Predestination (1)
Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ
The question is sometimes asked, “Do you believe in predestination?” Some will say yes, and others no. However, all true Bible believers do believe in predestination, for the Bible teaches it. The question should not concern the reality of predestination, but its nature. The question should be, “What is predestination?”Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ
Due to the widespread influence of Calvinism, many people automatically think of individual election when they think of predestination. They have the notion that God has arbitrarily chosen some to eternal salvation and others to eternal damnation. This makes salvation wholly God’s doing. It is argued that if one has salvation there is nothing that he can do to lose it, and if one doesn’t have salvation there is nothing that he can do to obtain it. As we shall see, this concept is contrary to both the nature of man and the nature of salvation.
The word “predestination” is a translation of the Greek compound word “proorizo,” which means, “to determine or mark out beforehand.” Given the Bible’s use of this word, it is clear that God has predetermined something. The question is what has He predetermined? Has he predetermined certain individuals by name to either salvation or condemnation, regardless of their belief, character and conduct? Or is it something else? I affirm that it is something else. The Bible uses the word Greek word proorizo in Acts 4:28, Romans 8:29,30, 1 Corinthians 2:7 and Ephesians 1:5,11. As we shall see, predestination never violates human free agency: it does often incorporate free agency.
In the prayer that the disciples offered to God it was said that the Jews and Gentiles had gathered against Christ, “to do whatever your hand and your plan predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27, 28). God’s will was for Christ to die, and to die in a certain way (John 3:14; 12:32,33). Did God force Judas to betray Christ? No. Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). Did God force the Jews to deliver Christ up to be crucified? No. The Jews delivered up Jesus because of envy (Matthew 27:18). Did God force Pilate to crucify Christ? No. Pilate allowed Christ to be crucified because he wanted to “satisfy the crowd” (Mark 15:15). Jesus was “predestined” to die, but no one’s free agency was violated in the process. (More to come…)
View past articles at http://parkwayarticles.blogspot.com. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.
