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Predestination and the Nature of God in Theology

The relationship between predestination and the nature of God is a deeply contested theological topic, with various Christian traditions offering distinct interpretations of how God's eternal purposes interact with human free will and divine attributes. The term "predestination" itself is primarily used in theology with reference to God's plan for salvation [1]. The Greek word translated as "predestinate" appears in six New Testament passages, including Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:5, 11, and consistently refers to God's predetermined purpose [1].

One prominent view, often associated with Reformed theology, emphasizes God's sovereign and unconditional decree. John Calvin, for instance, argued that predestination is God's eternal decree by which He has determined what He wishes to do with every person [9]. This perspective holds that God, before the foundation of the world, chose certain individuals for salvation, and this choice is not based on any foreseen merit or action on their part [14]. Charles Hodge, one theologian, explains that predestination can refer to God's foreordination of all events, or more specifically, to His purpose of redemption concerning particular individuals [8]. This election is seen as preceding sanctification in time [11]. John Gill, one theologian, clarifies that God's foreknowledge in this context is not merely His general prescience of all future events, but a specific, loving foreknowledge of those He has chosen [13]. This view often cites passages like Romans 8:29-30, where those God "foreknew" are also predestined, called, justified, and glorified [1]. The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion articulate this position, stating that "Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind" [14].

In contrast, other traditions emphasize human free will and God's universal desire for salvation, interpreting predestination in a way that accommodates human choice. The Augsburg Confession, a Lutheran statement of faith, addresses the concept of free will, suggesting a different emphasis than the Reformed view [7]. While acknowledging God's foreknowledge, this perspective often distinguishes it from a deterministic predestination that negates human responsibility. Early Church Fathers like Augustine, while affirming God's foreknowledge, also discussed predestination as God's ordering of future works in His unchangeable foreknowledge [10]. However, other patristic writers, such as Hippolytus, stressed the liberty of believing or not believing, placing it in free choice, citing scriptures like Deuteronomy 30:19 ("Choose for thyself life") and Isaiah 1:19-20 ("if ye be willing, and hear me") [15]. This view suggests that God's foreknowledge is His perfect knowledge of what individuals will freely choose, rather than a pre-determination that compels their choices. The Methodist tradition, as seen in Adam Clarke's commentary, often focuses on the human response to God's grace [12].

A third perspective, often found in Catholic scholastic theology, as exemplified by Thomas Aquinas, integrates predestination within a broader understanding of divine providence and grace. Aquinas defines predestination as "a certain Divine preordination from eternity of those things which are to be done in time by the grace of God" [6]. He applies this even to Christ, stating that God from eternity pre-ordained the Incarnation [6]. This view maintains that God's predestination does not negate human free will but rather works through it, providing the grace necessary for salvation while respecting human agency. God's justice, an unchangeable principle of His nature, involves both imposing righteous laws and dealing with creatures righteously [4].

Despite these differences, all traditions agree on certain fundamental aspects of God's nature. God is understood as the Divine Being, referred to by names like 'El and 'Elohim in Hebrew, signifying strength and divinity [2]. His knowledge is infinite and absolute, encompassing all things (1 Samuel 23:9-13; Acts 15:18) [3]. All acknowledge the "depth of the abundant wisdom and knowledge of God," recognizing that His judgments and ways are "unsearchable" and "past finding out" (Romans 11:33) [5]. The mystery of how God's eternal decrees interact with human freedom remains a point of theological reflection, but the divine attributes of sovereignty, omniscience, and justice are universally affirmed [1, 3, 4]. The divergence primarily stems from differing hermeneutical approaches to reconciling these divine attributes with biblical passages that speak of both God's election and human responsibility.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guid”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
  5. Romans “Romans 11:33 (Tyndale) — O the depnes of the aboundaunt wysdome and knowledge of God: how vnserchable are his iudgementes and his wayes past findyng out.”
  6. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Predestination of Christ, Art. 1: Article: Whether it is befitting that Christ should be predestinated? I answer that, As is clear from what has been said in the FP, Question [23], Articles [1],2, predestination, in its proper sense, is a certain Divine preordination from eternity of those things which are to be done in time by the grace of God. Now, that man is God, and that God is man, is something done in time by God through the grace of union. Nor can it be said that God has not from eternity pre-ordained to do this in time: since”
  7. Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), Article XVIII. Of Free Will.: Article XVIII. Of Free Will.”
  8. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 61: lay in the Apostle’s mind as he teaches us in Rom. viii. 29, 30 . Different Meanings assigned the Word Predestination. 2. There is an ambiguity in the word predestination. It may be used, first, in the general sense of foreordination. In this sense it has equal reference to all events; for God foreordains whatever comes to pass. Secondly, it may refer to the general purpose of redemption without reference to particular individuals. God predetermined to reveal his attributes in redeeming sinners, as He 321 predetermined to create the heave”
  9. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 76: step, in accommodation to our weakness. Those, however, who are so cautious and timid, that they would bury all mention of predestination in order that it may not trouble weak minds, with what color, pray, will they cloak their arrogance, when they indirectly charge God with a want of due consideration, in not having foreseen a danger for which they imagine that they prudently provide? Whoever, therefore, throws obloquy on the doctrine of predestination, openly brings a charge against God, as having inconsiderately allowed somethin”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 41.--PREDESTINATION DEFINED AS ONLY GOD'S DISPOSING OF EVENTS IN HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE. (part 2): on them, and in His foreknowledge He has prepared them for them. Therefore, those whom He predestinated, them He also called with that calling which I am not reluctant often to make mention of, of which it is said, "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance."[2] For the ordering of His future works in His foreknowledge, which cannot be deceived and changed, is absolute, and is nothing but, predestination. But, as he whom God has foreknown to be ”
  11. Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 3:12: the elect of God--There is no "the" in the Greek, "God's elect" (compare Rom 8:3; Th1 1:4). The order of the words "elect, holy, beloved," answers to the order of the things. Election from eternity precedes sanctification in time; the sanctified, feeling God's love, imitate it [BENGEL]. bowels of mercies--Some of the oldest manuscripts read singular, "mercy." Bowels express the yearning compassion, which has its seat in the heart, and which we feel to act on our inward parts (Gen 43:30; Jer 31:20; Luk 1:78, Margin). humbleness of mind--True "lo”
  12. Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 8:22: Let us go over, etc. - See on Mat 8:24 (note), etc., and Mar 4:36-41 (note).”
  13. Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 8:29: For whom he did foreknow,.... The foreknowledge of God here, does not intend his prescience of all things future; by which he foreknows and foretells things to come, and which distinguishes him from all other gods; and is so called, not with respect to himself, with whom all things are present, but with respect to us, and which is eternal, universal, certain, and infallible; for in this sense he foreknows all men, and if this was the meaning here, then all men would be predestinated, conformed to the image of Christ, called by grace, justified and glorified; whereas t”
  14. Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 241: Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified f”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — TESTIMONIES. (part 36): the liberty of believing or of not believing is placed in free choice. In Deuteronomy: "Lo, I have set before thy face life and death, good and evil. Choose for thyself life, that thou mayest live."(4) Also in Isaiah: "And if ye be willing, and hear me, ye shall eat the good of the land. But if ye be unwilling, and will not hear me, the sword shall consume you. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken these things."(5) Also in the Gospel according to Luke: "The kingdom of God is within you."(6) 53. That he secrets of God ca”
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