Brief Excursus on Predestination

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Introduction

Predestination is a biblical topic and doctrine, but it is vastly different from Calvinistic Predestination.

In Rom 8: 29, 30 Paul briefly discusses the concept of predestination.

He writes “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

The Greek word translated predestined is prooridzo pronounced “pro-oridzo.”

The word literally means to “see before” but is understood to mean “to decide beforehand”.

In Eph 1:5 it is translated “destined” and from the context we understand that God decided beforehand that we should be sons of his in Christ according to His will.

In Rom 8:29 and 30 the word simply means that God knew something “beforehand” (foreknew) and based upon this he decided (predestined) that we should be conformed to the image of his son and therefore called us for this purpose and in order to be justified and glorified.

God knew certain things and based on his foreknowledge he decided to do something so we could be his children. He decided to send Jesus to die for our sins, and then called us to faith through the gospel message proclaiming that death.

Calvinistic Predestination holds that God arbitrarily decided beforehand that some persons (individuals) should be saved, and some persons (individuals) should be lost.

Pauline and biblical predestination holds that based on his foreknowledge that man would sin God decided “beforehand” that Jesus would die for sin, and that through Jesus believers in Jesus would or could become His sons (or as Paul puts it “be conformed to his image”). God predestined, decided beforehand according to his foreknowledge, that those in Christ would be saved! This is a corporate predestination, not an individual predestination. We might argue that God knows before we obey him that we will and will become his children, but the predestination Paul describes is a corporate one that proclaims that those in Christ would become God’s children

Calvinistic Predestination

Briefly speaking Calvinistic Predestination arises out of the Catholic doctrine of Inherited sin and total depravity.

Calvin took over this doctrine and developed his doctrine of predestination.

Calvinistic (Reformed Theology) and Lutheran theology holds that in the fall of man (Adamic sin) man lost his image of God (Imago Dei) and in consequence lost the ability to understand God fully.

It is only through the direct action of the Holy Spirit that man can fully understand God ad come to faith; faith thus is not man’s working, but the work of the Holy Spirit.

Luther held that unregenerate man can understand the outer clarity of Scripture, but without the Holy Spirit cannot understand the inner meaning of the Scriptures.

[Restoration (Church of Christ and Christian Church) thinking, influenced by Alexander Campbell and John Locke holds that the Scriptures are rational and can be understood by rational man. Faith, then is our comprehension of Scripture and decision to accept that comprehension.

Although Campbell had an appreciation for the working of the Holy Spirit he would not permit such in the understanding of the origins of faith in the individual.

Campbell’s followers took Campbell’s views to the extreme and proclaimed that the only way the Holy Spirit worked in one’s life was through the Word.

This may help us understand why members of the Church of Christ have had a difficult time accepting the work of the Holy Spirit in that doing so may detract from a rational approach and comprehension of Scripture.

This is unfortunate and has led to a diminution of appreciation of the working of the Holy Spirit in faith.

It would have been better had members of the Church of Christ paid closer attention to Barton W. Stone, who although similar in approach to Campbell in a rational understanding of Scripture, also accepted the working of the Holy Spirit in the development of faith!

Stone was perhaps a more balanced approach than that adopted by Campbell’s followers!]

We can summarize Calvinistic Predestination under the acronym TULIP.

T represents total depravity and holds that every person is born inheriting Adam’s sin and is therefore totally depraved and unable to understand God.

U represents unconditional election. God chose some to be saved and some to be lost as an arbitrary choice by his grace and we have no say in his choice since we all deserve condemnation for our sin.

L represents limited atonement. Jesus died for all but God limits his choice and calling.

I represents irresistible grace which means when God chooses you he sends his Holy Spirit to bring about your conversion, and you cannot resist the working of the Holy Spirit.

P represents preservation of the saints. The Holy Spirit sees to it that you cannot and do not fall away from grace. No matter what happens, you will get to heaven! It is on this point that we have the doctrine held by some that once you are saved, you are always saved.

Conclusion

We have not attempted to develop the Calvinistic doctrine of Predestination fully.

Our purpose has been only to give an overview of the doctrine as held by Calvinists.

In spite of earnest attempts to sustain Calvinistic Predestination from a biblical standpoint, it simply is not supported by Biblical doctrine!