God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [29]
Well, that’s it. That’s every verse related to predestination in all of Ephesians. And Ephesians is one of only two epistles that even use the term “predestined.” So if you’re now considering the idea that predestination in Ephesians might be about God’s selection of the Gentiles, then guess what? There’s only one more place to go—Romans—before we’ve looked at every major passage about this controversial issue.
The Gentile Appointment
Understanding the Jewish-Gentile context for predestination doesn’t just help with Ephesians and Romans. It also helps us understand the corporate (collective) nature of every verse that speaks of God’s “chosen” people or the “elect.” In the Old Testament, God’s chosen people meant Israel, collectively. In the New Testament, God’s chosen people (or the elect) also refers to a collective group—the church.
Realizing that God appointed Gentiles to salvation also helps us understand one of the most debated stand-alone passages of all:
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (Acts 13:46–48)
The last phrase in this passage—“all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (v. 48)—has been taken out of context by many to support the idea of individual selection. But the emphasis here is on them being Gentiles. Yes, as many as were present and heard the gospel believed. But in historical context, the major news flash was that “those dirty Gentiles” (as a whole, including those present for this event) had been appointed to life!
You might be thinking, “Okay, I get it. Predestination is about God’s controversial choice to include the Gentiles in the gospel. But isn’t individual selection clearly taught in Romans?” Good question, and that’s where we’re headed next. But before we go there, consider this: The belief in individual selection has been built primarily on Ephesians and Romans. So what if both of these Epistles prove to mean something different? Besides some stray verses about God’s “chosen” people or the “elect” (referring to the church collectively), is there anything left in the Bible on which to build a claim that Jesus’s new covenant offer isn’t open to everyone?
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The first mention of predestination in Romans is in the eighth chapter:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom. 8:28–30)
God knows the future. He foreknew who among us would come to salvation. But knowing the future doesn’t mean controlling our choices. Here we need to read carefully and ask: predestined to what? There’s a clear answer: predestined to be conformed to Christ’s image. This is referring to our spiritual growth. We are being conformed to Christ’s image because God looked at all his children down the timeline of human history and promised in advance that he would work all things together for our growth.
So Paul is not talking about the selection of Gentiles for the gospel just yet. Instead, he’s talking about what Christians corporately are predestined for. As the church, we are designed by God to be conformed to Christ’s image, to have a heavenly calling,