Why You Should Never Join a Church that Does Not Practice Church Discipline

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Article: 4 Reasons Why You Should Never Join a Church that Does Not Practice Church Discipline by Josh Buice (original source: http://www.deliveredbygrace.com/4-reasons-why-you-should-never-join-a-church-that-does-not-practice-church-discipline/ )

On a fairly regular basis, I have people who reach out to me for local church recommendations as they’re planning a big move across state lines. Sometimes I have connections to that area and sometimes I have no church that I could recommend. When I evaluate a church for recommendation, there are several key factors that play into the equation that will determine whether or not I could recommend it to my friends or network through G3—and one of those factors at the top of the list is biblical church discipline.

Christ Commanded the Practice of Church Discipline

The basis of church discipline is found not in theological textbooks or circles of serious minded evangelicals—but in the very words of Jesus to his Church. In Matthew 18:15-20, we find Jesus’ command to practice church discipline. That passage, which is sadly overlooked and neglected, is the foundation for how the church must confront sin. It was the basis for the apostles as they engaged in church discipline as they engaged in the planting and formation of local churches beyond the borders of Israel.

In Corinth, a man was engaged in sexual sin with his father’s wife (his step-mom), and Paul’s words to the church can be found in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul told the church at Corinth to “purge out” and to “deliver his soul to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved.” 

In Thessalonica, the church needed to practice church discipline, and Paul wrote a letter to them that directed them in that very direction. In 2 Thessalonians 3, we find Paul’s instructions to refrain from keeping company with any brother (speaking of a church member) who refused to live in a Christ honoring manner.  In other words, those who persist in sinful living, Paul said to refrain from having fellowship with them.  He concluded by writing the following, “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:14-15).

Once again, we find these words in Titus 3:10, “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject.”  The church must was called to practice church discipline, and Jesus’ command was the basis (notice the reference to the first and second admonition). Christ’s command became the firm foundation that provided direction on how each of these specific cases were addressed.

Throughout history, from the early days of the apostles and beyond—church discipline was a common practice. Gregory A. Wills, a professor of Church History and noted historian commented, “To an antebellum Baptist, a church without discipline would hardly have counted as a church.” [1] In each case, from the apostolic era to the antebellum era—Christ’s command was the basis for the practice of church discipline.

You Want a Church that Will Confront Your Sin

When joining a church, you want to be certain that the pastors who oversee the church and the members who make up the church take spiritual accountability seriously. A church that condones sin is a dangerous place for your soul. Not only your soul, but you must consider the spiritual wellbeing of your entire family (your spouse and children).

It’s not just about the sin of another person that you want to be sure is dealt with in the life of the church, but it’s your own sin—the sin that if left alone will spread like a cancer—that must be confronted, rebuked, and disciplined. For that reason, you need a church that will get in your business and rebuke you if you were to walk astray. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” In an age that chants Matthew 7:1 at any sign of rebuke or confrontation—we must remember that the most loving thing a church can do for you and your family is engage in the practice of biblical church discipline.

Beyond your sin and your friend’s sin within the church, you want a church that’s committed to disciplining church leaders who walk astray. You never want to be in a church that refuses to confront and rebuke pastors who abuse their positions and persist in sin (1 Tim. 5:19). 

Church Discipline Helps Purify the Bride of Christ

The Church is depicted as the bride of Christ (Mark 2:19; Eph. 5:22-23). For a local church to ignore sinful behaviors among the members and refuse to engage in church discipline is to turn the bride of Christ into a shameful harlot in the eyes of the world.

Biblical church discipline is a means whereby the very bride of Christ is kept pure and without shame in the eyes of the world. The purity of Christ’s bride is a serious thing that we must regard as a priority—not just for the watching world—but for the glory of God. In the analogy that Paul is making about the husband’s care for his bride, he uses the relationship between Jesus and the Church. Notice the language of purity:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27).

The bride of Christ should be presented to him without blemish and spot or any impurity. Just as the Jewish custom of washing the bride and presenting her to the groom clean and whole without spot or stained garments—so the Church must be presented to Christ in the same manner.

Without Church Discipline—It Is Not a True Church

We have all heard the excuses of unbelievers who point to the church as a bunch of hypocrites, and when we consider the fact that church discipline is rarely practiced in our day, such a statement should not be a surprise. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once made this very sobering statement, “And what calls itself a church which does not believe in discipline, and does not use it and apply it, is therefore not a true church.” Traditionally, throughout church history, scholars and theologians (and average church members) would evaluate the authenticity of a local church on the basis of three primary marks:

  1. The right preaching of God’s Word
  2. The right administration of the sacraments / ordinances
  3. The practice of biblical church discipline

Therefore, the statement of Lloyd-Jones doesn’t seem to be such a radical statement when you consider the fact that church discipline was not only expected, but considered a necessity within the life of the local church in years past. Today, it’s quite possible to find entire cities without a church that practices biblical church discipline. It was J.L. Dagg who once remarked, “It has been remarked, that when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it.” [2]

We must come to the sobering reality that what many people call a church in our day is simply a country club in the name of Jesus rather than a local church. It may seem very strange to modern Christians, but the church should guard the front door of membership and put a high fence up around the Lord’s Supper table as well. A refusal to discipline members and to guard the Lord’s Supper table is one of the greatest tragedies in modern church history. May God give pastors today both wisdom and biblical conviction to lead their local churches according to the Bible—rather than church growth schemes that in turn lead to scandal.

Imagine the shock as local church pastors who refused to protect the bride of Christ and turned her into a local harlot are called to stand before the throne of King Jesus.

  1. Gregory A. Wills, Democratic Religion: Freedom, Authority, and Church Discipline in the Baptist South 1785-1900, (Oxford University Press, New York, 2003), 12.
  2. John Leadley Dagg, A Treatise on Church Order (Online Version – Accessed 11/9/19)

Does the Bible Permit a Woman to Preach?

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Dr. John MacArthur:

C. H. Spurgeon:

I share the apostle Paul’s feelings when he bade women be silent in the assembly. Yet there is work for holy women, and we read of Peter’s wife’s mother that she arose and ministered to Christ. She did what she could and what she should. She arose and ministered to Him.Blessed are they who do what they should do. It is better to be a good housewife, or nurse, or domestic servant, than to be a powerless preacher or a graceless talker. She did not arise and prepare a lecture, nor preach a sermon, but she arose and prepared a supper, and that was what she was fitted to do. Was she not a housewife? As a housewife let her serve the Lord. We greatly err when we dream that only a preacher can minister to the Lord—for Jesus has work of all sorts for all sorts of followers. Paul speaks of women who helped him much, and, assuredly, as there is no idle angel there ought to be no idle Christian. We are not saved for our own sakes, but that we may be of service to the Lord and to his people; let us not miss our calling.

In like manner, you Christian people who cannot talk,—the women especially,—I mean that you cannot preach, you are not allowed to preach,—I want you to shine. Some people seem to think that there is no shining without talking, whereas the very best shining is that of Christian women, who, if they have little to say, have a great deal to do. They make the house so bright with heavenly grace, and decorate it so sweetly with the flowers of their cheerful piety, that those round about them are won to Christ by them. Therefore, shine, dear brothers and sisters, by your gracious godliness, for so you will bring glory to God.

(MTP volume 31/45, sermons 1836/2617)

Beware of Speculation

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Beware of speculation. The Bible speaks with absolute authority about our past, our present and our future, but these precious truths are often hijacked by the speculators who will try to tell you that most of the things you read in your daily newspaper are fulfillments of Bible prophecy. Reading the newspaper with a Bible in hand is NOT the way to read either your newspaper or the Bible. Here’s what the Bible says about Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Brexit, the Paris climate agreement, China’s current economy, visa cards, the 2020 U.S. election, the pull out of U.S. troops from this nation or that – are you ready? It is the same as what is said about Obama, Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Saddam Hussein, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger and sheep farmers in the Australian outback.

It says, ‘NOTHING AT ALL!’

Now, telling you that is not exciting. It certainly does not sell books or DVD’s and will not draw a crowd. Telling you that actually seems downright dull in comparison to the speculators’ latest innovations. But telling you that may just keep you sane in this world.

The truth is that every biblical prophecy will come to pass. In contrast, the speculators are batting 0 for 1000 when it comes to their sham, half-baked predictions based on nothing but thin air and out of context Bible verses.

The faithful pastor will proclaim the truth of God’s word and will avoid speculation. He serves healthy sheep food not a hybrid steroid mix.

Speculators, on the other hand, make their entire living trade from just such invention, creativity and novelty. When nothing of what they say comes to pass in the time scale they said it would, they are simply silent and move on to the next verse they have discovered, yanked from its context.

Listening to the speculators will make you a fearful person – afraid to shop at the grocery store, too anxious to go outside and always feeling like the end is just around the corner. This fear paralyzes you so that you make no long term plans for yourself or your family – which itself is not what scripture commands. Instead of leaving you afraid, the Bible, rightly understood, informs us that God is in charge, history is His-story and provides courage and comfort, no matter what happens in this world.

Always ask yourself, ‘without the speculator’s secret knowledge and special insight would I read the Bible passage he is quoting in its context and come up with the same interpretation as this man?’ I think you already know the answer to that, don’t you?

Let me echo Bishop J. C. Ryle’s sound advice, given many decades ago when he said, “What is the best safeguard against false doctrine?’ – I answer in one word, The Bible: the Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over and regularly studied.”

Amen!

Quotes to Ponder (112)

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“Congregations in every age must see themselves as learning communities in which gospel truth has to be taught, defended, and vindicated against corruptions of it and alternatives to it. Being alert to all aspects of the difference between true and false teaching, and of behavior that expresses the truth as distinct from obscuring it, is vital to the church’s health.” – J. I. Packer

“People do not drift toward Holiness…We slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.” – D.A. Carson

“We must place our reliance entirely on the perfect obedience and sin-bearing death of Christ as the sole basis of our standing before God—on our best days as well as our worst…” – Jerry Bridges

“Church leaders who have been committed to seeing the church reformed according to God’s Word down through the ages have had a common method: read the Word, preach the Word, pray the Word, sing the Word, see the Word (in the ordinances). Often referred to by theologians as the elements of corporate worship, these five basics are essential to the corporate life, health, and holiness of any local church.” ~Mark Dever

“The Spirit does not add to Scripture. The Spirit does not speak apart from Scripture. The Spirit does not speak alongside the Scripture. The Spirit speaks THROUGH the Scripture.” – Dustin Benge

“A worldview is the lens through which someone views the world around him. Everyone has one and not all worldviews are equally valid. In the great battle for worldviews in our day, the first four words in our Bibles have breathtaking, cosmic impact. Either they are true and everything about everything needs to be viewed in the light of them; or else they are untrue, and merely the irrelevant ramblings of misguided man. There is nothing in between. There is no neutral ground nor can there be. So the question I put before you today is this, ‘What will you do with ‘In the beginning, God…’” – John Samson

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

– Hebrews 11:6

“I don’t always feel God’s presence, but God’s promises do not depend upon my feelings, they rest upon His integrity.” – R. C. Sproul

“The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it. See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes! See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion. O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care? Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“Just because a guy struggles with same sex desire doesn’t mean God made him gay, any more than a guy struggling with anger means God made him a murderer. You have a choice with what you do with every temptation.” – Allen Atzbi

“The evidence of genuine conversion is not sinless perfection but a life marked by genuine repentance and confession. The one who confesses faith in Christ and yet lives in sin with little or no brokenness or divine discipline should be greatly concerned.” – Paul Washer

“The legalist is right to think that the demands of the law must be met. The legalist is wrong to think that he can meet them.” – Kevin DeYoung

“While debating two Darwinian Biologists I asked why we do not find lots of transitional fossils in the earth’s crustal rock layers. They said it was due to Darwinian evolution happening too fast to be caught in the stratified layers (Punctuated Equilibrium). Later, I asked why we do not see Macro change occurring today. This time they responded that we cannot observe Darwinian change occurring in the present as such change takes place slowly, over long ages of time. I said, ‘Well now you have me confused. Does Darwinian evolution occur too quickly to leave evidence in the fossil record or too slowly to be seen in the present?’ They looked at each other and stated, ‘Wow, you are right! This is our religious belief! But it is what we believe.’ I replied, ‘Choose to believe whatever you like; just stop teaching it as if it were science to unsuspecting children.’” – Russ Miller

“It is always the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ.” —C.H. Spurgeon

“If you’re not concerned for others’ salvation, I’m concerned for yours.” – Ray Comfort

“Don’t pray for less fear to reach the lost. Pray for more love, because that’s the problem.” – Ray Comfort

“If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord’s will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.” – C. H. Spurgeon

“We are not loving people when we’re telling them that God accepts them as they are without repentance, because we’re lying to them… God’s grace is not infinite. God is infinite, and God is gracious. We experience the grace of an infinite God, but grace is not infinite. God sets limits to His patience and forbearance. He warns us over and over again that someday the ax will fall and His judgment will be poured out.” – R.C. Sproul

“Refuse self-pity. Refuse it absolutely. It is a deadly thing with the power to destroy you. Turn your thoughts to Christ who has already carried our griefs and sorrows.” – Elisabeth Elliot

“We must place our reliance entirely on the perfect obedience and sin-bearing death of Christ as the sole basis of our standing before God—on our best days as well as our worst…” – Jerry Bridges

“God’s sovereignty does not negate our responsibility to pray, but rather makes it possible for us to pray with confidence.” – Jerry Bridges

“It is as impossible to understand the Scriptures without the Spirit’s help as it is to read a sundial without the sun.” – Derek Prime & Alistair Begg

“God, in mercy, will never allow children of His to be comfortable in sin.” – Will Metzger

The Meaning of “Foreknowledge”

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Article: “Foreknowledge”Its New Testament Meaning
James White – original source: https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/1989/10/01/foreknowledge-its-new-testament-meaning/

“For whom He did foreknow, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn of many brothers. And whom He did predestine, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He Justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30).

This incredible passage, known as the “Golden Chain of Redemption”, has long held great fascination for men and women of God. Yet, the truth it proclaims has, for the most part, been obscured by a misunderstanding of one of the very first terms encountered, that being “foreknow”. What does this term mean? Roman Catholic theologians, lacking the concept of salvation by grace through faith, and the attendant concept of the sovereignty of God in salvation (election) view the term as referring to God’s “foresight” of future events; that is, God, knowing the future, “chooses” those whom He knows will be pliable to His will and who will repent from their sins and turn to Him. This is the same position held by Arminians as well. For example, Dr. Curtis Hutson, editor of The Sword of the Lord, has written a small booklet entitled “Why I Disagree with All Five Points of Calvinism.” While we would not wish to make this booklet representative of responsible Arminianism, on this point Dr. Hutson’s comments are very representative of this perspective: “God in His foreknowledge knows who will trust Jesus Christ as Saviour, and He has predestined to see that they are Justified and glorified.” In other words, God elects on the basis of the actions of man (though seen in the future) rather than on the sole basis of His own will and purpose. This, we are told, is what “foreknowledge” means—a simple knowing of future events, with the result that certain actions can be taken on the basis of those future events.

But, we must ask, is this what the Bible teaches? Are we taught in Scripture that God responds to the actions of men, even when those actions are future? Or does the term “foreknowledge” mean this at all?

We might approach this question from the perspective that it is an established fact that the Bible teaches that God is eternal and immutable (unchangeable). If this is true, then surely God’s decrees cannot possibly be derived from the actions of men; God’s actions cannot be based upon what happens in time, for this would indicate a progression and change in the being of God. To assert that God’s actions are dependent upon or based upon man’s creates incredible difficulties in regards to the nature of God. But, someone might assert, the Bible presents God’s knowing of future events as the basis of His actions, so shouldn’t we go with the Bible? Of course we should, but we must never interpret Scripture so as to make the Word contradictory to itself. Then what does foreknowledge actually mean? Is it used consistently in Scripture? Is its meaning in line with the nature of God as revealed by the Word?

To answer these questions, we must first understand the process of determining what a word in the New Testament actually meant to the writer and his audience. Frequently modern writers assume that the English translation carries all of the range and depth of meaning of the original Greek or Hebrew term when in fact it does not. Also, there is great danger in “pushing” the meaning of the English term back onto the Greek or Hebrew word. What matters is not what an English word means today, but what a Greek or Hebrew word meant back then!

So, to find out what the Bible means when it speaks of God’s “foreknowledge” we must look at the usage of the Greek term itself; we must see how it functions in the New Testament, and. Just as importantly, we must discover whether it has been influenced by the Old Testament as well.

The Greek term translated by the noun “foreknowledge” is πρόγνωσις (prognosis). The verbal form, προγινώσκω (proginosko) is the term found in Romans 8:29 above, as well as in Romans 11:2, and 1 Peter 1:20 (this study will focus only on the usage of these terms in regards to God). The noun form is found in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:2. On first glance the meaning, as the Greek term is a compound of προ (before) and γινωσκω (to know), seems fairly simple: to know beforehand. But before such a simple answer is accepted, let’s look at what it means “to know.”

Anyone familiar with the range of meaning and usage of the terms γινώσκω and οἶδα (another term meaning “to know”) in Paul’s writings knows that the nuances of meaning found in these terms is anything but easily defined. Therefore, the better part of wisdom is to ask, “is the term ’to know ’ in the Old Testament relevant to the meaning of the same term in the New?” To find out, let’s look at the OT term “to know”.

The basic Hebrew term translated “to know” in the Old Testament is יָדַע (yada). Both Greek terms noted above (γινώσκω /οἶδα) are used to translate this one Hebrew word; γινώσκω is used over 500 times as the translation of יָדַע in the Septuagint (LXX). And what does this term mean in Hebrew? Does it refer simply to having intellectual knowledge? No indeed! When the Hebrew speaks of God’s knowledge, something far more than just bare cognizance of facts is in view. Let’s look at some passages where this will be seen, and see if some of the fuller meaning of יָדַע can be discovered.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew (יָדַע) you, before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Here God says that He “knew” Jeremiah even before He formed the prophet in the womb. Does this mean that God simply had knowledge of the future actions of Jeremiah? Clearly not, for the parallelism of the passage indicates that the knowing is to be understood as being synonymous with God’s consecration of him and His appointing him as a prophet to the nations. Hence, the term refers to an action on God’s part in choosing Jeremiah. God is active in this knowing, this choosing. The object of His knowing is not a fact, but a person. God’s יָדַע of Jeremiah is personal. Is this kind of understanding a common feature of Hebrew thinking? Indeed it is! For the Jewish person, knowledge is very personal. One cannot know something truly in the Hebrew system of thought simply by standing afar off and thinking about an object. When Adam knew Eve in Genesis 4:1, the result was the conception of a child. Obviously, then, this “knowing” of Eve by Adam was far more than a simple understanding of her existence—his יָדַע of his wife was intensely personal. And when we speak of God’s knowing someone, we are speaking of His entering into personal relationship with that individual.

This is seen very clearly in Yahweh’s encounter with Moses in Exodus 33. In verse 17 we hear God saying to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I have known (יָדַע) you by name.” Earlier Moses had indicated that God had spoken these words to him before (v. 12). Surely we here see that God is not simply saying ” I know your name” but that something far more personal is in view here. The knowing of Moses’ name is very personal; God is indicating His gracious decision to enter into a very special and personal relationship with Moses. The fact that this passage figures so prominently in Paul’s discussion of election in Romans 9:15 is surely significant as well, for if Paul connects verse 19 of this chapter with God’s predestination in Romans 9, surely his usage of “foreknow” in Romans 8 is drawn from here as well.

The continued emphasis upon the personal nature of the object of God’s knowledge is seen as well in Amos 3:2, where the nation of Israel, as God’s special covenant people, is addressed: “You only have I known (יָדַע) among all the nations of the earth.” Here God asserts that He has known only the people of Israel. Again, bare factual knowledge cannot possibly be the meaning, as God surely knows that other peoples exist, for He created them! Instead, the word “know” means “to choose”. Both the New American Standard Bible and the New International Version render יָדַע here as “chosen”. So prevalent is this sense of the Hebrew term when in reference to God that the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament comments, “We find yd’ in Am. 3:2 as an expression for the special relationship between Yahweh and Israel or election to service… In Ex. 33:12, 17.. .yd’… character- ize(s) the special election (and call)…In Jer. 1:5, the appointment of Jeremiah to prophetic office is characterized by yd’ (יָדַע). . long before his birth…Jeremiah had been chosen as a prophet.” (5:468).

Does the emphasis upon the active choice of God to enter into a personal relationship with an individual as an emphasis of the concept of “knowing” in the Old Testament come through in the New? It most certainly does! For example, when the Lord Jesus refers to His sheep, He asserts, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15) Again, simple knowledge of data is surely not what is in mind. Here “knowing” refers to personal relationship. The same is to be found elsewhere; in Matthew 7:23, when the Lord Jesus dismisses the ungodly from before the judgment seat with the words, “And then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.” Again, Jesus had intellectual knowledge of these people, but they did not have a personal relationship with Him. And the “firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ’the Lord knows those who are His.’” (2 Timothy 2: 19). Hence, we have seen that “to know” in Scripture, especially when it is God who is doing the “knowing” and when the object of this “knowing” is personal (a person, or a people, as in Israel), refers not to a knowledge of data and facts, but a personal relationship between God and the “knowee”. With this concept in mind, let us now look at the concept of God’s foreknowledge in the New Testament.

Hence, we have seen that “to know” in Scripture, especially when it is God who is doing the “knowing” and when the object of this “knowing” is personal (a person, or a people, as in Israel), refers not to a knowledge of data and facts, but a personal relationship between God and the “knowee”. With this concept in mind, let us now look at the concept of God’s foreknowledge in the New Testament.

Above we cited Romans 8:29-30. As we look at this passage we note that again the object of God’s action of foreknowing is a person (or a people if we take the plurality of all men and women who are to be saved). We do not here see God knowing actions but rather people. God is not the passive recipient of knowledge of future events, but the active one who is foreknowing. This is God’s choice, God’s action in entering into a personal relationship with His creation. In this context, προγινώσκω refers to God’s gracious choice to enter into the special relationship of Redeemer to those who are the object of His love, the elect (v. 33).

This understanding of προγινώσκω is confirmed by its usage in Romans 11:2. “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” This is spoken about the people of Israel. Surely no truth is more clearly proclaimed In the Old Testament than that found in Deuteronomy 7:6-7: “For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Yahweh did not set His love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples…” God chose Israel freely and without any reference to their actions, merits, or anything else. But, if the common meaning of προγινώσκω as seen in most modern understandings is used here, we would be forced into the absurd statement that God chose Israel because He foresaw that Israel would choose Him! Can anyone with even the slightest familiarity with the history of the nation of Israel make such a statement? Surely not! God’s election of the people of Israel was based upon His own gracious decision to enter into covenant relationship with them, not on the basis of His foreseeing their actions or attitudes.

The personal nature of προγινώσκω is seen as well in 1 Peter 1:20, where Christ is said to have been “foreknown” before the foundation of the earth. Here again, election, choosing, personal relationship—all these elements that we have traced through the Old Testament are found to appear in the New.

The noun πρόγνωσις is found in two places in the New Testament: 1 Peter 1:2 is the first of these: “(who are)…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; grace and peace be multiplied to you.” Just as it is revealed in Romans 8:29, the Biblical order is foreknown, then elected (predestined). But, as we have seen, this is a sovereign decision by God wherein He enters a personal relationship with the object of His foreknowledge. Before we even existed, God graciously entered into relationship with us. What incredible mercy!

The second passage in which God’s πρόγνωσις is found is Acts 2:23: “this One, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.” At first glance it might seem as if this usage contradicts what has been seen before; that is, it looks as if here the action of the delivering up of Christ is what is foreknown, not Christ Himself, in opposition to what has been said, that God’s foreknowledge is always in regards to people, not things or actions. But, a closer look at the passage reveals that the object of God’s foreknowledge is indeed Christ. Hence it was according to God’s will and choice that Christ was delivered up. Surely we are not going to say that God simply looked into the future and saw what Christ would do; God is the very origin and source of Christ’s work; it was His will and plan. He is not reacting to some future event in sending Christ; God is the one who decided to send Christ.

So what have we seen? We have discovered that the Biblical presentation of God’s knowledge is consistent between the Old and New Testaments; that in the OT God’s יָדַע involves His gracious choice and selection of a person or people; that this continues on in the NT when we find that God’s πρόγνωσις refers to God’s gracious, merciful and solely sovereign choice to enter into personal relationship with a person. In the case of Christ, this is referred to His work in providing for salvation; He is “known” as the Redeemer. In reference to the elect, this is referred to God’s action in bringing them into relationship with Him. As Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says, “In the NT προγινώσκειν is referred to God. His foreknowledge, however, is an election or foreordination of His people…or Christ.” (I:715). The bare concept of simply having knowledge of future events has been seen to be inconsistent with the NT usage, and hence to be rejected.

What then can we conclude? That God’s election of individuals to salvation is free and sovereign; His action is not based upon anything in the creature either of merit or action. God’s action in predestination is based solely on Himself and His own will. This is vitally important in many ways; our theology of God will be seriously compromised if we accept the concept of God’s being dependent upon the actions of creatures in the creation of His decrees. Not only this, but a gospel that bases salvation upon the choice and action of man dishonors God and debilitates the church. Let us stand firm in the proclamation of the Apostle Paul, “It is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that just as it has been written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).