...ΣΚΕΎΗ ὈΡΓΗ͂Σ ΚΑΤΗΡΤΙΣΜΈΝΑ ΕἸΣ ἈΠΏΛΕΙΑΝ...ΣΚΕΎΗ ἘΛΈΟΥΣ ἃ ΠΡΟΗΤΟΊΜΑΣΕΝ ΕἸΣ ΔΌΞΑΝ.../ Vessels of wrath PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION...vessels of mercy, which he has PREPARED FOR BEFOREHAND FOR GLORY... (Romans 9:22-23). It is extremely syntactically and ultimately theologically noteworthy that Paul employs two distinct Greek terms in this text to describe the distinct characteristics of Gods election of His chosen people versus His reprobation of the unrepentant. Regarding the wicked, Paul uses the word *κατηρτισμενα*, which is the perfect passive participle of the radix, *καταρτίζω* which means to fit, complete, make ready, or prepare (this same Greek word is used in Heb. 11:3 to speak of Gods creating or preparing the world by the Word of God) whereas he uses the intensive predicate *προητοιμασεν* , the aorist active indicative of the root *προετοιμάζω*, which means to make ready beforehand, to prepare before hand (which is also used, e.g., in Eph. 2:10 to teach that we have been beforehand prepared or created for good works) to refer to the glory that the elect have been predestined to (see Pauls uses a cognate of *προορίζω* and the context of the ordo salutis in Rom. 8:28-30). Did you catch that? In laymens terms, what I mean is that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use a more proactive term to refer to the election of the saved, whereas the word for the preordained damning of the wicked is less intensive. That is, God actively elected His people, and comparatively passively pass over those who are doomed for judgment. I will wrap it up with this illustration. I CHOSE my wife, but in so doing I REJECTED (the meaning of REPROBATE) every other girl for marriage. It is not proper to say that I chose to reject every other girl -- we simply speak in the affirmative -- I chose my wife. In like manner, God has chosen His people for salvation (2 Thes. 2:13), but is not proper logically or rhetorically to say He chose to send anyone to Hell. Our Great Lord chose to pardon some offenders, even though we all deserve to inherit eternal destruction from His presence in the Lake of Fire, to the praise of the glory of His grace. He did not choose to damn the wicked in the same positive and proactive sense as He did to save the elect. He simply lets them choose for themselves, so that it can be said in one sense the wicked, of their own free will, always choose Hell rather the eternal presence of God, such is the natural mens love of sin independent of the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. Do you want to choose your own destiny? You will choose Hell every time. Those who choose Heaven have been chosen by God, so that the choice ultimately is His. Praise the Lord!
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:02:55 +0000
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