GOOD CONDUCT- predestination

Question 1

where is idea from

Answer 1

• developed from view god is omnipotent/omniscient
• biblical authors believed all power & knowledge were in god’s hands as creator as god controls all he must also control all of history including lives of every being created
• predestination appears in more explicit form in NT e.g. Paul in Romans 8:28-30 “who are called according to his purpose”

Question 2

issue with predestination - clashes with human free will

Answer 2

• genesis 1:26-7 Christians derive belief humans created in God’s image & for most christians includes ability to be moral beings
• we can only be morally good by ‘choosing’ the good
• if people do good work for fear of punishment then not free choice
• word ‘hell’ in NT mainly translates to gloomy pit or darkness
• if humans freely choose to reject God then torment awaits
• why should christians have good moral conduct when god has already decided that they will go to heaven or hell

Question 3

issue with predestination - inevitable result of view God is omniscient

Answer 3

• problem - if god is omniscient then he must have known in advance to creating world who is worthy of heaven/hell
• if god is sure of success then appears human have no real freedom to reject God since in end no one rejects God
• god knows who will freely accept him & are predestined to salvation as if god knows you’ll make a certain choice at a certain time you can’t avoid it
• pelaguis argued God’s gift of grace to humanity is simply gift of free will so humans therefore need no help from god for choosing good or evil so on this view predestination is redundant so humans fully responsible for actions

Question 4

pelagius

Answer 4

• argued everything god created was good - couldn’t possibly have created humanity in state of original sin
• predestination nothing more than moral nonsense
• humans need no help choosing between good and evil
• what would be point of god creating humans with such free will if we can’t make free choices

Question 5

augustine

Answer 5

• disagreed with pelaguis
• insisted it isn’t by humans merit that the elect are predestined to god’s kingdom
• because god is all-kmowing his fore knowledge means he knows who will be saved
• doctrine of double predestination - god predestines some to god’s kingdom through his grace but leaves others immersed in their sin to be condemned to hell

Question 6

calvin

Answer 6

• doctrine of predestination reached its most familiar form through work of john calvin during portestant reformation