I know some pastors and Christians (even in this forum) who believe that John Calvin has been misunderstood. But whatever Calvin said or didn't mean to say, the biblical truth can be derived from reading 70 verses in Ephesians chapters 1,2,3 in context. Many people misinterpret predestination because they zoomed in on the words "He predestined us" or "you were chosen" to mean God chose individuals. But read Ephesians says that God had preplanned to reach out to Gentiles, ie God predestined the plan, not the person individually.
Ephesians 1:1 God’s holy people in Ephesus, .... (v4) For He chose us in him before the creation of the world ... In love (v5) He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ,... (v11) In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him .... (v12)in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ...
Meaning = "We" and "us" refer to the Jewish Christians . Jews who confessed their sins were first to be saved in Jesus
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth... ch 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised”... 12 you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise...
= "you who are Gentiles" clearly means Paul was referring to Gentile Christians. "You" does NOT mean individuals Paul explained that formerly, Gentiles were excluded from God but now ....
Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you... have been brought near by the blood of Christ...:14 For He ...has made the two groups one... 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations His purpose was to create... one new humanity out of the two... and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross... 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit... ..
Chapter 3:16 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus...”
= but now Gentiles can be saved if they confessed their sins, Jesus' atonement has made both Jews and Gentiles to be both one people of God. This was a very big deal - even a culture shock back then -- because previously (from Abraham or David's time), Gentiles had no part in God, and Jews considered them to be unclean. But now, both Jews and Gentiles have same access to God -- anyone who confessed their sins to Jesus can be saved. The mystery (Eph 3:16) is that when God reached out to Jews first, He had (mysteriously or unknown to anyone) planned ahead or PRE-PLANNED to offer salvation to the Gentiles too. This is what predestination mean in context of the Bible.
So what is predestination? It is just a word that refers to how God planned it all ahead to offer salvation to the Jews and then to Gentiles; in context, it does NOT mean God choose to save individuals. Jesus never teach that God chose individuals to be redeemed. But unfortunately, some people focus on 3 words "He predestine us" and believe the idea of individual predestination.
In Book of People , Acts and others, there are verses that say "God choose us". During biblical times, people don't say they chose to believe in God. Instead they said God chose them -- this is out of humility. In ancient times, people on earth -- Jews, Persians, Babylonians, Chinese -- were more humble towards God and heaven. So to say they are chosen by God is a figure of speech. Such linguistic elements have been lost over time. When interpreting Bible, we have to appreciate how words were used in different times, culture and context.
Ephesians 1:1 God’s holy people in Ephesus, .... (v4) For He chose us in him before the creation of the world ... In love (v5) He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ,... (v11) In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him .... (v12)in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ...
Meaning = "We" and "us" refer to the Jewish Christians . Jews who confessed their sins were first to be saved in Jesus
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth... ch 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised”... 12 you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise...
= "you who are Gentiles" clearly means Paul was referring to Gentile Christians. "You" does NOT mean individuals Paul explained that formerly, Gentiles were excluded from God but now ....
Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you... have been brought near by the blood of Christ...:14 For He ...has made the two groups one... 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations His purpose was to create... one new humanity out of the two... and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross... 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit... ..
Chapter 3:16 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus...”
= but now Gentiles can be saved if they confessed their sins, Jesus' atonement has made both Jews and Gentiles to be both one people of God. This was a very big deal - even a culture shock back then -- because previously (from Abraham or David's time), Gentiles had no part in God, and Jews considered them to be unclean. But now, both Jews and Gentiles have same access to God -- anyone who confessed their sins to Jesus can be saved. The mystery (Eph 3:16) is that when God reached out to Jews first, He had (mysteriously or unknown to anyone) planned ahead or PRE-PLANNED to offer salvation to the Gentiles too. This is what predestination mean in context of the Bible.
So what is predestination? It is just a word that refers to how God planned it all ahead to offer salvation to the Jews and then to Gentiles; in context, it does NOT mean God choose to save individuals. Jesus never teach that God chose individuals to be redeemed. But unfortunately, some people focus on 3 words "He predestine us" and believe the idea of individual predestination.
In Book of People , Acts and others, there are verses that say "God choose us". During biblical times, people don't say they chose to believe in God. Instead they said God chose them -- this is out of humility. In ancient times, people on earth -- Jews, Persians, Babylonians, Chinese -- were more humble towards God and heaven. So to say they are chosen by God is a figure of speech. Such linguistic elements have been lost over time. When interpreting Bible, we have to appreciate how words were used in different times, culture and context.
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