Basic HTML Version
Here 1give you
a
glimpse into
a
prívate "Bible study" 1 had
one day with our little travel–
ing group. /t happened to get
into
a
very profound question
that has puzzled scholars and
theologians, as we/1 as mil–
lions of people, for many cen–
turies. Yet the answer is plain
and simple, but of staggering
importance to humanity.
T
oday. 1 find myself back in th e
sam c hotel room in Rome
where
r
had an in vigorating
" Bible tudy" with my litt le travel–
ing group everal weeks ago. We
remember things by associa tion.
This room brought that pa rti cular
stu dy lesson back to mind.
1
had sclected by chance two sep–
ara te chapt ers in the Bible of which
1
was very fond. And it so happened
th a t th ey were the very two cha pte rs
tha t mentioned th is very disputed
and a lmos t NEVER U DERSl OO D
subj ec t of"predesti na tion." But now
l
wan t to devote thi s "Persona l" to
making clear the true meaning of
tha t perplexin g qucs tion.
DOES this disputed biblical teach–
ing say tha t we are PREJUDGED be–
fare we are even born? Are humans
judged guilty or innocent BEFORE
they act?
Mos t novels, mov ies. or TV se ries
a re built a round th e "good guys"
and the " bad guys." The hero and
heroine a lways a ppea r wholesome,
hones t, sincere. and upright. But the
villai n or the sin ister seducing fe–
ma le can be q uickly identifi cd by
th eir evil cxpress ion. manncr, and
a ttitude. But are all humans PRE–
JUDGED by an angry God, even
be fare birth. to become one of these
"good guys" or ' 'bad guys."
1
had chosen on that day in this
same hotel room to go through and
ex pound two favorite chapters -
Romans
8
and Ephes ians
l. 1
chose
Romans
8
beca use it is the " holy
spirit" chap ter, the cha pter on the
incredible destiny of man. Tha t is
the subj ect about which 1 have writ–
ten a series of a rticles a ppearing for
over a year in
The P/ain Truth.
J
chose Ephes ians 1 because. in the
Moffatt tra nsla tion, I have fe lt for
The
PLAIN TRUTH November 1976
Personal from ...
THE TRUE MEANINGOF
PREDESTINATION
many year tha t it is one of the most
bea uti ful. uplifting, and in piring
pieces of literature
1
have ever read .
When
1
sat down to my typewriter
to begin writing this " Personal. ' '
J
did not have in my briefcase with
me a copy of the Moffa tt trans–
la ti on . But
1
did have
a
copy of this
tra nslation in the bookcase above
my desk in my G- Il j et aircraft. So
I
telephoned our plane's steward in
his hote l room and asked him to
make a quick, specia l trip to the
airport and bring me the book. He
arri ved with it before
1
had writt en
this far , although
1
took out time fo r
lunch.
Listen to thi. bea uti ful bit of liter–
a ture: " Paul , by the wi ll of God an
a postle of Jesus Christ, to th e saints
who are fa ithful in Jesus Christ:
grace and peace to you from God
o ur Fa th er a nd th e Lo rd Jes us
Christ. Blessed be the God and
Fa ther of our Lord J e us Christ who
in Christ has blessed us with evcry
spiritual blessing within the heav–
cnly sph ere!" (Eph. 1: 1-3. Moffatt.)
lt
is important to note carefully
ro
whom
the a pos tle is speaking. He
in clud es himself with those a d–
dressed - th e saints who a re faithful
in Jesus Christ. He is
not
speaking of
EVERYBODY.
Continue: "He chose us in him
ere the wo rld was founded .. .' '
(verse
4).
God did the choos ing.
Je us said to His discipb that they
had not chosen Him bu t tha t
He
had chosen them! But
whom
did
God choose? Not the world . not
everybody - ONL
Y
those addres ed
wi th Paul and the "saints who a re
Ja ithful. "
When
were they chosen? "Ere the
world was fou nded" - beforc they
we re born. Bu t WHY? To be PRE–
j udged and sentenced toan eternity
of being burned a livc - yet neve r
bu rning up - in the " hell fire" tha t
some people teach? NEVER! Then
WHYwere th cy chosen?
Co ntin uc on : " ... to be co n–
secrated and unbl emished in his
sight, dest ining us in !ove to be his
sons through Jesus Christ"
(vs.
4-5).
The Kin g James Vcrsion has:
" having predestina ted us." In the
KJV the word "adoption" is
wrong~v
transla ted and should be rendc red
"sonship" in the English, for it is
spcaking of becoming
begotten
and
born
sons of God. not adopted sons.
Real
sons! No thing is said about
predestina ting sons to " be los t."
condemned or punishcd. But " des–
ti ning us in love," not in anger or
ha te.
Read on. and
1
shall emphasize
the wo rds 1 want you to especially
no tice: "Such was the purpose of his
(Continued on page 41)