Introduction: Is God Timeless or Within Time?

One of the most intriguing questions in philosophical theology is how God relates to time. Does God exist outside of time, unaffected by its constraints, or is He within time, experiencing its passage just as we do? These questions are not only relevant to understanding God’s nature but also probe deeper into the metaphysical nature of time itself. In this article, we explore the insights of William Lane Craig, who has dedicated years of research to the question of whether God is temporal or timeless.

God’s Timelessness and Temporal Transition

William Lane Craig’s conclusion about God’s relationship with time is both fascinating and original. He proposes that God is timeless without creation, existing in a state without the constraints of time. However, from the moment of creation, God enters into time and becomes temporal, relating to the universe in a real, dynamic way. This concept presents a unique synthesis of both classical and modern views on divine eternity, suggesting that God can experience both states: timelessness before creation and temporality after it.
This idea raises an important question: if God transitions from timelessness to temporality at the moment of creation, is that change irreversible? According to Craig, once God has entered into time, He remains in time permanently. Time, once it begins, cannot end because the fact that time existed would always be a temporal truth. This leads to the conclusion that God’s entrance into time is irreversible, making time a permanent aspect of God’s relationship with creation.

The Beginning of Time: A Complex Transition

The transition from timelessness to time is a perplexing concept. How can time begin in an environment where no time existed? Craig argues that time has an absolute beginning—a first moment that exists without any prior temporal moments. There is no “before” in which time existed because time itself came into being at that first moment. This means that God’s existence before creation was timeless, with no passage of events as we understand them.
However, God would have always known, in a tenseless sense, that time would begin. He could not have had a “before” or “after” experience since those are temporal concepts, but He would have possessed the knowledge that time would exist at the moment of creation. Craig’s explanation highlights the distinction between tenseless knowledge—knowing something as a fact without the passage of time—and temporal knowledge, where events unfold sequentially.

Temporal Events and God’s Knowledge

Craig emphasizes that while we can speak of events in a tenseless way (e.g., “Columbus discovers America in 1492”), this does not imply that time itself is tenseless. According to Craig, the difference between past, present, and future is real and objective. Temporal becoming is not an illusion; events genuinely come into being and pass away.
This perspective is vital when considering God’s knowledge of future events. God knows all true propositions, which includes knowing future events. However, God’s knowledge of the future is not like human foresight. It is not based on “looking ahead” into time, but rather, it is grounded in God’s omniscience—His knowledge of all truths, regardless of when or where they occur. This understanding aligns with the idea that God’s relationship with time is unique and different from human experiences of time.

The Importance of Time in Theological Reflection

Craig’s motivation for studying the relationship between God and time stemmed from his broader interest in the coherence of theism. As he delved into divine attributes like omniscience and eternity, he realized that understanding God’s relationship with time was critical. Craig spent over a decade studying divine eternity, addressing complex questions about God’s knowledge of the future, time’s beginning, and the metaphysical nature of time itself.
For many believers, the idea of eternity is central to their faith, particularly in the context of eternal life and the afterlife. However, Craig notes that the biblical view of eternal life is not a static, timeless existence like the one found in Greek philosophy. Instead, the Bible presents eternal life as a dynamic, everlasting temporal existence. Resurrection and embodied life in eternity emphasize a continuation of temporal experience, even if it differs from our current understanding of time.

Reconciling God’s Timelessness with His Interaction in Time

One of the most challenging aspects of Craig’s research was reconciling the idea of a timeless God with God’s active involvement in the temporal world. The incarnation of Jesus Christ, where God enters human history, seems to suggest a clear temporal involvement. Craig wrestled with how to make sense of these seemingly conflicting ideas. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that God was timeless before creation, but once He created the world, He entered into time and now exists temporally.
This perspective allows for both divine transcendence and immanence. God remains beyond time in His essential nature, but He chooses to relate to the temporal world and experiences time alongside His creation. Craig believes that this synthesis preserves both the classical understanding of God’s timelessness and the biblical portrayal of God’s active engagement with the world.

Time, Creation, and the Spiritual Realm

Craig also addresses the question of when time began in relation to other spiritual beings, such as angels. The biblical texts suggest that angels, as spiritual beings, were created before or alongside the physical universe. However, since these beings are also temporal, their creation marks the beginning of time as well. Craig concludes that whether the angels were created in Genesis 1:1 or at another point, the creation of these beings would coincide with the beginning of time.
The creation of time, according to Craig, was a free act of God. God had the option not to create the universe, and had He chosen not to create, He would have remained in a timeless state. However, once the decision to create was made, time sprang into being, and God entered into a new relationship with His creation, one that is bound by time.

God’s Eternal Choice and Freedom

Craig further explores the nature of God’s free will in relation to creation. He suggests that God’s decision to create the universe was a free, eternal determination. While it was an eternal choice, it does not mean that God was constrained by necessity. God could have chosen not to create, but once He made the choice, the act of creation brought time into existence.
This eternal decision-making process raises the question of whether God learned anything new by entering time. Craig compares this to the famous thought experiment of Mary the colorblind neuroscientist, who knows everything about the science of color but has never experienced it. When she finally sees red for the first time, she gains a new type of experiential knowledge. Similarly, Craig suggests that God, upon creating the universe, gains experiential knowledge of what it is like to exist temporally, even though He already knows all truths about time.

Conclusion: Understanding God’s Relationship with Time

Craig’s exploration of God and time provides a profound understanding of how a timeless being can enter into a temporal relationship with the universe. His insights help bridge the gap between classical views of God’s eternity and the dynamic, relational nature of God as portrayed in the Bible. For those interested in further exploring this topic, I highly recommend watching the video where Craig delves deeper into these fascinating ideas. You can find it here.