Is the decree of God the same thing as predestination?

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Aco

Puritan Board Freshman
The reason why I am asking that questions is because in the English Bibles "the decree of God" is used much more frequently, than in the German, which I'm reading most of the time.
Oftentimes when you have "decree" in English the German uses terms like:

-Ratschluss (counsel)
-Wille (will, purpose)
-etc.

It becomes confusing, because when I read reformed writers and they talk about the decree of God, it is a little bit hard for me to conceptualise it. Is it the same thing as God's eternal predestination, should I think of a counsel or is it distinct?
 
Predestination is a part of the decree, but God's eternal decree is wider than predestination.

In the Authorized Version the word "decree" occurs 49 times, often in reference to someone other than God. It also speaks of God's counsel, will, and purpose.

If you want to be quite technical, Richard Muller (Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms, s.v. decretum) says that the counsel is God's decision, whereas the decree is "the actual willing of that decision." No doubt the distinction is based in part on Ephesians 1:11, but for all intents and purposes you can probably take "counsel" and "decree" as being synonymous most of the time.
 
I would also add that in many Reformed circles, the terms are used interchangeably. However, the distinction is both biblical and confessional.
 
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