49: Unlearning Augustine: Reclaiming Paul’s First-Century Message of Predestination

Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to inquisitive

Bible students exploring biblical truths that might not be fully explored in typical sermons or Bible studies.

My name is Eddie Lawrence. Over the last few episodes we focused on what

Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 through 5 does not mean concerning predestination.

In this episode, let's focus on what it does mean. Very often, in order to embrace biblical truth, we have to first unlearn errors.

Erroneous teachings cloud our understanding and we've got to sweep those away and replace them with Scripture.

Surprisingly, many errors in Western churches trace back to the

Protestant Reformation. This quote of N .T. Wright's hits the nail right on the head.

For too long, we have read Scripture with 19th century eyes and 16th century questions.

It's time to get back to reading with 1st century eyes and 21st century questions. This is the problem.

We're focused on the philosophies of the Protestant Reformers who themselves were grappling with the issues of their day.

One key mistake they made was relying on Augustine's teachings. Augustine, who was a major influence on several

Reformers, was the person who successfully introduced Gnostic ideas into the church.

These were ideas that earlier Christian leaders had fought against for centuries.

Instead of looking primarily to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, the problem the

Reformers tripped over was that they filtered Scripture through Augustine's false teachings.

What we need now is a return to the 1st century Jewish roots of our Christian faith.

We must reject centuries of corrupt teachings that stray from the Scripture.

In this episode, let's skip over what the Protestant Reformers thought this passage meant and try to understand what it meant to the 1st century

Christians. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, Paul writes,

Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him.

The choosing that Paul is talking about, which is sometimes called election, the choosing mentioned here does not refer to choosing individuals for salvation apart from their own choices.

Instead, God has chosen Christ as the means of salvation.

To be chosen in him means that God has provided a way of salvation through Christ to all who choose to be in Christ by means of obedient faith.

Verse 5 states that the key purpose of God choosing all who are in Christ is,

Adoption isn't a secondary aspect of salvation. It's the goal.

When Paul speaks of adoption as sons, he refers to the legal standing of believers as heirs of God's promises.

This adoption is available to all who are in Christ. It's the result of choosing to trust in Christ which brings believers into God's family.

Adoption in the ancient world meant that an adopted child received all the rights and privileges of a natural -born child.

In the same way, God adopts believers as his children and grants them full rights as heirs.

Ephesians 1 .5 speaks of God's predestination of believers to adoption as sons.

The predestination Paul refers to is not about God choosing certain individuals for salvation and others for damnation.

Rather, it's God's predetermined plan to bring all who are in Christ into his family.

This is the essence of God's predestination. He has chosen the means of salvation and that means is

Jesus Christ. God includes all who choose to be in Christ through faith in his predestined plan.

This aligns with passages like 2nd Timothy 1 .9 which says, "...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

The call to salvation through Christ has been God's plan from the beginning.

The blessings of adoption and inheritance are the result of being included in this plan which is accessible to all who believe.

The passage clearly states that anyone who chooses to be in Christ can receive salvation and the blessings of adoption.

God's intention is for all to have the opportunity to be part of his family. The universal offer is foundational to the

Christian message. In 1st Timothy 2 verse 4 Paul writes, "...who

desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

God's heart is that all who would come to salvation through Christ. Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 through 5 highlights the inclusive nature of God's plan which invites everyone to respond to his call.

The blessings of being in Christ are not contingent upon God's arbitrary selection of certain individuals but on the personal decision to place one's trust in Jesus Christ.

Christ extends the offer to all and every individual has the choice to accept it or not.

Those who accept it are in Christ and will be adopted as sons.

This is the biblical concept of predestination. Paul's point is not that God predestines individuals to be saved or lost.

What he's writing about is that God has predestined all those who are in Christ to be adopted as sons.

This passage teaches that God has chosen Christ as the means of salvation and is predestined that all who are in Christ will receive the blessings of adoption as his children.

Ben Witherington notes that this idea is similar to the election of Israel.

The concept here is not radically different from the concept of the election of Israel. During the

Old Testament era, if one was in Israel, one was a part of God's chosen people and if one had no such connection, one was not elect.

Individual persons within Israel could opt out by means of apostasy and others could be grafted in.

See the story of Ruth. Like Israel's selection, that is, election, the

New Testament speaks of our selection as being corporate. The choice to be in Christ through obedient faith is the key to receiving every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms that Paul mentioned in verse 3.

The purpose of God's election is not to exclude, but to offer an inclusive invitation to all who believe.

Adoption as sons and heirs is the goal, and this adoption is available to anyone who makes the choice to trust in Christ.

In Christ, God guarantees believers the blessings of his family, both now and in eternity.

As 1 John 3 1 declares, See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that we would be called children of God, and such we are.

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For more biblical studies, visit our website at ReadyForEternity .com. That's the word ready, the number four, and the word eternity.

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That's all for now. Keep studying your Bible, growing closer to God, and getting ready for eternity.