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Scripture Topic Guide

Bible Verses About The Omniscience Of God And Foreknowledge

Early Christian writers clearly taught that God knows all things beforehand, including human hearts, future events, and the end from the beginning. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Theophilus, Clement of Alexandria, and others all speak this way, and several connect that foreknowledge to prophecy and God’s rule over history. The Bible passages in the set, especially 1 Peter 1:2, Acts 2:23, Hebrews 4:13, Psalm 139, and Romans 8:29, line up with that same belief.

The evidence is broad and early, though some snippets are about predestination or prophecy more than a direct statement of omniscience. A few passages are only indirect or are about false teachers who denied foreknowledge, so they are not central to this teaching.

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Key Passages

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How to Study The Omniscience Of God And Foreknowledge

A tighter path from the primary text into context and application.

Start with the clearest command or anchor text Read the primary passage in context before building doctrine from supporting references.
Trace the apostolic pattern Compare how the apostles preached, practiced, warned, and applied this topic in the churches.
Connect to witness and formation Use early Christian sources, courses, lessons, and discussion questions only after the Bible map is clear.
Continue with connected study Use the attached Bible reader, cross-reference, original-language, and THF resource links to keep studying the topic in context.

Scripture Map

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29 references

Supporting Passages

Acts 15:18 primary

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Bible passage says God’s works are known from the beginning

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Bible passage about God declaring the end from the beginning

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Bible passage says God knows words before they are spoken

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

God reveals his secret to prophets

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?

Bible passage that Jesus knew all things that would happen to him.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Bible passage about God’s wisdom and knowledge

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

God foretold Christ’s suffering through prophets

But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Bible passage that Jesus told the disciples things beforehand.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Foreknowledge and predestination are paired directly

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Bible passage says nothing is hidden from God’s sight

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Bible passage says God understands thoughts afar off

I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

Bible passage that no purpose of God can be thwarted.

For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

God’s counsel determined events beforehand

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Purpose and foreordination language

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Predestined, called, justified, glorified sequence

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Bible passage explicitly names foreknowledge of God the Father

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Bible passage that God has searched and known the psalmist.

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Spirit testified beforehand

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Foreordained before the foundation of the world

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Predestined according to his will

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Chose us before the foundation of the world

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Bible passage joins God’s plan and foreknowledge

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Bible passage asking God to know and try the heart and thoughts.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Bible passage on the Spirit searching depths of God

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Bible passage on prophets searching the grace that would come.