# Predestined and Foreordained



## MarquezsDg (Apr 13, 2011)

Hey guys hope all is well.

Can someone help me understand the difference between predestination and being foreordained? WC reads " By the decree of God for the manisfestation of His glory some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life and others foreordained to everlasting death"

Any help on understanding the difference would be greatly appreciated. You guys have a blessed day.


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 13, 2011)

In some respects, the words are practically synonyms. Predestined is a biblical word, and (as the word implies) indicates a positive act with regard to a specific end (destination).

προορίζω See Rom.8:29-30; Eph.1:5,11; Act.4:28 (determined before, KJV); 1Cor.2:7 (some translations ordained or decreed)

Foreordination or foreknowledge, is usually thought of not less intentionally on God's part, but "hidden" (in a sense) is the positive activity within the comprehensive decree of God. The term found within the compound, "knowledge" is not receptive, but has all the action of positive possession of knowledge. So, the biblical terminology "he knew his wife," for instance. This is intimate and thorough knowing, and can in no sense be understood to mean that God, with keen perceptions of things not yet come to pass, came still to certitude concerning future activity outside his original scope of meticulous sovereignty. No, he knows the end from the beginning because it is his end, and his beginning. His knowing all things instantiates them in their place.

προγινώσκω with respect to God, teaches this personal knowledge, *prospectively *(ahead of time) knowing the persons themselves, before they even had being.
See Rom.8:29; 11:12; 1Pet.1:20.
προγινώσκω with respect to man refers to prior knowledge of people (Act.26:5, *retrospective*), but can also refer to personal associations (2Pet.3:17, where Peter is referring to days _and the people_ ahead, but the knowledge his hearers will have is *retrospective *knowledge for that (future) time, given to them today).


Therefore, with regard to the WCF, in the first place is emphasized the deliberate choice by God of some men for eternal life (their destiny), which is called predestination.

In the second place, is the certainty of God's prospective, comprehensive, determinate knowledge--every step along the way is a chosen aspect of his plan, not in any way fortuitous, or incorporated by accommodation to events outside of his control--which includes his willful foreordination of the rest unto their everlasting separation from him (death).

The contrast is seen in that those who have a blessed destiny have been distinguished unto their end.

I hope this is helpful, and that others can make additions or clarifications.


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