Predestination
Volition of Man
1) God chose to give man the capacity (and face the responsibility) of free will expressed in making mental decisions
2) This made it possible for man to respond to the PLAN of salvation
3) God does not forfeit his sovereignty by giving man free will of thought.
4) Man may not be able to act on all of his decisions because:
a. He does not have the power at one or more levels
b. Because God is sovereign He may prevent any of man’s decisions from happening.
c. When God prevents man from taking action on his thoughts this does not mean God prevented freewill. Man has his own will, but man does not always have his own way.
5) Calvanism distorts divine sovereignty. Arminianism distorts mans freewill.
Proginosis
“pro” is a preposition that means “before, before hand”
“ginosko” means knowledge
Proginosis means to have knowledge before hand or “foreknowledge”
Pro-horidzo
“pro” is a preposition that means “before, before hand”
“horidzo” means “determine, appoint, designate, mark out, set limit”
This is the Greek word “prooridzo” which means to “pre-determine, pre-appoint, to set limits before hand”. This is the word translated “predestination”
It occurs in the Greek NT 6 times:
1) Acts 4:28
2) Twice in Romans 8:29-30
3) 1 Corinthians 2:7
4) Twice in Ephesians 1:5 and 1:11
The first occurrence is in Acts 4:28
Acts 4:28 poihsai
TO DO
osa h WHATEVER
ceir sou THY
HAND
kai h AND
boulh COUNSEL sou THY prowrisen PREDETERMINED genesqai TO COME TO PASS
God has a plan and a time for events:
Galatians 4:4 “When the time had fully come, God sent his son.”
This refers to God’s PLAN and God’s TIME.
This does not refer to MAN’S VOLITION.
Acts 2:23 touton
HIM
th BY
THE wrismenh DETERMINATE boulh COUNSEL kai AND prognwsei FOREKNOWLEDGE tou OF
qeou GOD ekdoton
GIVEN UP labonteV HAVING
TAKEN dia BY ceirwn HANDS anomwn
LAWLESS
prosphxanteV HAVING CRUCIFIED aneilete YE PUT TO DEATH.
wrismenh DETERMINATE – “horidzo” with out the “pre” or “pro” so it means “determined, appointed”
boulh COUNSEL – refers to God’s plan
prognwsei FOREKNOWLEDGE – “prognosis” (“pro” – before, “gnosis” – knowledge)
NOTICE: Just like horodzo (determine) and proginosko (foreknowledge) are used together in Romans 8:29 they are also used in Acts 2:23 side by side. They’re not synonyms.
Predestination
What is predetermined in Predestination?
What is not predetermined in Predestination?
What is foreknown in Predestination?
Ephesians 1:4-13
1) 1:4 – “he chose us in him before the creation of the world”
a. God did not chose us to be in Christ before the creation of the world
b. God chose us who where in Christ before the creation of the world
c. God chose those who he foreknew would be in Christ by their faith
2) 1:5 “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ”
a. This predestination is the destiny of all believers to ultimately have complete salvation
b. This adoption occurs at the end and agrees with Romans 8:23
3) 1:11 – “predestined according to the plan”
a. Predestination is for those who are “in the plan”
b. To be “in the plan” for Christ you must be “in Christ”
4) 1:13 – “you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth”
a. You were included in Christ when you “Heard” not when you were “predestined”
Ephesians 1:11
en IN autw HIM en IN w WHOM kai ALSO
eklhrwqhmen WE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE proorisqenteV BEING PREDESTINATED kata ACCORDING TO THE proqesin PURPOSE tou OF HIM WHO
ta panta ALL THINGS energountoV
WORKS kata ACCORDING
TO thn THE boulhn COUNSEL tou qelhmatoV autou OF HIS WILL