PREDESTINATION
of
others
expressing
the
same,
or
related,
meanings,
as
'foreknow'
(in
pregnant
sense,
Ac
2^*,
Eo
8^'
11^,
1
P
12-
2"),
'determine'
(Ac
IT^'),
'appoint'
(1
P
2»),
'purpose'
(Eph
1'),
in
the
case
of
believers,
'choose'
or
'elect'
(Eph
l*
etc.).
In
the
OT
the
idea
is
expressed
by
the
various
words
denoting
to
purpose,
determine,
choose
(e.g.
Is
142'-2'
46'°-
''),
with
the
abundance
of
phrases
extolling
the
sovereignty
and
immutability
of
God's
counsel
in
all
the
spheres
of
His
operation
(see
below;
so
in
NT).
The
best
clue
to
the
Scripture
conception
will
be
found
in
tracing
it
as
it
appears
in
these
different
spheres
of
the
Divine
action.
1.
In
its
most
general
aspect,
foreordination
is
co-extensive
with
the
sphere
of
God's
universal
providence,
is,
in
fact,
but
another
name
for
the^eternal
plan,
design,
purpose,
counsel
of
God,
which
executes
itself
in
prov-idence.
The
election
of
believers,
to
which
'pre-destination'
is
sometimes
narrowed,
is
but
a
specific
case
of
the
'purpose'
of
Him
'who
worketh
all
things
after
the
counsel
of
his
will'
(Eph
1").
It
is
in
this
wider
regard,
accordingly,
that
foreordination
must
be
studied
first.
It
cannot
be
reasonably
doubted
that
all
Scripture
—
OT
and
NT
—
represents
God
as
exercising
in
and
over
the
world
a
providence
that
is
absolutely
universal.
Nothing,
great
or
small
—
operations
of
nature
or
actions
of
men
—
is
left
outside
its
scope.
This
does
not
happen
blindly,
but
in
accordance
with
a
plan
or
purpose,
equally
all-embracing,
which
has
existed
from
eternity.
As
Plato
says
in
his
Parmenides
that
nothing,
not
even
the
meanest
object,
is
unpenetrated
by
the
idea,
so
even
the
minutest
details,
and
seemingly
most
casual
happenings,
of
life
(the
numbering
of
hairs,
the
fall
of
a
sparrow,
Mt
10"'
'")
are
included
in
the
Divine
providence.
Free
agency
is
not
annulled;
on
the
contrary,
human
freedom
and
responsibility
are
everywhere
insisted
on.
But
even
free
volitions,
otherwise
mere
possibilities,
are
taken
up
in
their
place
into
this
plan
of
God,
and
are
made
subservient
to
the
accomplishment
of
His
purposes.
The
Bible
does
not
trouble
itself
with
solving
difBculties
as
to
the
relation
of
the
Divine
purpose
to
human
freedom,
but,
in
accord-ance
with
its
fundamental
doctrine
of
God
as
the
free
personal
Creator
of
the
world
and
absolutely
sovereign
Euler
in
the
realms
both
of
matter
and
of
mind,
working
through
all
causes,
and
directing
everything
to
the
wisest
and
holiest
ends,
it
unhesitatingly
sees
His
'hand'
and
His
'counsel'
in
whatever
is
permitted
to
happen,
good
or
bad
(Ac
2^').
It
need
not
be
said
that
there
is
nothing
arbitrary
or
unjust
in
this
'counsel'
of
God;
it
can
be
conceived
of
only
as
the
eternal
ex-pression
of
His
wisdom,
righteousness,
and
love.
Texts
are
almost
superfluous
in
the
case
of
a
doctrine
pervading
the
whole
of
Scripture,
—
history,
prophecy,
psalm,
epistle,
—
but
an
instance
or
two
may
be
given.
The
history
is
a
continual
demonstration
of
a
Divine
teleology
{e.g.
Gn
468
5020).
God's
counsel
stands,
and
cannot
be
defeated
(Ps
33'
46'»-
");
all
that
God
vrills
He
does
(Ps
115'
135»,
Dn
4»5);
it
is
because
God
purposed
it,
that
it
comes
to
pass
(Is
14"-
"
37'');
God
is
the
disposer
of
all
events
(2
S
17'i-
12,
Job
1",
Pr
16^');
man
may
devise
his
way,
but
it
is
the
Lord
who
directs
his
steps
(16');
even
the
hearts
of
men
are
under
His
control
(21i);
God
sends
to
man
good
and
evil
alike
(Am
3',
Is
45').
It
has
already
been
pointed
out
that
the
same
doctrine
is
implied
in
the
NT
(e.g.
Ac
4^8
IS"
28
[story
of
Paul's
shipwreck],
Eph
1",
Rev
4"
etc.).
2.
A
universal,
all-pervading
purpose
of
God
in
creation,
providence,
and
human
life,
is
thus
every-where
assumed.
The
end
of
God's
purpose,
as
regards
humanity,
may
be
thought
of
as
the
establishing
of
a
moral
and
spiritual
kingdom,
or
Kingdom
of
God,
in
which
God's
will
should
be
done
on
earth,
as
it
is
done
in
heaven
(cf.
Mt
6'").
But
this
end,
now
that
sin
has
entered,
can
be
attained
only
through
a
redemption.
The
centre
of
God's
purpose
in
our
world,
therefore,
—
PREDESTINATION
that
which
gives
its
meaning
and
direction
to
the
whole
Biblical
history,
and
constitutes
almost
its
sole
concern,
—
is
the
fact
of
redemption
through
Jesus
Christ,
and
the
salvation
of
men
by
Him.
To
this
everything
preceding
—
the
call
of
Abraham,
the
Covenant
with
Israel,
the
discipline
and
growing
revelation
of
Law
and
Prophets
—
leads
up
(on
predestination
here,
cf.
Gn
18"-
",
Lv
20"-
»,
Is
43'-
'
etc.);
with
this
begins
(or,
more
strictly,
continues)
the
ingathering
of
a
people
to
God
from
all
nations
and
races
of
mankind,
who,
in
their
completeness,
constitute
the
true
Church
of
God,
redeemed
from
among
men
(Eph
5*«-",
1
P
2'-
">,
Rev
!'•
8
14'-''
etc.).
The
peculiar
interest
of
the
doctrine
of
foreordination,
accordingly,
in
the
NT,
concentrates
itself
in
the
calling
and
salvation
of
those
described
as
the
'chosen'
or
'elect'
of
God
to
this
great
destiny
(Eph
1*
etc.).
The
doctrine
of
fore-ordination
(predestination)
here
coalesces
practically
with
that
of
election
(wh.
see).
Yet
certain
distinc-tions
arise
from
a
difference
in
the
point
of
view
from
which
the
subject
is
contemplated.
Election,
in
the
NT,
as
seen
in
the
article
referred
to,
relates
to
the
eternal
choice
of
the
individual
to
salvation.
As
little
as
any
other
fact
or
event
in
life
is
the
salvation
of
the
believer
regarded
as
lying
outside
the
purpose
or
pre-determination
of
God;
rather,
an
eternal
thought
of
love
on
God's
part
is
seen
coming
to
light
in
the
saved
one
being
brought
into
the
Kingdom
(2
Th
2"-
").
There
is
the
yet
deeper
reason
for
seeing
in
the
believer's
calling
and
salvation
the
manifestation
of
a
Divine
purpose,
that,
as
lost
in
sin,
he
is
totally
incapable
of
effecting
this
saving
change
in
himself.
He
owes
his
renewal,
his
quickening
from
spiritual
death,
to
the
gratuitous
mercy
of
God
(Eph
2i-8;
see
Regeneration).
Every
soul
born
into
the
Kingdom
is
conscious
in
its
deepest
moments
that
it
is
only
of
God's
grace
it
is
there,
and
is
ready
to
ascribe
the
whole
glory
of
its
salvation
to
God
(Rev
7'"),
and
to
trace
back
that
salvation
to
its
fountainhead
in
the
everlasting
counsel
of
God.
Thus
regarded,
'election'
and
'fore-ordination'
to
salvation
seem
to
have
much
the
same
meaning.
Yet
in
usage
a
certain
distinction
is
made.
It
may
perhaps
be
stated
thus,
that
'
election
'
denotes
the
Divine
choice
simply,
while
'foreordain'
has
gener-ally
(in
sense
of
'
predestinate
')
a
reference
to
the
end
which
the
foreordination
has
in
view.
Thus,
in
Eph
!•■
^
'Even
as
he
chose
us
in
him
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
.
.
.
having
foreordained
us
unto
adoption
as
sons
'
(where
'
having
foreordained,'
as
Meyer
rightly
says,
is
not
to
be
taken
as
prior
to,
but
as
coincident
in
point
of
time
with,
'he
chose');
and
in
v."
'having
been
foreordained,'
i.e.
to
be
'made
a
heritage,'
and
this
'to
the
end
that
we
should
be
unto
the
praise
of
his
glory'
(v.").
In
Ro
S^',
again,
where
'fore-
knew'
—
which
seems
to
take
the
place
of
'chose'
(it
can
hardly
be
foreknowledge
of
the
faith
which
is
the
result
of
the
later
'calling')
—
comes
before
'foreordained,'
the
latter
has
the
end
defined:
'to
be
conformed
to
the
image
of
his
Son.'
Those
'foreknown'
are
afterwards
described
as
God's
'elect'
(v.'').
This
striking
passage
further
shows
how,
in
foreordaining
the
end,
God
likewise
foreordains
all
the
steps
that
lead
to
it
('foreknew'
—
'foreordained'
—
'called'
—
'justified'
—
'glorified').
In
1
P
1',
on
the
other
hand,
'foreknowledge'
is
distinguished
from
election
—
still,
however,
in
sense
of
pre-designation.
3.
God's
foreordination,
or
predestination,
whether
in
its
providential,
historical,
or
personal
saving
aspects,
is
ever
represented
as
a
great
mystery,
the
depths
of
the
riches
of
the
wisdom
and
knowledge
of
which
(for
this
is
the
character
of
its
mystery)
man
can
never
hope
to
fathom
(Ro
ll's.
34).
when
the
Apostle,
m
Ro
9,
is
dealing
with
objectors,
he
does
not
attempt
a
rationale
of
that
which
he
admits
to
lie
beyond
his
ken,
but
falls
back
on
the
unchallengeable
sovereignty
of
God
in
acting
as
He
wills
(vv."-'"-
i»-2s).
The
