Proginosko (foreknowledge)... not fortune telling.
Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
This is an issue that seems to come up fairly frequently in my discussions of the Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism): What exactly does "foreknowledge" mean? The Arminian and the Calvinist have very different understandings on what this word proginosko ("to foreknow") means. The Arminian tradition sees this word as simply meaning foresight... their version of this "golden chain" is that God first looks down the tunnel of history to see what you are going to do... and if you of your own will choose HIM, then guess what-- He'll choose you!! **eye roll**
The problem is... on what basis was the unregenerate sinner able to resurrect himself and choose God in the FIRST place? How was he able to? If man actually is, as scripture says in Eph 2:1, spiritually dead... he cannot bring himself to choose God on his own free will, because that will is corrupt.
Rather, proginosko is dealing with not foresight or fortune telling of what people are going to DO... It describes God's intimate relationship he has with those He has chosen to be his elect. The Bible often speaks of "knowing" someone not only in a cognitive sense but in an intimate sense... even sexually, to describe the degree of intimacy.
The following quote is adapted from a YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQENcj_kRcg and is available between 13:50 and 18:02. I have simplified it to be more of a commentary on ALL the Arminians who argue the particular argument, rather than just the one individual Dr. White was speaking of. It is far more eloquent than I could hope to be on the subject...
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
This is an issue that seems to come up fairly frequently in my discussions of the Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism): What exactly does "foreknowledge" mean? The Arminian and the Calvinist have very different understandings on what this word proginosko ("to foreknow") means. The Arminian tradition sees this word as simply meaning foresight... their version of this "golden chain" is that God first looks down the tunnel of history to see what you are going to do... and if you of your own will choose HIM, then guess what-- He'll choose you!! **eye roll**
The problem is... on what basis was the unregenerate sinner able to resurrect himself and choose God in the FIRST place? How was he able to? If man actually is, as scripture says in Eph 2:1, spiritually dead... he cannot bring himself to choose God on his own free will, because that will is corrupt.
Rather, proginosko is dealing with not foresight or fortune telling of what people are going to DO... It describes God's intimate relationship he has with those He has chosen to be his elect. The Bible often speaks of "knowing" someone not only in a cognitive sense but in an intimate sense... even sexually, to describe the degree of intimacy.
The following quote is adapted from a YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
"When the passage (Romans 8:29) says "God foreknew"... the Arminian thinks that means that God, in essence, looked down the corridors of time and saw what we were going to do in advance before we do it. This is an incorrect assumption on the part of the Arminian. First of all, you will notice that "proginosko" is a verb. And yet the Arminian will consistently switch it with the noun form. Now that is not something you can do, especially when the person doing the action, that is the subject of the verb, and the object of the verb come into play. What do I mean? Well, when God foreknows, if the Arminian interpretation is correct, when God foreknows, he would know actions, he would know what someone is doing. The Arminian may not even point out that it IS a verb, he just says "God has foreknowledge"... but that's not what the passage says. It says "he foreknows." In fact each one of the verbs: "to foreknow," "to call," "to predestine," "to justify" "to glorify"--these are all active verbs. These are active things that God does. And there are objects; that is, God is doing this to someone. The problem is, the Arminian view interprets this verb to mean that God foreknows ACTIONS. And yet never when proginosko is used with God as the subject are actions the object of the verb. It isn't that God knows WHAT we do, but rather, God knows US.
"This isn't talking about having mere static knowledge of future events. This is not what proginosko means. This is something God does; the object is not actions, it's people. God has "fore-loved." He has beforehand been fond of these individuals. God has chosen to enter into relationship with these individuals, and as a result he initiates their salvation, and their salvation is all of God. His decree of predestination of them unto conformity to the image of Christ is based upon this eternal love that he has set upon them, and the "Golden Chain of Redemption" (Romans 8:29-30) is a very consistent chain that, from beginning to end, has the exact same objects all the way through."
--Dr. James White, director of Alpha and Omega Ministries
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your article. This is an interesting idea that you have proposed. I'd love to explore it more. Would you be comfortable saying that God fore-loved the world? Or, is it more accurate to say that He fore-loved only the elect? Would you be comfortable with saying the God fore-loved some and fore-condemned others?
Thanks,
Wesley
@ Wesley:
ReplyDeleteGlad you found value in the post! Thanks for commenting.
Now, concerning who god fore-loved.
Romans 8:28-30
"And we know that for those who love god all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
If God had "fore-loved" the entire world, then every single person would be predestined, called, justified, and glorified. So yes... he only fore-loved the elect.
As far as God fore-loving some and fore-condemning others... Romans 9 deals a little with that one. There is some difference of view within Reformed circles as to if God fore-ordains the reprobate as well for his destruction. So... I am not sure where I stand on that one. I believe that, as Romans 9 says, if a potter wants to make some vessels for a glorified use and then use other ones he makes for urinals (that is the idea in the Greek)... he has that right, no?
Sinful man has no interest in God, as he is spiritually dead and a child of wrath. And it is by God's grace ALONE that he saves ANYONE. If he saved ONLY ONE person ... even THIS is undeserved, isn't it? We don't want "fair." We want grace.
hope this helps. if not, let me know. :-) God bless!
~Soli Deo Gloria~