Foreknowledge
"What about Romans 8?"
"That passage does tell us the object of God's foreknowledge. The object of His foreknowledge is not history, or choices, seen apart from His sovereign government. The object of His foreknowledge here is persons. Those whom He foreknew, He predestined."
"I agree that is what is says. But what does foreknowledge mean then?"
"The Greek word here in Romans is proginosko. The prefix pro means before, while the word ginosko has two meanings; one means to know, while the other means to approve. One of the meanings of this compound verb is to approve beforehand. Now if you put that understanding into the Romans 8 passage, how does it read?"
"For whom he approved beforehand, He also predestined to be conformed. . ." I broke off. "I see!
Predestination here is not to `becoming a Christian,' but to `becoming Christ-like' at the resurrection."
Martin smiled. "Exactly. Those on whom God set His electing love, He predestined to a final conformity to the image of Christ. And Paul follows this wonderful chain of redemption right to the end in verse 30."
I looked at the passage again. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
I looked up from the page. "But wait a minute. Couldn't someone object that our choice of `approve beforehand' is a case of special pleading? Why couldn't it be translated the other way?"
Martin leaned forward in his chair. "Because the other way doesn't make any sense, for either position."
"What?"
"In our discussions, I think you will see this again and again. Many of the verses brought to bear against this understanding of God's sovereignty have this in common. They invariably prove too much."
"What do you mean, prove too much?"
"If foreknowledge is simply referring to cognitive information, then this is the chain of redemption. `For whom He foreknew (everyone), He also predestined to Christ-likeness (everyone). Whom He predestined, He called (everyone), and whom He called, He justified (everyone). Whom He justified, He glorified (everyone).' There is no place for any individuals to escape. Everyone cognitively foreknown will be glorified. And that is universalism."
"Hold on, hold on! I didn't say that God foreknew everyone. I said that He foreknew those who would believe in Him."
"But the passage doesn't say that. That is something which has to be imported into the text. The object of His foreknowledge is persons, not actions, and there is no ground in the text for making it believing persons. That would be special pleading."
I sat thinking for a moment. Martin continued.
"There is another reason for denying that God elects based upon His foresight of our doings."
"What is that?"
"Express statements to the contrary in Scripture."
"All right, I'm game. Show me one."
"Turn to 2 Timothy 1:8-9."
I turned and read. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
"Allow me to ask you a few questions."
"Go ahead," I replied.
"What has God done for us?"
"He saved us and called us."
"Correct. And He did this not according to something. . . ."
"Not according to our works."
"Correct again. Now, our works are set in contrast to that by which He did save and call us. What was that?"
"His own purpose and grace."
"Does the passage contrast our works with our faith?"
"No. It contrasts our works with His purpose and grace."
"Very good. Now where was this given to us?"
"Where?"
"Uh-huh."
"In Christ? Is that what you mean?"
"Right. When was it given?"
"Before time began."
"So God saved and called us with a holy calling, before the beginning of time, and He did this without reference to our works."
"Well, that is true. But how can you classify foreseen faith as a form of foreseen works? Faith is not a work."
"True faith is not a work because true faith is a gift from God. But if faith is something man does, on his own, and which appropriates salvation, which another man does not receive because he did not believe, then faith is a work."
"I'm sorry, I don't see what you are driving at. How can faith be a work?"
"One of the reasons people object to the idea of faith as a gift from God is that they think such gifts remove the possibility of praise or blame. It turns man into a puppet—that sort of thing. Isn't that right?"
"Well, yes."
"Now how can they insist that we keep faith as something man does—otherwise we cannot praise or blame him for having or not having it—but then object when someone says they have made faith a work? True praise or blame, according to this kind of thinking, can only be assigned to a man's work."
"I've got it. You are saying that if it merits praise or blame then it is a work. If it doesn't merit praise or blame, then the objection against faith being a gift is gone."
"That's it. So then, God elects, according to His own good purpose (and it is good, not arbitrary), and He does so without regard to foreseen human achievement, virtue, works, or meritorious faith."
"I've heard this doctrine called unconditional election. Is that what the unconditional refers to?"
"Yes. It does not mean that God had no conditions or reasons for doing what He did. It simply means He found no conditions or reasons in man for what He did."
I sat back in my chair. "It looks to me as though you have a point."
- Douglas Wilson, from Easy Chairs, Hard Words
"That passage does tell us the object of God's foreknowledge. The object of His foreknowledge is not history, or choices, seen apart from His sovereign government. The object of His foreknowledge here is persons. Those whom He foreknew, He predestined."
"I agree that is what is says. But what does foreknowledge mean then?"
"The Greek word here in Romans is proginosko. The prefix pro means before, while the word ginosko has two meanings; one means to know, while the other means to approve. One of the meanings of this compound verb is to approve beforehand. Now if you put that understanding into the Romans 8 passage, how does it read?"
"For whom he approved beforehand, He also predestined to be conformed. . ." I broke off. "I see!
Predestination here is not to `becoming a Christian,' but to `becoming Christ-like' at the resurrection."
Martin smiled. "Exactly. Those on whom God set His electing love, He predestined to a final conformity to the image of Christ. And Paul follows this wonderful chain of redemption right to the end in verse 30."
I looked at the passage again. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
I looked up from the page. "But wait a minute. Couldn't someone object that our choice of `approve beforehand' is a case of special pleading? Why couldn't it be translated the other way?"
Martin leaned forward in his chair. "Because the other way doesn't make any sense, for either position."
"What?"
"In our discussions, I think you will see this again and again. Many of the verses brought to bear against this understanding of God's sovereignty have this in common. They invariably prove too much."
"What do you mean, prove too much?"
"If foreknowledge is simply referring to cognitive information, then this is the chain of redemption. `For whom He foreknew (everyone), He also predestined to Christ-likeness (everyone). Whom He predestined, He called (everyone), and whom He called, He justified (everyone). Whom He justified, He glorified (everyone).' There is no place for any individuals to escape. Everyone cognitively foreknown will be glorified. And that is universalism."
"Hold on, hold on! I didn't say that God foreknew everyone. I said that He foreknew those who would believe in Him."
"But the passage doesn't say that. That is something which has to be imported into the text. The object of His foreknowledge is persons, not actions, and there is no ground in the text for making it believing persons. That would be special pleading."
I sat thinking for a moment. Martin continued.
"There is another reason for denying that God elects based upon His foresight of our doings."
"What is that?"
"Express statements to the contrary in Scripture."
"All right, I'm game. Show me one."
"Turn to 2 Timothy 1:8-9."
I turned and read. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
"Allow me to ask you a few questions."
"Go ahead," I replied.
"What has God done for us?"
"He saved us and called us."
"Correct. And He did this not according to something. . . ."
"Not according to our works."
"Correct again. Now, our works are set in contrast to that by which He did save and call us. What was that?"
"His own purpose and grace."
"Does the passage contrast our works with our faith?"
"No. It contrasts our works with His purpose and grace."
"Very good. Now where was this given to us?"
"Where?"
"Uh-huh."
"In Christ? Is that what you mean?"
"Right. When was it given?"
"Before time began."
"So God saved and called us with a holy calling, before the beginning of time, and He did this without reference to our works."
"Well, that is true. But how can you classify foreseen faith as a form of foreseen works? Faith is not a work."
"True faith is not a work because true faith is a gift from God. But if faith is something man does, on his own, and which appropriates salvation, which another man does not receive because he did not believe, then faith is a work."
"I'm sorry, I don't see what you are driving at. How can faith be a work?"
"One of the reasons people object to the idea of faith as a gift from God is that they think such gifts remove the possibility of praise or blame. It turns man into a puppet—that sort of thing. Isn't that right?"
"Well, yes."
"Now how can they insist that we keep faith as something man does—otherwise we cannot praise or blame him for having or not having it—but then object when someone says they have made faith a work? True praise or blame, according to this kind of thinking, can only be assigned to a man's work."
"I've got it. You are saying that if it merits praise or blame then it is a work. If it doesn't merit praise or blame, then the objection against faith being a gift is gone."
"That's it. So then, God elects, according to His own good purpose (and it is good, not arbitrary), and He does so without regard to foreseen human achievement, virtue, works, or meritorious faith."
"I've heard this doctrine called unconditional election. Is that what the unconditional refers to?"
"Yes. It does not mean that God had no conditions or reasons for doing what He did. It simply means He found no conditions or reasons in man for what He did."
I sat back in my chair. "It looks to me as though you have a point."
- Douglas Wilson, from Easy Chairs, Hard Words
