Predestinated, Chosen and Elect
Ephesians 1:1-5
Before we start into Ephesians 1:1-5, let us be reminded that man made systems, as helpful as they are for our learning, must always be viewed through the lens of the Holy Scriptures. All philosophical and theological systems must submit to the authority of the Holy Scriptures.
The reason being is that man made systems such as systematic theology, commentaries, confessions, mission statements, philosophies, denominational catechisms, reformation, local church doctrine, arminianism, calvinism, etc, are errant, fallible, insufficient, and therefore it is not always true, the teachings can be false.
We must never view the Holy Scriptures through the lens of man-made systems. When we do, we are exercising eisegesis, imposing on the text our own understanding by interpreting the Scriptures through our theological or philosophical systems.
We must always view these man made systems through the lens of the Holy Scriptures because the Holy Bible is inerrant, infallible, all sufficient and absolute truth. We must endeavour to read the Scriptures without any presumed understanding so that we can extract from the text what God and the author intended for us to understand. This is exercising exegesis, the proper way to read the Bible; extracting from the text in context the actual meaning.
Now to predestination or foreordained and chosen.
There is a presumed definition of the words predestinated and chosen that has permeated Christianity since the 4th century when St. Augustine Bishop of Hippo gave a different definition for these words as to mean the salvation of an unbeliever. Elect, is another word that has been assigned this definition.
Aurelius Augustinus was born Nov 13th 354 A.D. in Tagaste, Umidia (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) and died August 28th 430 A.D. in Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria.) Before converting to Christianity, he was a part of a gnostic cult called the Manicheans for 10 years. One of the Manichean beliefs is that of determinism, where we are predestined to either salvation or for damnation. Gnostic belief of that time believed that there were two gods, one good and one evil, so spiritual things are good but material carnal things were evil.
In his early years as a believer Augustine believed in free will of the individual and his early writings confirm this but in his later life he did return to one of the Manichean’s gnostic belief of pre-determinism.
The understanding is that God has predestined some people (the chosen and elect), to salvation from before the foundations of the earth, and others not. This is the understanding of Calvinism, and this is also the understanding of Arminianism. Actually, this has been the understanding of Christendom since Augustine gave it this definition back in the fourth century.
But was Augustine correct in giving this definition to predestination, chosen and elect and was Calvinism correct in continuing this understanding? The main text used to support this understanding is Ephesians 1:1-5.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
First of all, the context of this epistle is that the apostle Paul is writing to believers, the saints who are at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus as seen in his salutation to the church in verses one and two.
Then in verse three he blesses the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. What then follows in verses four and five is a list of these spiritual blessings.
Verse four states that according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. Usually when this is quoted by Calvinists, they usually ignore the qualifying factor – “in Him.” This has nothing to do with being chosen to be saved but that the already saved have been chosen from before the foundation of the world to be holy (separated unto God) and to be without blame before Him in love. It is a spiritual blessing that only believers will receive.
Then in verse five it states that having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Does the context here mean that people are predestined to salvation, or does it refer to something else?
The text clearly states that those in Christ, God has predestined to the adoption as children by Jesus Christ to Himself. Once you have become a believer then you have an inheritance that God has predestined for all those that have become believers. The text states that we have been predestinated to the adoption of children. Does adoption here mean salvation?
No, it does not, remember that from the text we have extracted that these are spiritual blessings for believers and not a promise of salvation for the lost. Paul the author of Ephesians gives us the meaning of adoption in Romans chapter eight of which he is also the author. Romans 8:15-17 states: 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
In verse fifteen it states that believers have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received he Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. Once you have been saved you receive the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of adoption; having the Holy Spirit is the guarantee or the earnest that you will receive the adoption.
Verses sixteen states that the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and verse seventeen states that as children of God we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. If we are heirs, then one day we will receive the inheritance of which is the adoption.
Galatians 4:1-7 states the following: 1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Here Paul gives us an example of an heir, even though we are children of God and heirs to the spiritual blessings we will not receive them until the adoption. The heir, although a child of the father, will not receive the authority over their inheritance until they reach a certain age when they are deemed to be adults.
Verses 4-7 states that God did send forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them (unbelievers) that were under the law, that we (believers) might receive the adoption of sons. And because we have become believers, God send forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.
The point is that as believers, we have received the Spirit of God which is the guarantee that we will receive the blessings that God has predestined for us believers to receive. What then is the adoption? Paul determines what the adoption is in Romans 8:23.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Paul states in this verse that we await the adoption, which is, the redemption of our body. In other words, the adoption is when we be raptured and those saints that have fallen asleep will arise first and then those of us still alive will be translated, meeting the Lord in the air receiving our eternal incorruptible immortal bodies. This is the adoption when we are raptured and will be in the presence of the Living God and we will see our King Messiah Yeshua as He truly is.
Hopefully, this helps you understand that predestination is not unto salvation but unto the adoption and that we are not chosen to be saved but as the saved we have been chosen to be set apart and blameless before God Almighty; and that we are not elected unto salvation but that as the saved we are elected for a purpose unto God; we are elected to serve the Lord in different ways as believers and pre-destined to receive an inheritance of spiritual blessings.
God bless and shalom.
Fresh Truth Ministries
The Holy Bible
The Foundation of Augustinian-Calvinism by Kenneth Wilson
SOTERIOLOGY 101 – A Professor and former 5-Point Calvinist Discussing the Doctrines of Salvation, Election, Predestination, and God’s Amazing Grace.
