January 17 THE WORD FOR TODAY Foreknowledge proginoskō Here is one more of those “controversial” terms, but there is again no need for debate. A common belief is that foreknowledge simply means “prior knowledge,” just knowing something before it happens. But that simply is not so. The Greek word proginoskō (G4267) also carries the idea of foreordination. A good example is found in Act_2:23, where Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost and reminding the Jews about Jesus: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Now, is Peter saying that God foreknew in eternity past that Christ would die on the cross? Is he saying that God simply looked down through time and said, “Oh, yes, I see that they will put my Son to death.” Obviously not. What Peter is saying is that Christ died on the cross because God purposefully sent Him to do so. The construction of the verse further bears this out. “Determinate” is from horizō (which we studied yesterday), and “counsel” is from boulē (G1012), which in Classical Greek referred to an officially convened, decision-making council. Therefore, God, who is His own “decision-making council,” purposefully set up boundaries in which men could act. Deeper and more blessed, however, is that the root ginoskō means “to know by experience” and often is practically synonymous with love and intimacy. Mat_1:25, for example, says that Joseph “did not know” Mary before Jesus was born, that is, they had not yet been physically intimate. Jesus used the same word in Mat_7:23 where He speaks of those who have professed to be believers but are not: “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (emphasis added). This is exactly what we see in 1Pe_1:1-2: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” Some insist this just means prior knowledge, but now notice 1Pe_1:20: “[Christ] verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” This is significant because the Greek for foreordained is the same word for foreknowledge in 1Pe_1:2. Therefore, it’s obvious that this doesn’t mean that God simply foresaw that Christ would be manifested. Rather, He was, as we are, foreordained and foreknown by an intimate relationship before the foundation of the world. What a staggering truth! Scriptures for Study: In Rom_8:29-30, which action of God is first in the progression? In light of today’s study, how does that action strike you? In Rom_11:1-24, what people has God not “cast away”? What will He do in the future?
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 07:33:49 +0000
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