Father Horacio Medina is a Roman Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Newark whose academic background and pastoral work provide a grounded perspective on enduring theological questions such as free will and predestination. In addition to his ministerial responsibilities, Father Horacio Medina serves as a professor of ancient Greek philosophy and Spanish as a second language at the University of Saint Peters, where he has taught subjects related to ethics, philosophy, and the humanities. His formal studies include philosophy and humanities in Costa Rica, graduate theological and biblical studies in Central America, and moral theology at the Scuola Alfonsiana in Rome. Alongside academic work, he maintains an active pastoral presence through hospital visitation, prison ministry, and daily online Gospel outreach. This combination of scholarly training and direct service informs his engagement with the relationship between human choice, moral responsibility, and God’s will.
Free Will and Predestination – Coexisting in Christianity
One critical question in Christianity throughout the centuries has revolved around how we can have free will, when God has a plan for us already mapped out. Free will centers on people’s ability to make decisions unimpeded that affect relationships with others and the course of their lives. Predestination focuses on God’s sovereignty, as an all knowing being who created humans on earth and has control over their destiny. While free will and predestination may seem at surface level contradictory, they are in fact harmoniously intertwined within the Bible.
The classic example of free will involves the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3). Here, God places the progenitors of humanity in an idyllic setting, the Garden of Eden, and gives only the edict that that they shall not consume fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The two have the choice of whether to obey or disobey God’s command. They ultimately choose freely to partake of that poisonous fruit, which leads to their being banished from the Garden.
Some argue that Adam and Eve did not truly exercise free will, as they were unknowing of the concept of good and evil, and thus had imperfect knowledge on which to base a sound decision. It was akin to telling a child to refrain from touching a hot stove, when they have never experienced being burned before. From this perspective, free will only exists when one has the information or experience to make sound decisions that are rational and reflect a full understanding of the situation.
However, the fact still remains that God asked Adam and Eve, as a matter of faith, to obey him, as he knew what was best for them and had their interests in mind. As the Apostle John describes it, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (John 3:20). Had Adam and Eve chosen to heed this warning, and left what was off limits alone, they would not have suffered the severe consequences, which percolated down through the ages of mankind.
Jesus also gives credence to the concept of free will. He couches his teachings of obedience to God’s will as a choice that the faithful freely make: “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) This implies that every person has a choice, when it comes to doing their own will or that of God. This is borne out in the stance of the missionary, who works to convince those without faith in God through logical, moral, and spiritual exhortations. Through appealing to the heart and mind, they convince them to come to the fold and embrace Christianity.
As explored in Romans 8:6-7, before a person is saved they are at war with God, as they have not submitted to a higher power and the moral law contained therein. Conversion to faith is all the more powerful because one comes to it through free will, instead of having it imposed from above. Once committed, spiritual belief does involve trusting in God’s plan, which manifests whether one chooses to believe in it or not. This is akin to being alive, though as a baby once one did not consciously choose to live. In this way, concepts of free will and predestination are closely connected and intertwined.
About Father Horacio Medina
Father Horacio Medina is a Roman Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Newark and an academic background in philosophy, theology, and the humanities. He has studied moral theology at the Scuola Alfonsiana in Rome and holds degrees in philosophy, sacred scripture, journalism, and communications. In addition to teaching ancient Greek philosophy and Spanish as a second language at the University of Saint Peters, he maintains an active pastoral role. His ministry includes hospital visitation, prison outreach, and daily Gospel communication through online platforms, reflecting a balance of scholarship and service.
