Theology of Predestination, Part Seven

MUSINGS ON THEOLOGY AND PREDESTINATION, PART SEVEN

Continued from Part Six

Perhaps one more word needs to be said in support of my understanding of predestination. The key is the biblical meaning of FOREKNOWLEDGE. “For those whom he FOREKNEW he also PREDESTINED…(Rom. 8:28f). If you are foreknown you will surely be glorified. This is our assurance. Understanding what FOREKNOWLEDGE means in this context is the key.

Arminians believe that God foreknows THAT certain individuals will believe the gospel and on that basis God elects them. That is not the way I understand the Scripture. Let me list my arguments for believing that FOREKNOWLEDGE in this context means that God has known us before hand in a particular way of choosing us. Foreknowledge is based on God’s eternal will of choosing and loving beforehand, not on the basis of what he foreknew we would do.

1. The English dictionary defines “foreknowledge” only as prescience, knowing something ahead of time. That is what we are familiar with in English. But the Bible was not written in English and all words anywhere are defined by the context.

2. It is true that the Greek word for foreknowledge in the Bible can mean “know beforehand, in advance” (II Pet. 3:17). But it also means “choose beforehand” (Arndt and Gingrich Greek Lexicon). In I Peter 1:20 we read, “He was CHOSEN before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (NIV)” (KJ says “foreordained,” ESV says “foreknown”). Clearly, Jesus was not just known beforehand; he was chosen and foreordained to die on the cross.

Romans 11:2 is clearly not a passive foreknowledge or prescience when Paul writes: “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew.” The context speaks of God choosing Israel/the remnant by grace 11:5. Israel was a CHOSEN people and his remnant was chosen. God did not simply know them beforehand. God knows all things perfectly from eternity past. God’s foreknowledge in our salvation goes beyond prescience.

3. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that divine election is based on God’s foreknowledge that we would believe. NOWHERE does it say that.

4. Romans 8:28 does not say that God foreknew THAT we would do anything. It says God foreknew us. That is a big difference. He foreknew us, according to Romans 8:28; he did not simply foreknow that we would believe. That is extra canonical.

5. We are not free to pick and choose whichever definition we prefer. The context determines the meaning, and the context of Romans 8:28 clearly indicates a “choosing,” a knowing with a preference. All Greek lexicons affirm this.

For me this divine act of election is abundantly clear. It is equally clear that we have a responsibility to repent and believe; we have a responsibility to preach, teach, pray, evangelize and use all means possible to bring people to Christ. It is unbiblical to be passive in evangelism, to assume that the elect will be saved without your help or mine.

How do we resolve this dilemma of reconciling the divine act of election with our human responsibility? We cannot, anymore than we can resolve the mystery of the Incarnation.