I titled this post after the witty comment made by Nelson Pike in his book titled, ‘God and Timelessness’. The entire book was a careful philosophical and theological evaluation of the argument of timelessness as an attribute of God.¹ His actual statement says;

St. Thomas says that God’s preservation activity is ‘without either motion or time.’ I wonder if this isn’t a little like saying that when Gabriel blows his horn, he does it while holding his breath.

In his book, Nelson Pike carefully and meticulously argues that most of the great philosophers created false logic to say that God is timeless.² I agree with Nelson and think that most Latter-day Saints (LDS) would agree that philosophical timelessness is not a necessity of Deity³. Although many LDS would argue that God is beyond time without carefully thinking about the implications of their statement.

In this post, I highlight the philosophical logic of an assumption that God is timeless, as shared by Nelson Pike. He starts with Boethius’ development of timelessness to solve the problem of God knowing our actions in advance and our ability to be free agents with choice.

In Pt. V, sec. II of the Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius said that if God is infallible and if God knows the outcome of human actions in advance of their performance, then no human action is voluntary. -Pg. 53-

To solve the conflict of agency and omniscience Nelson explains Boethius’ choice of timelessness.

He held that God is timeless. A timeless being cannot know the outcome of human actions in advance of their performance. … A timeless being could not have temporally located cognitions. - Pg. 53-

Notice how the concept of timelessness is an attempt to solve the issue of agency under a fixed future omniscience philosophy. For Boethius, God was created to fit the logical needs of predefined beliefs.

John Calvin

I hope you can see in this direct quote from John Calvin how he changes the definition of words like foreknowledge to fit under his timeless definition of God.

When we attribute foreknowledge to God, we mean that all things have been and perpetually remain before his eyes, so that to his knowledge nothing is future or past, but all things are present; and present in such a manner, that he does not merely conceive of them from ideas formed in his mind, as things remembered by us appear to our minds, but he holds and sees them as if actually placed before him. -Pg. 55-

I hear phrasings like this from some LDS. I don’t think they realize the implication of this belief. If God is, in fact, timeless in the way that all things are before him as if in the present, then He must be without physicality as well. For space and time are intertwined. LDS believe in a physical God and in a God that intimately interacts with humans in our timeline, which also strains a timelessness belief.

Cicero and Augustine

Notice the complications of believing in fixed future omniscience concerning agency and individual choices.

What is it, then, that Cicero feared in the prescience of future things? Doubtless it was this — that if all things have been foreknown: and if they come to pass in this order, there is a certain order of things foreknown by God; and if a certain order of things, then a certain order of causes, for nothing can happen which is not preceded by some efficient cause. But if there is a certain order of causes according to which everything happens which does happen, then by fate, says he, all things happen which happen. But if this be so then there is nothing in our own power and there is no such thing as freedom of will; and if we grant this, says he, the whole economy of human life is subverted. … If there is free will, all things do not happen according to fate; if all things do not happen according to fate, there is not a certain order of causes, neither is there a certain order of things foreknown by God — for things cannot come to pass except they are preceded by efficient causes — but if there is no fixed and certain order of causes foreknown by God, all things cannot be said to happen according as He foreknew that they would happen. And further, if it is not true that all things happen just as they have been foreknown by Him, there is not, says he, in God foreknowledge of all future events. -Pg. 63-

Nelson Pike

God is described as a loving individual having purposes and plans that are worked out in the development of his creation. God is usually thought of as an individual that can be approached in prayer and who is responsive to the needs and desires of finite beings. However, if God is timeless, it is not at all clear that any of these themes can be retained. -Pg. 175-

Nelson then describes Sasse’s and St. John’s description of eternity.

God’s eternity is later conceived as ‘unending time’ which is not limited by beginning or end. … If God exists in the ‘age of ages,’ He exists prior to and through measurable times. He will also exist after time itself ceases to be measurable.

Then in his last paragraph of the book he states;

I shall not conclude that the doctrine of timelessness should not be included in a system of Christian theology. I am aware that the considerations I have brought to bear on this essay would not support a conclusion as strong as this. Instead, I shall close with a question: What reason is there for thinking that the doctrine of God’s timelessness should have a place in a system of Christian theology? -Pg. 190-

Conclusion

Pike’s last question is to the point. I hope that each of us will take the time to answer his question. Nelson has responded to his question with his hypothetical statement about the angel Gabriel blowing his horn while holding his breath.

Omniscience

I continue to believe in the omniscience of God. God knows all the possible futures (which is much more complex than a single fixed future). He knows all that can be known. Just as He can’t know that orange is green, He can’t know the fixed path of a contingent future until it becomes history. As Elder Uchtdorf quoted Steve Jobs,, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

This contingent future belief allows for God’s omnipotence to be used as He wisely works with his children to create the future. If He were fixed future omniscient and timeless, it is difficult to imagine how he could create along with us.

Timelessness

Doctrine and Covenants 19:4-12 changes the wording around God and time. In this revelation, God states that we should think about Him as endless, not outside of time. As an endless being, He is outside the consequences of mortal time, but He is not timeless.

And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless. … Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. … Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles. … For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—Eternal punishment is God’s punishment. Endless punishment is God’s punishment.

In His use of the word ’endless’, He is implying temporal but never-ending positioning in time. He moves through time and can participate with us in mortal time. God is not timeless.

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