Re: The Doctrine of Predestination
Finally, we have the two verses in Romans, in context:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 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. 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.
(Romans 8:28-30) Here, Paul speaks of Divine Providence being designed and manipulated for the good of them that love Him. Those who love God are defined as "them who are the called according to His purpose". He then goes on to further describe those who love God, who are the called according to the Divine Purpose as "those whom He foreknew". And those whom He foreknew are said to be "predestinated". Before identifying what this predestination is, we need to identify who those are that God "foreknew".
To "foreknow" is to "know before hand", that is, "to know previously". According to the Calvinist and the Arminian (the classical) view of God's foreknowledge, God knew every human who ever lived, lives, or will live, and knew them in eternity past. Therefore, according to the classical view (Greek philosophy influenced view of catholicism and Protestantism), God foreknew EVERY HUMAN BEING EVER. Yet, it is impossible that every human being ever to live, is living, or ever did live, is "predestinated" to become Christian! So what is this "foreknowledge" that is being spoken of here? Let the Bible interpret the Bible:
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
(Romans 11:1-5)
The people whom God foreknew are the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, the twelve tribes. They are the people whom God previously "knew":
Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
(Amos 3:1-2) The foreknowledge of a people is not talking about God simply knowing about some persons. Rather, it has everything to do with Covenant relationship. When Jesus threatens some with the awful words of Judgement Day, "depart from me, I never KNEW you", He is not saying He had no knowledge or perception or awareness of those people. Rather, He is saying He had no RELATIONSHIP, no covenant relationship, with them.
So the people whom God foreknew are the Israelites. And it is they who were "predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son". That is, Israel was previously ordained by God to be placed in Messiah, to be transformed to the likeness of Christ. These are the people whom Paul says are "the called according to His purpose". the ones who were "called according to His purpose" were "predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son", and these same people are the people whom God "foreknew". Which, as we saw, Paul explicitly identifies the people whom God foreknew as Israel, which is also confirmed by the prophet Amos.
Consider something else Paul said about Israel:
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
(Romans 9:1-5) Paul says the adoption, the glory, the covenants (plural), the giving of the law, the service of God (worship), and the promises, all pertain to Israelites, Paul's kinsmen according to the flesh. We have already seen how adoption and predestination are connected, how glory and predestination are connected, and how the promises (the inheritance) and predestination are connected. We also saw how predestination and foreknowing a people are connected to Israel, and now we see how the adoption, the covenants (BOTH the old and the new), the glory, etc are connected to Israel. Thus confirming that predestination of people has to do with Israel being predetermined by God to enter Messiah (the new covenant under Christ), and being in Christ they are predetermined by God to receive inheritance and adoption as children of God.
So then, predestination, as taught by the apostle Paul, is not about individuals being predestinated in eternity past to either believe (or not believe) the Gospel, nor does it have to do with any individuals being eternally predestinated by Divine "fate" to either heaven or hell. Rather, it has to do with Israel being predetermined to enter the new covenant, and that those in the new covenant shall be adopted and receive the inheritance.
Note: both the old covenant, and the new covenant, pertain to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is to say, Paul's "kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites":
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
(Jeremiah 31:31) Note: the fact the covenants, the adoption, and worship of God, etc all pertain to Israel, does not preclude or prevent non Israelites from being placed into the commonwealth of new covenant Israel:
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
(Isaiah 56:3-8)
|