As a point of illustration in the recent series on apologetics I noted, as an example of defense of doctrine, the concept of predestination – particularly in the New Testament books.
It is a point worth noting that much of what is described in the Old Testament writings, after the covenant made with the nation of Israel at the Mountain of God, assumes predestination.
Allow me to explain. In order for predestination, as an independent or immutable doctrine, to exist, it must be assumed that – whether discernable for humankind or not – the outcome insinuated must be absolute. In other words, a promised outcome will occur – hard stop. There are a couple of those types of promises in the New Testament (see Rev.9:15 regarding the four bound messengers who are released to actuate the sixth trumpet at the very hour, day, month, and year that was in the original plan of God when the Book of Redemption was written and sealed).
We have seen, in our prior review of the covenants that God has made with mankind, examples of promises given, along with conditions that were noted as being “everlasting”. Parts of the covenant between God and Abram would qualify in this way, specifically in regard to the occupation of the land of promise, the land of the Canaanites. The promise was that it would be an everlasting possession. If that statement was held as being an example of predestination – that the descendants of Isaac would always live on the land of promise (after the 400 years assigned had been accomplished), then that would have been the experience. Since it has not been, then we can be assured that there were unmet conditions on man’s side of the covenant and it was not predestined that they dwell in the land forever.
Simply: if there are conditions, “ifs” associated with a promise, then the outcome is not predestined, in the strictest sense of that term. If an outcome is dependent on man’s behavior – man who is in His image and likeness and therefore able to choose, then broadly speaking it cannot be unconditionally assured to happen.
Reading through the Old Testament and analyzing the behaviors of many of the people of covenant, it becomes clear that they expect God to fulfill His side of the agreement whether they do or not. They assume the promise is destined to be fulfilled, and nothing they do or don’t do can change that result. We even read examples of disappointment and discouragement of the people of Israel (and even of Christians today, who empathize with them) when a promise or blessing of God does not come to pass, while they are clearly disobedient and even guilty of actions that they were told would void the covenant with God altogether.
As a doctrine then predestination cannot stand if the framework of its tenets do not include both a promise of “everlasting” AND that of “unconditional”. Or so it seems to me, as relates to the Old Testament covenants and promises.
Back to Doctrinal Apologetics.
As regards predestination in the New Testament, two additional concepts are appropriately intertwined. They are “foreknowledge” and “election” (often translated as the noun “chosen” and the verb “to choose”). For this example apologetic, I will begin with the most narrowly described concept (by that I mean the term with the least variation in use and nuance), that being the eternal foreknowledge of God. (There are a couple of occasions when the words in noun or verb form are applied to a person, but those are not reviewed here for obvious reasons.) It is also fair to point out that the order of review may create a bias as to how the concepts interrelate; my choosing to address them from “narrow” to “broad” notwithstanding.
The concept is first introduced by Peter in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost. That sermon was a general apology of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. This first mention is also one of the key verses that include both the word/idea of foreknowledge and that of the eternal, predetermined plan of God (though in this passage it is a bit more narrowly defined as the setting of borders as to the extent of God’s plan).
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” Acts 2:22-24
An important premise that Peter introduces is that it was their (the Jewish people’s) choice to surrender Jesus to be crucified AND that that choice was part of the “predetermined” plan due to the foreknowledge of God. The Greek word is “prognosis”. It is derived from “proginōskō” which is a simple compound word comprising of “pro” = before; and “ginōskō” = to come to know: so, to come to know before.
Peter presents this very same concept in his first epistle, likely 20 years after he preached that first sermon. His introductory statement to the letter is a beautiful and fitting tribute to all that Jesus and the Spirit taught him during his journey of discipleship. The entire passage, from 1Peter 1:1-21 is well worth reviewing. For our purposes, the understanding of the meaning behind and uses of “before knowledge”, we will see two separate uses. The first in the greeting itself, which combines the idea of being “elected” or chosen with knowing before.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. 1Pet.1:1-2
The declaration that follows this greeting, as I noted, is rich with Peter’s insights into the eternal plan of God. Within this greeting itself are also some hidden gems. Prior to the writing of this epistle, a scattering of the followers of Jesus has occurred, resulting in them being spread out toward the uttermost parts of the earth. This suggests that he is writing sometime after the outset of the First Jewish/Roman war that was fought between 63 and 73 AD. The believers in Jerusalem were familiar with Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of the temple and the warning signs they should be alert to. Historical accounts suggest that when Nero besieged Jerusalem for a short time in 63 AD, the Christians, recognizing the sign, fled to the outer regions. These are they to whom Peter is writing – those who were chosen by God according to His foreknowing. That phrase would have precise and special implications to those Peter is addressing.
As his initial encouragement draws to a close, Peter again touched on their relationship with our Heavenly Father:
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not ransomed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1Pet.1:17-21
For starters, and easily overlooked, is Peter’s acknowledgement of those (the chosen ones from his greeting) who are reading his letter, each one being judged by their own activities. He admonishes them to live their lives with the knowledge that the unblemished, spotless blood of the Son of God ransomed them from death.
And then he lets them know that Jesus was known of God before creation, but that He was made manifest in these “last times” to those who, through Jesus, are believers in the Father who raised Jesus from the dead – so that we could place our confidence and hope in God. The “foreknowledge” that goes back to before the foundations of the world will be seen in a Pauline reference as well. There is clearly an eternal connection with God’s foreknowledge and how we, as His creation are affected.
In Romans 11:2, Paul makes the declaration that “God has not rejected” those from Abraham and Sarah – His people whom He “foreknew”. Paul then quotes from 1Kings 19 – a conversation between Elijah and God regarding the remnant of Israel in the time of Ahab, ending his reminiscence with:
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Rom.11:5-6
Just as there was a remnant of those who stood with God when Ahab and Jezebel ruled over Israel, so too, Paul is saying, is there a remnant of those who will stand with God and with their long-awaited Messiah. That they will experience that through grace is because God chose before the foundation, to make the means of relationship with Him, grace not our own works.
The final occasion where “foreknowledge” is presented provides a clear description of the overlap of all three of the key concepts.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor messengers, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It would be typical, when studying the idea of “foreknowing” to stop the quote after our verse 30. There is in fact a paragraph break there to reinforce that idea. However, as you would have noticed, the associated idea of His choosing (note the word translated as “elect”) and the relational implications for those who are chosen in verse 33 where the subsequent pronoun is “us” justifies, for context, the inclusion of the rest of the passage in our review. That said – the portion regarding the “elect” will be reviewed within that section of the concluding post.
In verse 28 we are challenged by Paul with his declaration that we “know” something. This happens to be the other Greek word translated as “know”, the attainment of information: “oida” which means “to have seen or perceived”, hence “to know”. In other words, knowledge attained through firsthand experience.
What Paul is telling the believers in Rome (and what we can apply to ourselves) is that they have firsthand experience of God “causing to work together” (“sunergeō”) all things for good to those who love God, to those who are called (”klētos” – adj.) according to a purpose. And in particular, those whom He called, He “foreknew”: of course He did.
God dwells in the Eternal Now, which means He not only lives with everything that, within the confines of time, has happened, but also with everything that ever will happen. It is the Great Miracle of the Eternal Purpose of God as defined by and in the Everlasting Covenant: God interacting with His creation within the confines of time while still abiding in the Eternal Now!
The extent of that miracle is epitomized in the incarnation. God becoming Man as a child in the womb! That was an act of supreme sacrifice, of immeasurable love, of unfathomable humility. God desired to share eternity with His creation – for Him to do so He willingly inserted Himself into time. That act did not however, change the essential Truth: God knows everything! The cause and consequence of every flap of every butterfly’s wings; of every raindrops impression on stone; of every choice of every man, woman, and child. Selah!
In His foreknowing we are told He also (the word is “kai” and it is intentional) predestined/ predetermined/ fore-ordained conformity to the image of His Son. The conformity was for the distinct purpose of having Jesus be the first-born among a mass of “brothers”. Those who, because of His foreknowing, were predetermined were also called (“kaleō” – verb) and justified (declared to be righteous) and also glorified (spoken of with high regard).
Paul describes for us an order as to how God interacts with His creation – those made in His Image and Likeness. It begins with that Truth (that He has chosen to interact with us) and passes through the understanding that God knows it all – and in His knowing, He imparts the restoration of His image; the image of His only Begotten. That image of His Son is restored in His people – those who are called AND who respond to His call!
The second part of this post will review the ideas of predestination and election, after which a summary of what my defense of this doctrine provides.