middle of the Protestant Reformation, Luis do Molina started wondering if God had a different type of knowledge than had been previously thought. Join us today as we find out about Middle Knowledge, and Molinism! Also, Team Pie for life!

#PracticalApologist #Apologetics #Molinism

[DannyStrickland-gk]

As someone who has been a Molinist for 60 years, only to have discovered Molina just one week ago as of September 2024 and the theology surrounding him, meaning I came to my Molina like theology through the reading of the clear text of the Bible both Old and New Testament before even knowing the existence of Molina or that his theology was even a thing, I am so grateful of this brief but informative explanation of Molinism. It's like YES....I finally have a name for this theology I've always had and can now study in depth its precepts to better hone my own theology which hopefully will lead to a fuller, more fruitful walk with God and my fellow sister and brother. Thank you again ! Subbed.

[michaeljennings]

This video is so helpful! As a Molinists, I always struggled to actually explain it to some common person. When I tell other people about it, I end up confusing them because my language is too philosophical and complicated. But here, you explained Molinism in a simple way for everyone to understand. Thxs!

[sotErik]

Your videos are criminally under viewed.
You are an untapped goldmine of theological perspectives.
Thank you.
I have subscribed & look forward to sharing these.

[hannaharnett]

Wow, thank you!! That was so easy to understand!

[Franci]

What you call traditional Molinism is the only Molinism I know, the second option you describe is just traditional Christianity which is neither Arminianism nor Calvinism, just biblical truth and you explained it very well. So, really, if you believe in that you are not a Molinist which is good because Molinism is just a more convoluted form of Calvinism. In Molinism the real issue is not with God having full foreknowledge (knowing what we will do, knowing the beginning from the end) which He definitely has, or even middle knowledge, in the sense that He knows what I’d most likely do in any given circumstance (since He knows me even better than I do) and using that to achieve His good purposes (like I would with my children for example), the problem is with the “possible worlds” scenario.

If God premeditatedly thought of different worlds and possibilities before creating this one, and only actuated a world in which people in some given circumstances will respond the way He wants them to (even without causing them to), He is effectually predetermining who will be saved and who won’t, because freedom would just be an illusion since He chose to create this particular world and rejected the other worlds, so He would ultimately be the author of evil and sin because, given many options, He would have predetermined to create the world in which Adam and Eve sinned. And since we know that God is not the author of sin we cannot postulate that He premeditatedly created the world where they would sin.

I personally don’t think that God picked and chose one specific world, because the only way that all of this is not just a big game, is that if God just created one world (without considering other possible worlds) and gave us all free will, period. Because if you make God to be someone who picks and chooses between different possible worlds in order to accomplish his purposes, you definitely end up in determinism (albeit a more disguised and convoluted one compared to Calvinism), and you’d also grossly underestimate God’s power as well as taint His intentions. God is not like a big computer that spews out the best possible scenario just to win some sort of game, God created us out of love and in order to have a relationship with us and He made us in His image and our life is immeasurably valuable to Him, and He is so powerful that He can create just one world, and still achieve His ultimate purpose. Or it would all really sound like cheating, wouldn’t it? So, true Molinism is determinism and not biblical Christianity. While what you described as the second option is biblical Christianity. God bless!

[cdizzle]

I never realized Yadier Molina was a theologian.

[hermanessences]

Finally a video that just explains it.

If this is correct, then it seemsl ike William Lane Craig, with countless videos on this subject, is totally misrepresenting what Molinism is.

[danieldeardorff]

Sign me up for Molinism! Also, sign me up for pie!

[Job_Siciliano]

🤔
I think of Dr. Strange in Avengers: Infinity War when he uses the green time stone to see every possible outcome 🤷‍♂️

[ricobonifacio]

I'm starting to point this way. I don't believe in determinism as an absolute, but I am not a total Arminan either because I believe He can know what could happen like in Molinism. So, I think I am a Molinist.

[joebrowser]

So in Molinism, God is like a master chess player where He moves his pieces knowing all of the options you have available and knowing which of those options you are most likely to choose

[eltonron]

How love God, and know his will, even without faith.
Keep the commandments.
Isaiah 66:23
Mt. 4:4, 19:17, 22:36-40.

[duncanwashburn]

God's reaction in Gen 6 to the wickedness on Earth seems to be a good verse for Molinists.

[bobbyadkins]

I hate calling it molinism giving credit to some man what is clearly taught in the Bible. Here's a perfect example:
Luke 22:67-68
[67]Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
[68]And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
The Bible has many other verses explaining how God knows what people would do IF this or that. God chose David knowing that he would fulfill His will. He also knew how David's life would have gone if He had never chosen him to be king. God closes doors that wouldn't be good for us to go through, knowing what would happen if He allowed us to go in that direction. Just like God chose David to be king, knowing he would fulfill His will, He also didn't choose those that He knew wouldn't fulfill His will if He had chosen them.
This should be pretty clear to anyone who has studied the Bible long enough.
Here's another example:
Genesis 20:3-6
[3]But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
[4]But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
[5]Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
[6]And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Here we see that God knew what Abimelech would have done had He not warned him in a dream. The Bible is full of examples like this. I don't believe everyone was ignorant of this teaching until some man came along and introduced it to the rest of us.

[lawden]

So God sets the stage without obstructing humanity's free will within set stage so to speak?

[Jonathan-mpis]

This isn’t completely accurate concerning Molinism.

Natural knowledge: what could be

Middle knowledge: what would be

Creative Decree

Free Knowledge: what will be

[scubasteveaealemar]

Don’t we all do this anyways ? All of us to some extent or other can run simulations of what if? If u have enough variables taken into consideration u can predict a lot of things … granted without factor x … the variable of unpredictability…

[icangbelang]

LOL, some priest had random thoughts, and then voila, its a christian doctrine

[TheFirstManticore]

I might guess that Jesus did not know everything that God knew, even though Jesus was God, because God can compartmentalize his knowledge.

[justindavis]

Molonism is determinism wrapped up in a neat bow. It does nothing to solve the problem of free will.