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?

  1. The plan is predetermined
  2. The requirements for entering the plan is predetermined?

 

What is not predetermined in Predestination?

  1. Who will meet the requirements for entering the plan that includes a predetermined result

 

What is foreknown in Predestination?

  1. The believer’s decision to trust in Christ

 

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