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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth |
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We read in Romans 8:28 of the sovereign purpose of God in blessing His people: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
We then read in verses 29f of the various manners in which this purpose is performed to God's people. It includes five deeds purposed and performed by God to them: "For whom He [1] foreknew, He also [2] predestined .... Moreover whom He predestined, these He also [3] called; whom He called, these He also [4] justified; and whom He justified, these He also [5] glorified." We here observe the first of these deeds: foreknowledge.
God's foreknowledge of His people is related to His election of them to salvation. They are called the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" in 1 Peter 1:2. Those whom God "foreknew" in Romans 8:29 are therefore His elect.
The foreknowledge mentioned in our text is not mere prescience. The Greek word translated "foreknowledge" is from the verb pronounced proe-gin-'oe-skoe. It has two definitions: 1) "foreordination" (ordaining beforehand some one or thing) and 2) "prior knowledge" (knowing beforehand some one or thing). This prior knowledge is called prescience (from pre = "before" + science = "knowledge"; pronounced 'pree-shee-ents).
"Prescience" is the meaning of foreknowledge in some Scriptural texts. For example, Paul spoke in Acts 26:5 of the Jews who "knew me from the first" (i.e. they had prior knowledge of him). And in 2 Peter 3:17, Peter wrote of doctrinal truths and declared that believers "know these things beforehand." Some persons aver that "prescience" is the meaning of foreknowledge also in our present text, Romans 8:29 (and in the previously mentioned text, 1 Peter 1:2). Accordingly, they teach that God's election unto salvation was based upon foreseen faith. That is, God in eternity past foresaw that some sinners would in time believe the gospel, and He therefore then, in eternity past, chose them to salvation on the basis of their foreseen faith.
But the foreknowledge mentioned in Romans 8:29 (and in 1 Peter 1:2) is not mere prescience.
Rather, the foreknowledge mentioned in our text is foreordination. As we have just observed, "foreordination" is the other meaning of foreknowledge. Foreknowledge is used in the sense of foreordination in various other texts of Holy Scriptures. In 2 Peter 1:20 we read that "[Christ] was foreordained before the foundation of the world." And in Acts 2:23 we read that Christ was "delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge [or foreordination] of God" (see commentary in Acts 4:27f).
Mere prescience makes no sense in these texts, nor in our present text. God has foreknown His people not in the sense of merely knowing beforehand who they would be or what they would do. Rather, He has foreknown them in the sense of foreordaining their salvation and all the blessings they would enjoy. We here cite three proofs.
The context of Romans 8:29 demands that the foreknowledge here mentioned is foreordination, not mere prescience. Every text in Holy Scriptures must agree with its context (i.e. the passage in which it is found). And every text interpreted contrary to its context is a pretext.
The immediate context of our text is Romans 8:28-32. This passage therefore includes both the verse immediately preceding verse 29 and the three verses immediately following it. The theme of this passage is the sovereign purpose of God in Christ.
1) According to verse 28, the sovereign purpose of God in Christ is for foreordained people: "the called according to His purpose." Contrary to prescience, this text does not read "all things work together for good to those whom God foresaw believing in Him." And even the fact that these foreordained people would "love God" was foreordained (1 John 4:19): "We love Him because He first loved us." Contrary to prescience, this text does not read "God loves us because He foresaw us loving Him."
2) According to verses 29f, the sovereign purpose of God in Christ is founded upon His foreordination: He first "foreknew" His people in the sense of foreordination, and on this foundation He predestined, called, justified, and glorified them. Contrary to prescience, the foundation of God's purpose in predestining, calling, justifying, and glorifying His people is not founded upon their foreseen faith. From beginning to end, and at every point between, "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9; cp. Titus 3:5).
3) According to verses 31f, the sovereign purpose of God for His people is His alone: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Contrary to prescience, we do not read "If we be for God, who can be against us or against Him?" Sovereignty is God's alone!
The grammatical structure of Romans 8:29 demands that the foreknowledge here mentioned is foreordination, not mere prescience. The text reads "whom [God] foreknew." That is, God is the subject, and man is the object, of the verb "foreknew" (and furthermore of every other verb in this text). God foreknew people!
The doctrine which here equates foreknowledge with prescience violates this grammatical structure. It posits instead that what God foreknew was foreseen faith in certain sinners. It therefore would change the text from "whom God foreknew" to "what God foreknew."
To the contrary, God foreknew people, not faith! And He foreknew them in the sense of foreordaining them, not of merely knowing beforehand what they would do.
The doctrine of Romans 8:29, when compared with the rest of Holy Scriptures, demands that the foreknowledge here mentioned is foreordination, not mere prescience. This is to say that what Paul the apostle taught in this text must not contradict what is taught elsewhere in Holy Scriptures. And most certainly, Paul would not here contradict what he himself taught elsewhere. The doctrine which here equates foreknowledge with prescience violates this doctrine of Romans 8:29 and also of the rest of Holy Scriptures.
For example, prescience violates the doctrine of man's total depravity and total inability taught in Romans 3:10-18. 1) Paul declares in verse 10, "There is none righteous, no, not one." Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men have enough righteousness to believe the gospel. 2) Paul declares in verse 11a, "There is none who understands." Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men may indeed understand and believe what God requires in the gospel. 3) Paul declares in verse 11b, "There is none who seeks after God." Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men may indeed seek after God. 4) Paul declares in verse 12b, "There is none who does good, no, not one." Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men may indeed do the good deed of believing the gospel. 5) Paul declares in verse 18, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men may fear God enough to believe the gospel.
A summation of Paul's doctrine of man's total depravity and total inability is "Sinful man has no power to choose God, believe the gospel, and come to Christ." This is also the doctrine declared by Jesus Christ in John 5:40 and 6:65: "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. ... Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to Him by My Father."
Prescience denies, averring instead that sinful men may indeed, of their own free will apart from any special operation of grace wrought in themselves by God, believe in and come to Christ.
Paul's doctrine consequently declares that the salvation of sinners is by grace alone, apart from any work of the ones who are saved. He teaches the saved in Ephesians 2:8f, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Prescience again denies, averring instead that the work of faith may be performed by sinful men apart from God graciously bestowing the gift of faith. The glorious truth declared by Paul in Romans 8:28f is that God Himself, and God alone, has foreordained all the blessings His people receive, both in their salvation and in His providence to them.
Paul identifies the people who have been foreordained to this blessedness as "those who love God" (Romans 8:28).
Are you among them?
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
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