Do not forget foreknowledge

The problem with Calvinism isn't that it's unbiblical, but that it is partially Biblical. As a result, the problem with Calvinist arguments is that they are also partially Biblical. Take, for example, the meme in the header image.

The meme references Romans 8:30, which says "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Thus, speaking from the perspective of God Himself, the meme says "Those I predestined, I called. Those I called, I justified. Those I justified, I glorified." The meme then portrays Anti-Calvinists as brushing it off as "just like, your opinion, man".

Because the meme almost directly quotes Scripture, it is actually entirely legitimate to portray God Himself saying it. The problem is, when you cut out context, Scripture loses its value. Luke 4:7, for example, says "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”" This verse can be found on everything from memes to calendars, but when you realise this verse is quoting the devil in his attempts to tempt Christ in the wilderness, suddenly it becomes a little less inspirational...

Having established that omitted context can turn Satan himself into an infallible prophet, we can confidently assert that Romans 8:30 also needs context. Now, a diligent Berean would naturally go to the verse in question (at least, assuming it is cited...), and see, first of all, that it begins with the word "moreover". This is not how one begins a thought, but continues a thought. What thought is Paul continuing here? Well, ironically, when we back up just one verse (as a good Berean would), we see that he is continuing a continuation. Why? Well, simply because verse 29 begins with the word "for". This, of course, is where I encourage my readers: Please, please, please, read Romans 8 for yourselves. In fact, do not begin in Romans 8. Begin in Romans 1:1, and continue all the way until Romans 16:27. Better still, be diligent, study Scripture from beginning to end, as regularly as you are able.

But for sake of this particular misquote, verse 28 is sufficient to establish the failure of the Calvinist interpretation. In full, verses 28-30 reads "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

What is the key word there? "Foreknew". Predestination has always been according to the will of God, but it has never been arbitrary. It has never been as simple as "I'm creating this one to live, and this one to die." Rather, God is, has always been, and shall always be omniscient, and what He knows - that is, what He has always known - has factored into predestination.

Now, just as Calvinists must twist Scripture to support their view, they must also twist the counter arguments against it. In fact, this is why I have had to specify "what He has always known". Had I not specified this, the Calvinist would very likely suggest that the argument is invalid, since it requires God to look into the future to "learn" what would happen, along with implying that He would then logically have no control over these events. Neither of these are true, nor are they what the argument suggests. Indeed, they cannot be, because whether Calvinists like it or not, verse 29 does say that whom He foreknew, these He also predestined. As God cannot deny Himself, we must wrestle with this fact, even if doing so requires us to alter (or even reject) our soteriological views.

But there is more to it than this, because it is not as simple as God simply knowing who will choose Him, then Him choosing them. In fact, we see a rather explicit example of when someone would choose God under certain circumstances, yet God did not choose them, and so did not provide those circumstances. In Matthew 11:20-24, we read "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”"

Notice Jesus shows His foreknowledge of two realities that never came to pass. The key word here is "if". If the mighty works done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. If they had been done in Sodom, as they had been done in Capernaum, Sodom would likewise have repented. But these events never came to pass, because the sovereign Lord who knew these things would come to pass if the mighty works had been done did not do the mighty works.

See, the thing about God is He's a lot smarter than us... He doesn't just know what might happen, but rather, what would happen in any given scenario. And by any given scenario, I mean if even the tiniest detail was changed. And guess who controls every single one of those tiny details.

All things, both natural and supernatural, are under the full sovereign control of the Lord. Because of this, He not only knows who to predestine, but how to do so. Therefore, an anti-Calvinist can 100% affirm that whom God predestines, He calls. Whom He calls, He justifies. Whom He justifies, He glorifies. But at the front of that chain is whom He foreknows. If Calvinists need to cut that part off just to make their argument fit, it is them sitting in that chair telling God "that's just your opinion".

AI usage

No AI was used in the production of this article.