Romans 9, Predestination & Total Depravity

NASB – “…God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”

 

Naturally, it will never occur to the Calvinist to question his presupposition, he will read the phrase, “from the beginning” through the spectacles of his misinterpretation of Ephesians 1 - which is eisegesis and a false analogy. He will read, “chosen you from the beginning” as, “chosen you from before the foundation of the world by God’s immutable, sovereign choice, apart from any distinctive in man.”

 

Naturally, I will ask the obvious question. “From the beginning of WHAT?” That question must be answered from the immediate context.

 

Paul is contrasting those chosen for salvation with those in the previous paragraph who are to perish.

 

In verse 11 GOD sends a “deluding influence” (NASB) or a “strong delusion” (RSV, KJV). The strong delusion that God sends on “those who are to perish” (V10) is conditional; they refused to love the truth and took pleasure in wickedness and so God deludes them. The “man of sin” working by the power of Satan, is God’s instrument for the deluding of “those who are to perish.” Furthermore, the delusion hadn’t happened yet, because the “man of sin” had yet to be revealed, it was all still future.

 

(NEB) “Destroyed they shall be, because they did not open their minds to love of the truth, so as to find salvation. Therefore, God puts them under a delusion…”

 

These deluded ones are contrasted with the believers:

 

“BUT…He has chosen you [“chosen” as opposed to “deluded”] as the first to be saved, to make you holy by the work of His Spirit and your own belief in the truth. It was for this that He called you when we preached the gospel to you, and He wanted you to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So stand firm, and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (Phillips Modern English)

 

The above translation puts a different slant on “chosen from the beginning for salvation” doesn’t it? There is a footnote in the NASB that says, “chosen you as first fruits for salvation.” Apparently the phrase “from the beginning” can be translated in more than one way.

 

The “activity of Satan” (v9) is contrasted with “the work of His Spirit” (v13) and “refused to love the truth” (v10) is contrasted with “belief in the truth” (v13).

 

Those who are to perish do so because of the activity of Satan and because THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH and so be saved.

 

Those who are saved are saved “By the work of His Spirit AND YOUR OWN BELIEF IN THE TRUTH.” Also by standing firm, and holding fast to the teachings, and by enduring persecutions and afflictions (see below).

 

Notice in II Thess 1:4ff, “…we…ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment SO THAT YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED WORTHY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. For this purpose we constantly pray for you, that our God may render you worthy of His call, and by His power may fulfill every desire for goodness and every faith-inspired effort, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him…”

 

Did the Thessalonians “possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” at the time of this writing? No they didn’t, and so the exhortation to “stand firm” and “hold fast”. Possessing the glory is another way of saying, “to be saved.” The “salvation” of the Thessalonian believers hadn’t happened yet, even as the destruction of “those who are to perish” hadn’t happened yet.

 

The “salvation” that Paul is talking about occurs “when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” It seems clear that “those who are to perish” - those “who do not know God and…do not obey the gospel” – those “who refuse to love the truth” – those who “took pleasure in wickedness” – those to whom God will “repay with affliction” – it seems clear that these people are destroyed at the same time as the salvation and glorification happens to those who “desire…goodness” and put forth “faith-inspired effort” and who “stand firm” and “hold fast.”

 

“It was for this that He called you…” What is “this”? What is it that the Thessalonian believers were called to? Answer: “He has chosen you as the first to be saved, to make you holy by the work of His Spirit and your own belief in the truth.” Among other things, they were called to be chosen. Not “chosen” like the NT apostles and prophets in Ephesians 1, and not “chosen” like Jacob/Israel in Romans 9 to bring forth the Christ, not “chosen” generally, but “chosen” for something specific - to be the first fruits. When did this calling to be chosen as first fruits occur? Answer: “…He called you when we preached the gospel to you…”

 

The Thessalonians were called when Paul preached the gospel to them. They either believed the truth or refused to love the truth. Those who believed were consequently chosen as first fruits for salvation, that is, chosen as the first of those to be saved at the revealing of Christ. Or put another way, chosen from the beginning – the beginning of the church in Thessalonica, or perhaps the beginning of the church in general. Those who refused to love the truth were consequently (pre)destined to perish via a strong delusion. Those who loved the truth and believed were consequently chosen, and (pre)destined for salvation at the revealing of Christ.

 

Unnecessary Comparisons

 

Concerning “those who are to perish” we might say that God hardens them, just like He hardened Israel. The hardening of Israel was conditional; they refused to believe and so were hardened. The strong delusion that God sends on “those who are to perish” (V10) is conditional; they refused to love the truth and took pleasure in wickedness and so God deludes them.

 

We know from Paul’s comparison of the 7000 to the “chosen” among the Jews of his day (Romans 11:4-6) that Paul’s use of the word “chosen” is conditional. The 7000 were chosen to be spared from the sword because they did not bow the knee to Baal. In the same way, Paul says, there was a remnant of Jews in Paul’s day that believed in Christ and so were chosen to receive mercy. In like manner, the believing Thessalonians were chosen to be the first fruits of salvation from the beginning of the church in Thessalonica because they responded in believing faith to the call of God when Paul preached the gospel to them. Their final salvation that will occur “when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire” is very much contingent on “faith-inspired effort” and those who are to be saved must “stand firm” and “hold fast.” Enduring persecution and affliction is necessary to be judged worthy of the Kingdom of God. (This is exactly what James says in James 1:12. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial: for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life…”) The Holy Spirit also works for their salvation, even as Satan works for the condemnation of those “who refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

 

Ephesians 1 has nothing to do with any of this – the “chosen from before the foundation of the world” are the NT apostles and prophets. Comparing Ephesians 1 to 2 Thess 2:13 is an invalid comparison – a false analogy. “God’s choice” in Romans 9 concerns whose descendant line, that is, what nation would bring forth the Christ. Comparing “God’s choice” in Romans 9 with “chosen from the beginning for salvation” in 2 Thess is also a false analogy.

 

Many are Called but Few are Chosen

 

The Parable of the Marriage Feast in Mathew 22 also illustrates that being “chosen” is conditional. Those who were originally invited (the Jews) chose not to come when called. So the call went out into the highways and byways. Those who responded and came dressed appropriately were consequently chosen. “Many are called but few are chosen.” We see from this that Jesus’ idea of “chosen” was conditional and is to be subsumed under “called”, which is not necessarily effectual, seeing as how those who were originally called opted out. The original call was specific. We could say it was limited. It was to the Jews only. It certainly wasn’t effectual, only a remnant responded aright. The call is effectual only if those who are called respond rightly. Those who respond properly to the call will then be chosen.

 

The NT apostles and prophets are spoken of in this parable as “…those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good…” Being good or evil is not the issue that the King is concerned about here. The issue is being appropriately dressed. The OT prophets are the slaves who went out to call those originally invited (the Jews). Those slaves were mistreated and killed. So the King, being enraged, sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. That would be the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

 

NEXT: Romans 8:28: Foreknown and Predestined