Election, Predestination,
Preterition, Reprobation
Predestination is a
wonderful doctrine plainly taught in the Bible. Sadly, it is hardly understood
by 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."
Some comments
1. The first sentence
promotes the error of "double predestination":
- "God has
eternally decided the ultimate fate of EVERY individual ..."
2. The second
sentence confounds the predestination of people with the preordination of "ALL
EVENTS." Predestination has to do with PEOPLE, not EVENTS.
3 The third sentence
is partly true: the doctrine of double predestination and they involving events
are indeed closely associated with Calvinism, not 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.
i. 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.
ii. Eph 1:5 "Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
iii. 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 predestined to obtain an eternal
inheritance. Predestination is an eternal divine act of PRE-determining the
destiny of His elect.
iv. Act 4:28 "For
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before (προορίζω) to be done."
v. 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 predestinated to glory.
- Those events -
e.g. Christ's incarnation, 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 as well
as actively predestinated 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
Baptist 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
dismiss the 1689 CoF as a cheap copy of the WCF.
- I inquired,
"If the 1689 is blindly copied from WCF, then it's strange that they speak
so differently on this important subject.
3.
Election/Predestination and Reprobation
a. Not a few join
these two as opposite, understanding reprobation as the opposite of
election/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 reprobate 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 standing 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
elected, and 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 ordain the rest to eternal
damnation since He has predestined others 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.
I hope these few thoughts
help in your inquiry.
p/s
preterition is the
act of passing over, omitting, or disregarding someone or something,
particularly in legal contexts (omitting a compulsory heir from a will) and
theological contexts (God "passing over" those not elected for
salvation.)
