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views represented by the two schools of thought denominated Calvinism and
Arminianism.
CALVINISM
ARMINIANISM
Predestination upon foreknowledge
Absolute
and
unconditional
predestination with predetermined of the party's acceptance of the
Gospel-covenant, and an assertion
preterition of the reprobate.
that nothing is said in Scripture
(Preterition, first means a state of being
concerning predestination to death.
past, then the act by a testator of passing
over one of the heirs. In theology, "the Again, all the passages respecting
election, are written to, or concerning,
passing over of the non-elect".)
communities.
There are other features in which the Calvinistic doctrine appears truer to the teaching
of the scriptures than does that of Arminianism, but these are outside the present
argument.
A long list of passages can be quoted from both the Old and the New Testaments
which will "prove" that God is sovereign, that whatever He wills must come to pass, that
He chose, He predestinated, He willed, that certain men should be saved, become
members of an elect nation, or members of an elect church. An equally long list of
passages can be quoted from both the Old and the New Testaments which will "prove"
that man has freedom of choice, that salvation is to be preached without reservations, that
God loved "the world" and not only "the elect", that the word "whosoever" must not be
shorn of its meaning to suit a narrow decretive doctrine, and so on and on.
The key to the resolution of the two divine doctrines, namely, predestination and
freedom of choice seems to be the word "foreknowledge". Predestination, according to
Rom. 8: 29 flows from foreknowledge: "For whom He did foreknow, He also did
predestinate." Election, according to I Pet. 1: 2 flows from foreknowledge: "Elect
according to the foreknowledge of God."
Foreknowledge, when used of man, simply means "to know beforehand", but of
necessity, not to predetermine anything.
"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at
Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew (proginosko "foreknew") from the
beginning, if they would testify, that after the stratiest sect of our religion I lived a
Pharisee" (Acts 26: 4, 5).
The same Paul who had already written Rom. 8: 29 speaks here. Does anyone in
his senses contend that Paul put the blame and responsibility for his Pharisaism upon the
shoulders of his contemporaries, simply because they "knew-beforehand"? The very
thought is absurd.
"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).
The same Peter who was yet to write I Pet. 1: 2 uses the word "foreknowledge" here.