Time, Eternity, and Divine Purpose: Reconciling Physics and Theology; Arche and Telos..

 

Introduction: The Enigma of TimeThe nature of time has long puzzled humanity, bridging the realms of science and theology. In physics, time emerges as a dimension within the four-dimensional fabric of space-time, as described in Einstein's theory of relativity. This "block universe" model posits that all events—past, present, and future—coexist eternally, fixed like timestamps in an unchanging structure.
Yet, our psychological experience of time as a flowing arrow, driven by entropy's increase and the universe's expansion from the Big Bang, feels profoundly subjective. How do we integrate these scientific insights into a theological framework? By viewing time as a created dimension within God's eternal purpose, where divine grace precedes and transcends temporal boundaries. This reconciliation draws from Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time (1988), biblical texts like 2 Timothy 1:9, and Greek philosophical-theological concepts such as arche (beginning/origin) and telos (end/purpose), contrasted with protos (first) and eschatos (last).Scientific Foundations: Time in Hawking’s UniverseStephen Hawking's seminal work, A Brief History of Time, provides a scientific lens that inadvertently highlights theological profundity. He describes the Big Bang as the universe's origin, where space and time themselves began: "The universe would be completely self-contained and not affected by anything outside itself. It would neither be created nor destroyed. It would just BE." Here, Hawking emphasizes that time did not exist "before" the Big Bang, rendering questions of a creator's pre-temporal action nonsensical within physical laws: "Time didn’t exist before the big bang, so there is no time for god to make the universe in." This aligns with the block universe, where past, present, and future are equally real, challenging our perception of time's passage as illusory, rooted in entropy's irreversible arrow rather than cosmic expansion alone. Hawking further notes, "The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time." The universe's expansion from a singularity provides the backdrop for this directionality, but Hawking's agnosticism leaves room for theology: even if the universe is a closed system, its fine-tuning suggests purpose beyond chance.Theological Perspective: God Beyond TimeTheologically, this scientific view of time as emergent and bounded resonates with a biblical worldview where God exists eternally beyond time. Scripture portrays God as the transcendent Creator who initiates time at the Big Bang-like moment of Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning (arche), God created the heavens and the earth." Here, arche denotes not merely a chronological start but the origin, source, and foundational principle of all reality—echoing Hawking's singularity as the universe's "beginning." Yet, theology asserts that God's eternity precedes this arche, unbound by space-time. Psalm 90:2 declares, "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Time, in this framework, is a divine construct for ordering creation, allowing for the psychological flow we experience while the block universe reflects God's omniscient view of all events as eternally present.Grace Before Time: 2 Timothy 1:9A pivotal biblical text bridging this is 2 Timothy 1:9: "He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before time began" (NIV). This verse explicitly references divine action "before time began" (pro chronon aionion in Greek, meaning "before eternal times" or "before the ages"). Exegetes interpret this as God's eternal decree of salvation in Christ, predating the universe's temporal framework. Paul's words affirm that grace is not a reaction to human history but an eternal purpose, echoing Hawking's idea that the universe has no "before" in physical terms—yet theology posits God's timeless will as the uncaused cause. In the block universe, all events are fixed; theologically, this underscores predestination, where God elects and saves from eternity, rendering our temporal experience a unfolding of divine foreknowledge. As one commentator notes, this grace "was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began," highlighting salvation's origin in God's pre-temporal counsel, not contingent on entropy or expansion. Thus, the psychological construct of time's passage becomes a vehicle for God's redemptive narrative, where entropy's arrow points toward eschatological fulfillment.Arche and Telos: The Purposeful Origin and EndTo deepen this integration, consider the Greek terms arche and telos versus protos and eschatos. In theology, these concepts illuminate time's purpose within God's economy. Arche (ἀρχή) signifies "beginning" as origin, principle, or source—more than a temporal start, it implies the foundational cause from which all derives. In Revelation 3:14, Christ is "the arche of God's creation," the originating agent through whom the universe begins, akin to the Big Bang's singularity as the arche of space-time. Telos (τέλος), conversely, means "end" as goal, fulfillment, or consummation—not mere cessation but purposeful completion. Aristotle used telos for the final cause driving natural processes; in theology, it denotes God's ultimate aim for creation. Romans 10:4 states, "Christ is the telos of the law," meaning its fulfillment and goal, not termination. Hawking's block universe, with its static eternity, finds theological harmony here: time's arche (Big Bang) and telos (eschatological renewal) are eternally present in God's mind, where the universe's expansion serves a divine purpose.Protos and Eschatos: The Sequential BoundariesIn contrast, protos (πρῶτος) means "first" in sequence or primacy, and eschatos (ἔσχατος) means "last" or ultimate in order—more linear and temporal than arche and telos. Revelation 1:17 applies these to Christ: "I am the protos and the eschatos," emphasizing his primacy in creation and finality in judgment, without the purposive depth of telos. Protos and eschatos highlight chronological bookends, fitting the arrow of time Hawking describes via entropy. Yet, theology elevates this to arche and telos: Christ as the originating source (arche) whose telos is the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). The universe's expansion, far from random, propels toward this telos, where entropy's disorder yields to divine order. As Hawking muses, "Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?" Theology answers: for the telos of glorifying God through Christ's redemptive work, initiated before time.Reconciling Time’s Flow and EternityThis framework resolves the tension between objective space-time and subjective flow. The block universe's eternal "now" mirrors God's atemporal perspective, where all events are foreseen in the arche of his eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:4). Our perception of passage, tied to expansion and entropy, serves the telos of salvation history. Hawking's caution against pre-Big Bang causation underscores theology's claim: God's grace in 2 Timothy 1:9 operates in eternity, manifesting temporally through Christ, the arche who becomes our telos (1 Corinthians 10:31). Unlike protos and eschatos' sequential finality, arche and telos infuse time with teleological meaning—creation's origin in God's word (John 1:1) culminating in new creation (Revelation 21:1).Time as Divine Narrative

Hebrews 11:3 encapsulates creation’s mystery: the visible universe arises from God’s invisible command, aligning with the Big Bang’s emergence from an unseen state. This resonates with Aristotle’s teleology but is personalized in Christ, the arche whose telos is redemption. Hawking’s wonder at the universe’s "grand design" invites faith: time’s arrow, driven by expansion and entropy, points to the Creator who "calls into existence things that do not yet exist" (Romans 4:17). 2 Timothy 1:9’s grace "before time began" anchors our calling in eternity, transforming psychological time into a divine narrative. As Hawking muses, knowing why the universe exists would reveal "the mind of God." Theology responds: that mind is eternal love, where time’s enigmas resolve in the telos of redemption through Christ, the unseen source of all that is seen.