Bible Discussion Thread

Romans 8:29 (Predestination)

(Part 1):

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

For whom he did foreknow (that is, know ahead of time), he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,

With predestination being one of the more recent topics, I would like to share my understanding on what predestination means. I'm no bible scholar by any means, but I actually think that predestination in the bible is fairly simple to understand. To begin with, I just want to say upfront that I do not believe God chooses ahead of time who will be saved and who will not.

In the Greek text, Ephesians 1:3-14 is all one sentence. And that's the chapter that many people focus on when it comes to predestination. The most prominent teaching on predestination that we have today comes from John Calvin, and there are differences as people take different turns with it as to what predestination means.

But the one that's going around that people hold to a lot is that predestination means that God predestines or chooses those who are going to be saved ahead of time, and He predestines those who are going to go to Hell ahead of time.

So according to that belief, you are chosen and predestined as to whether you are going to go to Heaven or Hell. In other words, you have no choice. There's no free will according to this teaching. You are either predestined one way or the other.

But if I read this text in context, here's what it says: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. Predestinate what? To be conformed to the image of his Son.

I'll make a point-blank statement, and some may agree, some may not, but predestination is never associated with salvation in the bible. You will always see the word associated with those who are already saved. And it won't be for salvation. It's what has been predestined or chosen for us as part of our inheritance.