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Mr. Ratliff engages in a good bit of contorting to bolster his Calvinistic false doctrine, the predestination of the Elect. He looks at the syntax, tenses, and grammar of two passages. However, he misses the forest for the trees. All of his analysis of the Greek words might be true and accurate, but he misses the context for all this. These two passages are not about our predestination.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, 5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him 10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. 11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:3-14 (LSB)
29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers; 30 and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:29-30 (LSB)
In this post we will look at Ephesians 1:3-14 and Romans 8:29-30. In these two passage are found three Greek words that have been the source of large numbers of polemic works and, in my own experience, I have been accused of holding to doctrines that I do not hold to (nor do any hold to that I know of) by Synergists constructing straw men in order to attack them in an attempt to make it look as if they are defeating the Doctrines of Grace to which I do hold dear and the Monergistic faith through which I know I am saved.
The first is found in Ephesians 1:4, which the LSB translates as “chose.” Here is v4 from the NA28 Greek text, “καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ”, or, “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world for us to be holy and blameless in his sight, in love…” The verb chose translates ἐξελέξατο (exelexato), “to pick or choose out for oneself.” ξελέξατο is the Aorist, Indicative, Middle case of ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai). This verb case denotes simple action taking place in the past. The middle voice pictures the subject acting in its own interest, that is, it receives the benefit of the action. Therefore, this verb case tells us that God is the one choosing independently in the past and did so primarily for his own interest, this, for his glory. Also, no where mentioned here is the fodder for most of the straw man attacks I have experienced pertaining to election, which is, “God elected or chose for himself those who would believe and be of his kingdom.” He did not reject those not chosen, he simply did not elect them. It is not necessary to do that. Why? Ephesians 2 tells us plainly that all are born dead in trespasses and sins. Without God intervening, no one comes to Christ. (Mr. Ratliff needs to pay attention to Paul's use of pronouns. He needs to ask, who are the "us" and "we" Paul was talking about? Who was chosen and predestined? Paul answers this a few verses later:
Ep. 1:11-12 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Then in the very next verse Paul switches pronouns to "you." Now he addresses his audience:
Ep. 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
So Paul and his company, "we," were predestined, but contemporary Christians, "you," were included when "you" heard the Gospel.
Mr. Ratliff should not read himself into passages not about him.)
The third polemic verb, found in Romans 8:29, is translated in the LSB as “He foreknew.” This is translating the verb προέγνω (proegnō), “know beforehand.” Προέγνω is the Aorist, Indicative, Active of προγινώσκω (proginōskō). The best way to understand what Paul was attempting to say here is to look at the subject of the verb. Here is Romans 8:29-30 from and NA28 followed by my translation.
29 ὅτι οὓς προέγνω, καὶ προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· 30 οὓς δὲ προώρισεν, τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσεν· καὶ οὓς ἐκάλεσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδικαίωσεν· οὓς δὲ ἐδικαίωσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδόξασεν. Romans 8:29-30 (NA28)
29 Because whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son for him to be Firstborn among many brothers. 30 And whom he predestined these also he called and whom he called these also he justified and whom he justified these also he glorified. Romans 8:29-30 (translated from the NA28 Greek text)
This is, of course, the Ordo Salutis. Notice that it is God doing all the action and the subject of all of the action is those “whom he foreknew…”This is not a foreknowledge of facts, but a foreknowledge of each of those in Christ personally. Each was foreknown before the foundation of the world. God predestined each of them to be conformed to the image of his Son. Because of this predestination he, therefore, called them, justified them and their glorification awaits in eternity. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; (Romans 8:29) (Once again Mr. Ratliff reads himself into a passage not about him.
Note carefully that this verse does not tell us that we are predestined. A few verses earlier Paul wrote,
Ro. 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Did Mr. Ratliff receive the firstfruits of the Spirit? No, he was not alive in the first century.
Then a few verses later, Paul wrote:
Ro. 8:36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” [Psalm 44:22]Does Mr. Ratliff face death from persecution all day long? So Paul was describing the plight of the early Christians, the ones who received the firstfruits of the Spirit.
The early Christians were predestined, not us.)
The more I think about it. I really don’t care if people want to denigrate me for believing this Biblical truth or not. I do not simply believe some philosophy or have some hope in some confession or religious act that I did. No, I am trusting in the completed work of God He did on my behalf and on behalf of all those elected before the foundation of the world. God foreknew me personally then and if you are in Christ, He did you as well. (Implied in Mr. Ratliff's statement is that this verse is referring only to those predestined for salvation. This creates three choices, each of which is a problem for his doctrine:
- God only predestined some, which means others are not predestined,
- everyone is foreknown, so everyone predestined for salvation, or
- He didn't foreknow everyone
None of these choices harmonize with the doctrine of predestination.)
Notice what His purpose is in our predestination. It is to be conformed unto the image of our Saviour. That should sober us up quickly. Yes, we walk towards that horizon as we mature, but the more we learn the more there is to learn. How are you doing?
Soli Deo Gloria!
Soli Deo Gloria!
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