Why We Believe

Before discussing the scriptural position on Providence, we will first view how Determinism plays itself out in Stoic philosophy. Stoic philosophy originated with Zeno who taught at the Painted Porch (stoa) in Athens beginning in 302 BC. Stoicism was a philosophy of ecumenism, brotherhood of man, and the international state made possible by Alexander’s conquest of the “inhabited world”.

The Stoics believed everything that exists comes from a Supreme Power (Zeus or some unnamed deity) and all that exists is derivative of that deity.¹ Man’s nature is akin to the Divine (pantheism). The universe at the end of every world-cycle was reabsorbed into the Divine and started over again. Time is cyclical: History repeats itself. Everything is determined. However, the logical outcome of determinism is antinomianism (that is, without free will there can be no morality).

The Stoics solved the problem of determinism through Duty: Man had free will, but it was his imperative duty to employ it so as to approximate to the divine will. Submission or going one’s own way made no difference in the material sphere (cycle not broken). However, one could attain to wisdom as he came to recognize the right way to go and thus find peace of mind. Free exercise of one’s own will brings one in unison with the Deity’s will.²

Scripture on God’s Providence

The scriptural doctrine of God’s Providence arises from the doctrine of creation. It would appear incredible to think that God would take the trouble to speak the world into existence, pronounce his approval (Genesis 1:31 “God saw… it was very good”) and then abandon His creation.

Scriptures such as Genesis 8:22, Job 26:10, Psalm 104:5-15 and Isaiah 40:12-14 all show God as not only a preserver and sustainer of creation, but One intimately involved in the affairs of His created order. This truth, of course, precludes any doctrine of deism, which would understand God as uninvolved in the creation after the creation was finished.³ The deist would understand God as like a clockmaker who wound up his clock and then went elsewhere—his clock left to itself.

Foreknowledge

Foreknowledge (proginõskõ⁴ aorist for proegnõn) means to know already, know beforehand; choose from the beginning, choose beforehand). The English “prognosis” is a medical term meaning, “predict the probable course of a disease.” Paul understands foreknowledge as relating “the aspect of a personal relationship with a group which originates in God himself.” Foreknowledge is an exhibition of God’s love.⁵ Bound up in the meaning of the word is not only knowledge but choice.

Romans 11:2. “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah-- how he appealed to God against Israel (NIV).” Foreknowledge exhibits God’s election and love for Israel which prevents their final rejection.

1 Peter 1:20. “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (NIV).” Christ was foreknown.⁶ The election of Christians was according to the foreknowledge of God the Father into a group in relation to Christ the one foreknown (1 Peter 1:2).

Acts 2:23. “This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross (NIV).” The events leading up to Christ’s death were all part of God’s plan. There are no surprises to God. God experienced before it happened.

Predestination

Predestination (proorizõ) means to decide from the beginning or beforehand, to set apart from the beginning or beforehand. From the Greek we get the English work “horizon,” or boundary between the earth and the sky. It literally means “set the boundaries beforehand.” In Romans 8:28 the call of God is grounded in a prior decree: A revelation as to the outcome of God’s dealings. We can make choices within the boundaries that God has set up beforehand, but there is no way to defeat the purpose of God. The purpose of God led to the setting of boundaries limiting our options so that His purposes would be met. We have no control over our heredity, and for the most part, we have no control over our environment. Because both foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, there is no way that God’s foreknowledge can determine His predestination as some might suppose. There is no prior for either one.

Romans 8:28-30. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified (NIV).” God had a purpose in mind and grounds His call to the believer in His purpose. Note: the purpose exists before the call (v. 28).