Arminians actually have no problem with the concept of double election because they believe God elected based on knowledge of the future. It's calvinists that you'll see struggle with this issue.
We don't struggle with this.
If God uses "foreknowledge" of future events which take place in a Christians life as the determining factor as to whether or not one is elected, then that makes Peter a liar, and also the Bible.
For if God does use "foreknowledge" of the future, seeing who would and would not believe, and then bases His election on that, then this verse of scripture lies:
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" -Acts 10:34 (KJV)
Using "foreknowledge", God saw this person would believe and elected them based on that, and had "respect" for that person. However, the other person would not believe, was not elected, and therefore, God did not "respect" them.
The context of Rom. 8:28-29 shows that the reason God "foreknew" (verse 29) was because they were elected first (verse 28).
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
He called them, elected them first, and because He elected them, He knew them.
But according to the other view, it goes like this:
God knew them, had foreknowledge of them, and elected them based on that.
Dispite the fact that scriptures do not support that idea. (cf. Eph. 1:4-5, 11)
I love it when the elect are elected based on "foreknowledge", that indeed makes God a respecter of persons.
And they call Calvinists "fatalists".
Let us look at the definition given in Kittel’s dictionary. From Rom. 8:29, we have the word: “
prowpisev.” From the root word: “
proorizw,” which means: to limit or mark out beforehand, predestine.
According to the dictionary (Kittel’s), K. L. Schmidt comments:
This comparatively rare and late word is used in the Greek Bible only six times in the NT in the sense “to foreordain” “to predestinate.” Since God is eternal and has ordained everything before time, proopizein is a stronger form of opizein (to set bounds to). The synonyms and textual history show that the reference in proginwskien is the same. Rom. 8:29; ouv proginw kai prowpisen summorfouv tnv eikonov tou niou autou, Rom. 8:30; ous...prowpisen (A: proegnw) toutov kai ekalesen. The omniscient God has determined everything in advance, both persons and things in salvation history, with Jesus Christ as the goal. When Herod and Pilate work together with the Gentiles and the mob against Christ, it may be said: “h boulh [sou] prowrisen genesqai, Acts 4:28. Herein lies the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery, “hn prowrisen o qeoV pro twn aiwnwn eiV doxan hmwn,” 1 Cor. 2:7, cf. IV, 819. The goal of our predestination is divine sonship through Jesus Christ: “proorisaV hmaV eiV uioqesian dia ihsou cristou ,” Eph. 1:5. That we have our inheritance in Christ rests in the fact that we are proopisqentev kata proqesin tou ta panta energountov, Eph. 1:11.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Edited by: Gerhard Kittel, Translated by: Geoffery W. Bromiley, Vol. V, “
proopizw”, p. 456, K. L. Schmidt.
So there you have it, predestination is the mode by which God used to conform the elect to the image of His Son, by which we (the elect) are appointed to divine sonship.
Lets also refer to Rudolf Bultmann’s work in this area:
In the NT, “proginwskein” is referred to God. His foreknowledge, however, is an election or foreordination of His people (Rom. 8:29; 11:2) or Christ (1 Pet. 1:20) (> ginwskw, 698, 706). In Pastor Hermae, mandata, 4, 3, 4 it simply means
God’s foreknowledge (cf. prognwstv in 2 Cl. 9:9). On the basis of prophecy the word “proginwskein” can be used of believers in 2 Pet. 3:17, also as Pastor Hermae, similitudines, 7,5 > eklegw. Another possible meaning in Greek is that of knowing earlier, i.e., than the time speaking (cf. Demosthenes of Athens, 29, 58; Aristotle, Rhetorica, II, 21, p. 1394b, 11; Josephus, Bella Judiacum, 6,8). This is found in Acts 26:5, where the meaning is strengthened by the addition of “anwqen.” In Justin God’s “proginwskein” is Hid foreknowledge (Apol. I, 28, 2 etc.) and the “proegnwsmenoi” are believers (Apol. I, 45, 1 etc.). The polemic against determinism, however, shows that the OT view has been abandoned (Dial., 140, 4). As One who simply knows beforehand, God is called “prognwstv” in Apol., I, 44, 11 etc. as is also Christ in Dial., 35, 7; 82, 1. There is also reference to prophetic foreknowledge in Apol., I, 43, 1; 49, 6 etc. Tatian, of Syria, in Oratio ad Graecos, 19, 3, speaks of Apollo in the same terms, so that what we have here is the Greek understanding.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Edited by: Gerhard Kittel, Translated by: Geoffery W. Bromiley, Vol. V, “
prognwskein”, p. 457, Rudolph Bultmann commenting.
Keeping this in mind, according to “The New Analytical Greek Lexicon” by Wesley J. Perschbacker, editor, “
proginwskw” is in the future tense. And it can be translated as meaning “to know beforehand, to be previously acquainted with; (Acts 26:5; 2 Pet. 3:17) to determine on beforehand, to foreordain; (1 Pet. 1:20) in the NT, from the Hebrew, “to know, to appoint as the subjects of future privileges, (Rom. 8:29; 11:2).
In each usage of the word “
proginwskw” in the NT, in only two instances is the word used in reference to acts done by individuals.
In Acts 2:23, we read:
“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”
-Acts 2:23 (KJV)
Furthermore, in 1 Pet. 1:20, we read:
“Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
-1 Pet. 1:20 (KJV)
And although there are two different words used in these verses, the meaning of each one is identical. In Acts 2:23, Peter is testifying of how the mob had delivered Jesus into the hands of the Romans to be crucified. And in 1 Pet. 1:20, Peter is relating how the Savior was manifested to provide the atonement. The reference in Acts 2:23 is of particular notice because it draws the foundation of its truth from the beginning of the Bible.
The means God ordains to bring about the salvation of the elect in the same sense as when they come to salvation, varies from one person to the next. For one person it may be as simple as witnessing and presenting the Gospel and what Jesus Christ did for them to bring them to saving grace. And in others, it may take something as drastic as the loss of a loved one or perhaps the loss of ones freedom to bring them to saving grace. The means to which each one comes to the grace of God is different with each person, and not all will come at the same time. That is the essence of predestination.
God predestinated, chose, called the elect before the foundation of the world, then God “foreseen, foreordained” the means to bring us to where we would be saved and as a consequence, we will ultimately be conformed to the image of His Son.
Predestination is the results of God’s choosing, calling, electing us to be His before this world came into existence without any “foreknowledge” or “foreseen” faith or believing or works done on our part that would merit His grace, or love. Furthermore, because He predestinated us, He also foreordained the means (Jesus Christ) by which the elect came to saving faith and grace without respect as to when in the individual’s life that they would come to Him.
Predestination is God saying your mine, foreordination is God saying I’ve made the way possible. It
never, never says when this is to happen, just that it
will. For some, it happens early, for some a little later on, and still others, even later, but ultimately, God has not lost a single one.
“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are”
-John. 17:11 (KJV)
"
oti ouV proegnw, kai prowrisen summorfouV thV eikonoV tou uiou autou, eiV to einai auton prwtotokon en polloiV adelfoiV:" -Rom. 8:29 (GNT)
To them who were what?
Called first, elected, and because they were called, elected, He
foreordained them, and because He foreordained them, He
predestinated them.
And unless I'm mistaken, isn't "
opi" a conjunction used to connect this sentence with the previous sentence or statement.
opi, because, seeing that, since" (The New Analytical Greek Lexicon, Wesley J. Perschbacher, Hendrickson Publishing, Peabody, Mass., Copyright 1990, opi, p. 298)
Because, seeing that, since, they were called, elected, He foreordained them, and
because, seeing that, since, they were foreordained, they were predestinated.
Donald Grey Barnhouse says the same thing in his commentary in Romans:
One could argue that it literally means "foreknowledge" as in the sense of to know before-hand, and technically, that would also be correct. But the underlying issue is this, how does God "fore-know" them? Because according to verse 28, they were called or elected first. Why wouldn't the Lord know those whom he called? And it is because they were called first, that He "foreordained" them, and because He "foreordained" them, He predestinated them.
Donald G. Barnhouse, Romans, Vol. III, God's Freedom, Hendrickson Publishing, Grand Rapids, Mi., Copyright 1959, p. 158.
God Bless
Till all are one.
