Election, Predestination, Preterition, Reprobation (1)

Election, Predestination, Preterition, Reprobation

Introduction
Predestination is a wonderful doctrine plainly taught in the Bible. Sadly, it is hardly understood by so many sincere Christians. Some have not only misunderstood but also perverted this biblical doctrine into lies that are injurious to the character of God. Others deny the plain doctrine completely.

a. Here is an example of how the doctrine is popularly understood:
"The doctrine of predestination is a religious belief, primarily in Christianity, that God has eternally decided the ultimate fate of every individual, including who will be saved. It is the concept that all events, especially salvation and damnation, are preordained by God before the creation of the world, often leading to theological discussions about God's omniscience and human free will. This doctrine is closely associated with Calvinism, though variations exist in other Christian traditions and even other religions."

Comments
- The first sentence promotes the error of "double predestination": "God has eternally decided the ultimate fate of EVERY individual ..."
- The second sentence confounds the predestination of people with the predestination of "ALL EVENTS." Predestination has to do with PEOPLE, not EVENTS.
- The third sentence is partly true: the doctrine of double predestination and that it involve events is indeed closely associated with Calvinism, not the Scriptures.

1. The Scriptures on Predestination
a. The word translated predestinate (προορίζω) occurs 6 times in the NT in the following verses.
- προορίζω - pro-or-id'-zo from πρό (G4253) and ὁρίζω (G3724)

Biblical usage
- to predetermine, decide beforehand
- in the NT of God decreeing from eternity
- to foreordain, appoint beforehand.

Rom 8:29 "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. 30 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."

Comment: Predestination has to do with people; the pronouns "whom" and "them" are personal pronouns of PEOPLE, not things or events. This is obvious and common sense; only people have DESTINY. Predestination is the eternal divine act of PRE-determining the eternal destiny of some people, EVEN those whom He has elected.

Eph 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Comment: Predestination has to do with people; the pronoun "us" is a personal pronoun; only people, not events, can be said to obtain an inheritance. This is obvious and common sense; only people can be predestinated to obtain an eternal inheritance. Predestination is the eternal divine act of PRE determining the destiny of His elect.

Act 4:28 "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before (προορίζω) to be done."
1Co 2:7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before (προορίζω) the world unto our glory."

Comment:
- God indeed "determined" and "ordained" in eternity (i.e. before time) the many events that MUST COME TO PASS - those things that are related to the eternal salvation of His elect people and predestinated to glory.
- Those events - e.g. Christ's incarnation (the eternal Word made flesh), Christ's work of redemption, Christ's death and resurrection, Christ's ministry as mediator, and Christ's return to glorify his people, etc - must immutably come to pass by divine decrees; otherwise there would be NO eternal salvation for His elect people.
- All these things work together for the eternal good of His chosen people.

2. The vast difference between Calvinists/Reformed and the Old School Baptists
a. "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death." WCF 3.3
- Nearly all the Reformed and Calvinists hold to the doctrine of "double predestination.
- Double predestination: God actively predestinated some to eternal salvation and ALSO actively ordained the rest to eternal damnation.

b. The Old School Baptists believe in predestination and preterition (the passive act of bypassing)
- "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,7 to the praise of His glorious grace;8 others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice." 1689.3.3.
- The Old School Baptists hold to the scriptural doctrine of predestination: God actively elected some to eternal salvation and left the rest to act in their sins to their just condemnation.

c. Some smart alecks always dismiss the 1689 Cof as a cheap copy of the WCF.
- (Many do so because the 1689 CoF has been hijacked by the new school RBs to teach falsehood.)
- I inquired, "If the 1689 is blindly copied from WCF, then it's strange that they speak so differently on this important subject.

3. Predestination and Reprobation
a. Not a few foolishly join these two as opposite, understanding reprobation as the opposite of predestination, i.e being actively predestinated by God unto eternal damnation. This couldn't be more misguided. Let us look at the usage of the word in the NT.
- 1Cor 9:27 KJT — "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." [i.e. adókimos, reprobate].
- 2Cor 13:5 KJT "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

Comments:
- Apostle Paul says if he does not keep his body and bring it into subjection to the word of God as a preacher of God's word, he may end up as a castaway, a reprobate, a reject, one who failed the expectations/requirements of God of a preacher of God's word. This has nothing to do with predestination in eternity to damnation!
- God's children are called to examine themselves whether they be in the faith; they are called to hold fast their profession of faith. Otherwise, they are rejected, unapproved, not meeting the test. This obviously has NOTHING to do with predestination in eternity to eternal damnation! It has to do with the acceptance or rejection of God's children by God based on their obedience.

b. What's the meaning of "reprobate"
- reprobate: a-dókimos, the opposite of dókimos (approved, tried - pass the requirement)
- unapproved, i.e. rejected; by implication, worthless (literally or morally):—castaway, rejected, reprobate.

Outline of Biblical Usage
- not standing the test, not approved: properly used of metals and coins
- that which does not prove itself such as it ought: unfit for, unproven, spurious, reprobate; i.e. failed the quality control test.

c. The opposite of election is preterition - being passively bypassed by God in his active act of election.
- Either one is predestinated unto glory, or he is bypassed by God in eternity, i.e. before time.
- God is perfectly righteous in the act of bypassing any; He did them no injustice whatsoever. The foolish insist that God must also positively predestinate the rest to eternal damnation since He predestined some to eternal salvation.

d. The opposite of reprobation is acceptation/approval.
- Either one is approved or reprobate in time by God based on certain conditions.

e. Predestination and preterition are in the realm of eternal salvation; reprobation and acceptation are in the realm of temporal salvation.
- Those elected are predestinated to glory in and through the redemptive work of the Redeemer.

Please feel free to ask any questions.