July 14, 2024.
Does the Bible teach “predestination”? Yes, it does! However, a more meaningful reply to that question requires some investigation.
Unconditional Election?
The Calvinistic view of predestination is expressed in the “U” of TULIP: “unconditional election.” This doctrine states that before creation, God elected and predestined specific individuals for salvation. It further states that the election and predestination were not based on any foreseen conditions whatsoever of what each individual might or might not do in their lifetime.
To begin with, this doctrine is questionable for the simple reason that almost no Bible translation even once contains the word “unconditional.” To the contrary, all Bible translations are full of words expressing conditions regarding salvation – words such as “if,” “unless,” “or else,” “must,” “choose,” and “because.” Consider this sample of examples:
Josh. 24:15: “choose today…”
Matt. 6:15: “if you don’t forgive…”
John 3:3: “unless one is born anew…”
Acts 5:29: “We must obey God…”
Rom. 11:22: “if you continue…”
Rev. 2:16: “Repent therefore, or else…”
Rev. 3:16: “because you are lukewarm…”
What Was Predestined?
The NT word usually translated “predestined” is from the Greek “proorizō” (Strong’s G4309), which is in the NT only six times. The meaning of the Greek is very simple: “to decide beforehand.”
Before examining the idea of personal predestination, let’s consider predestined events. God “decided beforehand” that Jesus would die for our sins, as expressed by the Apostles in prayer: “Pontius Pilate… and the people of Israel… to do whatever your hand and your council predestined [G4309] to happen” (Acts 4:27-28). On Pentecost, Peter declared the same truth in similar words: Jesus “being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed” (Acts 2:23). Jesus’ death was determined by God beforehand. His death for us was predestined.
In addition, Paul spoke of the wisdom “which God predestined [G4309] before the worlds” (1 Cor. 2:7). This reminds us of what Jesus told the Apostles after His resurrection: “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations” (Luke 24:46-47). In His wisdom God predestined that repentance and forgiveness of sins based on the death and resurrection of Jesus be preached to the entire world. The gospel, God’s power to save mankind, was God’s plan before humans ever existed. It was predestined!
Who Is Predestined?
With these truths in mind, we come to the other four times that the word “predestined” (G4309) is found in the NT:
Rom. 8:29: “For whom [plural] he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…”
Rom. 8:30: “Whom [plural] he predestined, those he also called…”
Eph. 1:5: “Having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ…”
Eph. 1:11: “We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been predestined…”
First of all, let’s notice that the four verses just quoted make no mention of single individuals. Rather, they are all about the predestination of a group: “whom” (plural in the Greek), “us” and “we.” In addition, as discussed above, the Bible clearly teaches that there are conditions for salvation, and even Calvinists admit that the Bible teaches human responsibility (see Insight #354). With all these truths in mind, we must conclude that God predestined that there would be a group of people saved eternally, based on conditions that he also predetermined. In the four verses quoted, this group obviously includes Paul, the writer, and the Christians to whom he is writing. This group is “the church of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
God predestined that there would be a group of saved people. He did not unconditionally predestine the individuals who would be in that group. Rather, God predestined the preaching of the gospel to be “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Each one of us must individually decide whether or not we will submit to be included in God’s predestined plan.
The Predestined Gospel Invitation
From Genesis to Revelation, God pleads with us to give our lives to Him, not to self nor Satan. He predestined Jesus’ death to make it possible for us to live eternally with Him. It is very true that nobody deserves or can earn salvation. But there are conditions. “Now He [God] commands that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30). “Know certainly that God has made Him [Jesus] both Lord and Christ… Repent, and be baptized… Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” (Acts 2:36-40).
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NOTE: The purpose of this series is to biblically examine various aspects of the Calvinistic acrostic, TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.