Romans 8:30 “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Standing in a line to board a ferry in Southhampton, England, I overheard a man say “He’s in the q.” At that point I had spent enough time in the United Kingdom to know sometimes the British use words unlike we use in the U.S., not that one was right and the other wrong, just different. The queue actually meant in American English, the line.
The British also use the term “fortnight” which means two weeks. In the U.K. a chip is called a crisp and a biscuit is a cookie. A solicitor in America is a salesperson, while in England one is a lawyer.
A casket in England is a small box used to contain valuables or jewelry. A jumper is a sweater and trainers are shoes. The boot is the trunk of a car and braces are suspenders.
These are just a few examples but we can clearly see words and one’s connotation of them can make a tremendous difference in understanding.
Speaking in churches in several countries, I’ve needed an interpreter. In a service in Colon, Cuba, I suddenly realized my wording would not translate and I stopped the interpreter before he attempted to explain to the congregation.
Later I was asked how I knew so quickly my words would not translate. It was because of the many meanings of words in English and their transitioning into Español.
In several African countries, interpreters talked five minutes to explain one short sentence. I should have realized what I had said would not translate using the same number of words.
I once thought I spoke the English language. That was before I spent time in Ireland and South Africa. The people in both those countries speak English but I cannot understand a word being said.
A friend from Massachusetts pronounces the letter “R” as “ah.” I have to pay close attention to understand what he is saying.
This all being said, we must understand, at times people become tangled and confused at wording. This is especially true when communicating with people from other countries or geographical areas. Extended time spans also make a tremendous difference.
Misinterpretation and misunderstanding is common and very likely at times have to led to altercations and even wars. Confusion in language translation can develop into many problems.
English words can have multiple meanings in other languages. The Hebrew word for day is yom. Yom has multiple meanings. For example, it can mean a literal 24 hour day, a generation or an unspecified period of time.
The Hebrew word “ebed’ means slave, assistant or servant. We can clearly see the confusion in colonial America over Leviticus 25: 39-55 and Ephesians 6: 5-6.
When we consider the King James Version of the Bible was first published in 1611, in England, it only makes sense that the wordage from 400 years ago in England might be confusing to us today in America. A different time and a different place can make a tremendous amount of difference.
Romans 8: 33 “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”
Romans chapter eight has left many with the belief that God chooses and foreknew and selected who would go to Heaven and who would not. The word “elect” in verse thirty-three (see the scripture above) has led to great divisions in the church.
The Hebrew word “bachar” can mean to choose, elect, select, decide, or chosen. Choose, select or decide denotes an action by an individual which indicates it is a verb.
“The Church” is, all those that are believer-followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is a time in recent history that Christians must not be divided, it is now (Matthew 24: 9).
The correct meaning of the word “elect” indicates individuals elect (choose) for themselves, individually and personally, whether or not to believe in Christ Jesus crucified for the remission of sin and resurrected.
We have a choice and freedom to choose many concepts, ideologies, theories and hypothesis in which to have an opinion or belief. Possibly the word “elect” has been confused with “select.”
Perhaps “elect” was a poor choice of words for King James to use in verse 33, but for now, we have to deal with it. The confusion that exists concerning this word has left many with the attitude, “If God has already determined where I’ll spend eternity, why should I believe anything?”
“Whosoever” in John 3: 16 clearly means every one of us, all eight billion of us. We all have a choice but someone must tell us of the Gospel and how we may have eternal salvation.
Had God Jesus (John 1: 1, John 10: 30) already chosen who was to be saved and who was not, why did He state the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18-20. Acts 1: 8)?
Romans 8: 29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” There is a distinctive difference in “what God knows” and “what God determines.” God well knows who will and who will not believe but they/we still have freedom to choose. God knows the future which includes our future choices.
God knew Eve would be tempted by the serpent and would partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet he left the choice with her and Adam; they chose wrong.
Had He already chosen, why did Jesus have to die on the cross? In reading specifics on death by crucifixion, I’m very sure He would have found being nailed to a cross and suffering for six hours as unnecessary.
If you noticed in verse 30 (the leading scripture), the word “predestined” is used but then it is defined. The referring is to those He has specifically called into service. In today’s world we would likely think of that as a vocational or avocational choice. We must also consider the choices of words in the many versions of the Bible.
Did God know a thousand years ago (or a million years) that I was going to be ordained as a Gospel evangelist, preach in His churches and write hundreds of articles promoting His Gospel? I think He did!
1 Timothy 2: 3-4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Van Yandell is a retired industrial arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary. He is part of the Bible Connection series. His email is vmy2121@outlook.com.
