Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Today, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 13.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonable faith.org.

In our study of the doctrine of creation, we have been looking at God's governance of the world. And we first examined what is

classically called God's providentia, ordinaria, or God's ordinary providence, which is the way in which

he governs the world. And I defended a Molinist model of divine providence.

But there's another aspect of the doctrine of divine providence, which is classically known as Providencia extraordinaria or

God's extraordinary

providence.

Now typically, God's

extraordinary providence is

understood as

miracles, his special

supernatural acts in the world.

But I like to distinguish between what I call a special providence and a miracle.

On a Molinist view, God can, via his middle knowledge, arrange for extraordinary acts which would

otherwise be highly improbable coincidences to occur by knowing what free

agents would do in any circumstance he might put them in, an ordinary special providence.

For example, when the nation of Israel wants to cross the Jordan River, just as they come to the Jordan,

a landslide occurs upstream blocking the river so that they're able to cross through

on the dry riverbed. This was not a miraculous action of God. He didn't push back the waters

in a miraculous way. It was purely natural. But the timing of that landslide, just as they are ready to cross the river, suggests that this is a special providence. A special providence would be an extraordinary event that comes about because of God's governance of the world, but it doesn't involve any supernatural intervention on God's part.

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