Chapter Two – Predestination and Election
1.1 Predestination
Protithemi (to set forth beforehand) and prohorize (to determine beforehand) are synonymous Greek terms, which translate into the verb form “predestine” or the noun form “predestination” in English. In Scripture both events and people are predestined. For example, in Acts 4:27-28 Herod, Pilate, and the religious leaders did to Jesus whatever God’s hand had “predestined” to occur. In Roman 8:29 believers are “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,” and in the next verse the word is used in connection with their calling, justification, and glorification, relating ultimately to election. In Ephesians 1:11 “all things” are predestined according to the counsel of God’s will. The concept is comprehensive in scope and does not allow us to speculate that anything happens apart from the eternal plan of God. Simply stated, when God predestines He makes certain to happen whatever He plans or decrees, and everything is thus predestined. Read More
