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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rom_8:28-30
28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Rom_8:28 "And we know" This verb (oida) occurs four times in this context.
1. believers know that all creation groans (Rom_8:22)
2. believers do not know how to pray (Rom_8:26)
3. the Father knows the hearts of humans and the mind of the Spirit (Rom_8:27)
4. believers know that all things work together for good (Rom_8:28)
NASB, TCNT"God causes all things"
NKJV, NRSV,
NET"all things"
TEV, NIV"in all things God works"
The textual question is how many times does "Theos" (or "Theon") appear in this verse?
There is no manuscript variant related to the phrase "to those who love God," but there is a variant related to the phrase "all things work together for good."
1. Some manuscripts add "ho Theos" after the verb, P46, A, B, 81, and some Coptic and Ethiopian versions.
2. Most manuscripts omit it, à , C, D, F, G, and the Vulgate, Peshitta, Armenian versions. The UBS4 rates its omission as "B" (almost certain).
The NASB includes it to stress the point of divine activity. It is possible from the context that the Spirit's agency is indented (cf. Rom_8:27; NEB, REB).
▣ "to work together for good" This is present active indicative. This is another compound with syn (cf. Rom_8:26). Therefore, it literally means "all things continue to work in cooperation with one another for the good." This is a difficult concept in a world of evil and suffering (two helpful books on this subject is The Goodness of God by Wenham and Hannah Whithall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life). The "good" here is defined in Rom_8:29 as "conformed to the image of His Son." Christlikeness, not prosperity, fame or health, is God's unalterable plan for every believer.
▣ "to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" These are two present active participles. These are two conditions which continue to allow the believer to view life, regardless of the circumstances, in a positive light (cf. Rom_8:15). Again notice the twin covenantal aspects of human freedom ("love") and God's sovereignty ("called").
The term "purpose" in connection to God's eternal plans is found in Rom_9:11; Eph_1:11; Eph_3:11; and 2Ti_1:9. God has an eternal redemptive plan for fallen humanity. See hyperlink at Rom_1:5.
Rom_8:29-30 The verbs in these verses are all aorist active indicatives. They form a chain from before time until time is no more. God knows us and is still for us and wants us to be with Him. This is a corporate, not individual, context. The final act of glorification is still future, but in this context it is stated as an accomplished event.
Rom_8:29 "foreknew" Paul used this term twice, here and Rom_11:2. In Rom_11:2 it referred to God's covenant love for Israel before time. Remember that the term "know" in Hebrew related to intimate, personal relationship, not to facts about someone (cf. Gen_4:1; Jer_1:5). Here it is included in a chain of events (cf. Rom_8:29-30). This term is linked with predestination. However, it must be stated that God's foreknowledge is not the basis of election because if that were so, then election would be based on fallen humanity's future response, which would be human performance. This term was also found in Act_26:5; 1Pe_1:2; 1Pe_1:20 and 2Pe_3:17.
▣ "predestined" The terms "foreknow" (proginôskô) or "predestine" (proorizô) are both compounds with the preposition "before" (pro) and therefore, should be translated "to know before," "to set bounds before," or "mark off before."
The definitive passages on predestination in the NT are Rom_8:28-30; Eph_1:3-14 and Romans 9. These texts obviously stress that God is sovereign. He is in total control of all things, including human history. There is a preset divine redemption plan being worked out in time. However, this plan is not arbitrary or selective. It is based not only on God's sovereignty and foreknowledge, but on His unchanging character of love, mercy and undeserved grace.
We must be careful of our western (American) individualism or our evangelical zeal coloring this wonderful truth. We must also guard against being polarized into the historical, theological conflicts between Augustine versus Pelegius or Calvinism versus Arminianism.
Predestination is not a doctrine meant to limit God's love, grace, and mercy nor to exclude some from the gospel. It is meant to strengthen believers by molding their worldview. God is for all mankind (cf. Joh_3:16; 1Ti_2:4; 2Pe_3:9). God is in control of all things. Who or what can separate us from Him (cf. Rom_8:31-39)? Predestination forms one of two ways to view life. God views all history as present; humans are time bound. Our perspective and mental abilities are limited. There is no contradiction between God's sovereignty and mankind's free will. It is a covenantal structure. This is another example of biblical truth given in dialectical tension (see hyperlink at Rom_3:27. Biblical doctrines are usually presented from different perspectives. They often appear paradoxical. The truth is a balance between the seemingly opposite pairs. We must not remove the tension by picking one of the truths. We must not isolate any biblical truth into a theological system unrelated to a specific context.
It is also important to add that the goal of election is not only heaven when we die, but Christlikeness now (cf. Eph_1:4; Eph_2:10)! We were chosen to be "holy and blameless." God chooses to change us so that others may see the change and respond by faith to Him in Christ. Predestination is not a personal privilege but a covenantal responsibility!
▣ "to become conformed to the image of His Son" This is a major truth of this passage. This is the goal of Christianity (cf. Rom_8:9; 2Co_3:11; Gal_4:19; Eph_1:4; Eph_2:10; Eph_4:13; 1Th_3:13; 1Th_4:3; 1Pe_1:15). Holiness is God's will for every believer. God's election is to Christlikeness (cf. Eph_1:4), not a special standing. The image of God which was given to humanity in creation (cf. Gen_1:26; Gen_5:1; Gen_5:3; Gen_9:6) is to be restored (cf. Col_3:10). See note at Rom_8:21 and hyperlink at Rom_1:6.
▣ "that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" In Psa_89:27 "first-born" is a title for the Messiah. In the OT the first born son had preeminence and privilege. The term was used in Col_1:15 to show Jesus' preeminence in creation and in Col_1:18 and Rev_1:5 to show Jesus preeminence in resurrection. In this text believers are, through Him, brought into His preeminence!
This term does not refer to Jesus' incarnation, but to Him as the head of a new race (cf. Rom_5:12-21), the first in a series, the trail blazer of our faith, the channel of the Father's blessing to the family of faith! See Special Topic below.
hyperlink
Rom_8:30 "glorified" God is often described in the Bible by the term "glory." The term came from a commercial root word that meant "heavy" and by implication, valuable, like gold. See Special Topic at Rom_3:23. Theologically God is redeeming fallen mankind through a series of steps listed in Rom_8:29-30. The last step is "glorification." This will be the believers' complete salvation. It will occur on Resurrection Day when they are given their new spiritual bodies (cf. 1Co_15:50-58) and are united fully with the Triune God and each other (cf. 1Th_4:13-18; 1Jn_3:2).
Often the process mentioned in Rom_8:29-30 is put into theological categories.
1. justification, Rom_8:30 - freed from the penalty of sin (adoption, heirs, Rom_8:16-17)
2. sanctification (i.e., "conformed to the image of His Son"), Rom_8:29 - freed from the power of sin (Christlike living)
3. glorification, Rom_8:30 - freed from the presence of sin (i.e., heaven)