49: Unlearning Augustine: Reclaiming Paul’s First-Century Message of Predestination

For centuries, Western theology has been shaped by Augustinian thought, but what if returning to Paul’s first-century perspective on predestination changes everything? In this episode, we unpack Ephesians 1:3-5 and challenge common misconceptions. Predestination isn’t about arbitrary selection—it’s about God’s predetermined plan to adopt all who choose to be “in Christ.” Join us as we explore the historical roots of these doctrines, the influence of Augustine on the Reformers, and the biblical vision of election as an open invitation rather than exclusion.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical
sermons or Bible studies.

(00:20):
My name is Eddie Lawrence.
Over the last few episodes, we focused on
what Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 through
5 does not mean
concerning predestination.
In this episode, let's
focus on what it does mean.

(00:43):
Very often, in order to embrace biblical
truth, we have to first unlearn errors.
Erroneus teachings cloud our
understanding, and we've got to sweep
those away and
replace them with Scripture.
Surprisingly, many errors in western

(01:03):
churches trace back to
the Protestant Reformation.
This quote of N.T. Reitz
hits the nail right on the head.
For too long, we have read Scripture with
19th century eyes and
16th century questions.
It's time to get back to reading with
first century eyes and

(01:24):
21st century questions.
This is the problem. We're focused on the
philosophies of the Protestant Reformers,
who themselves were grappling with the
issues of their day.
One key mistake they made was relying on
Augustine's teachings.
Augustine, who was a major influence on

(01:46):
several Reformers, was the person who
successfully introduced
Gnostic ideas into the church.
These were ideas that earlier Christian
leaders had fought against for centuries.
Instead of looking primarily to the
teachings of Jesus and his apostles, the

(02:07):
problem the Reformers tripped over was
that they filtered Scripture through
Augustine's false teachings. What we need
now is a return to the first century
Jewish roots of our Christian faith. We
must reject centuries of corrupt
teachings that stray from the Scripture.

(02:27):
In this episode, let's skip over what the
Protestant Reformers thought this passage
meant and try to understand what it meant
to the first century Christians.
In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, Paul
writes, "Just as he chose us in him
before the foundation of the world, that

(02:48):
we would be holy and
blameless before him."
The choosing that Paul is talking about,
which is sometimes called "election," the
choosing mentioned here does not refer to
choosing individuals for salvation apart
from their own choices.
Instead, God has chosen
Christ as the means of salvation.

(03:11):
To be chosen in Him means that God has
provided a way of salvation through
Christ to all who choose to be in Christ
by means of obedient faith.
Verse 5 states that the key purpose of
God choosing all who are in Christ is,
"He predestined us to adoption as sons

(03:34):
through Jesus Christ to Himself."
Adoption isn't a
secondary aspect of salvation.
It's the goal.
When Paul speaks of adoption as sons, he
refers to the legal standing of believers
as heirs of God's promises.
This adoption is available

(03:54):
to all who are in Christ.
It's the result of choosing to trust in
Christ, which brings
believers into God's family.
Adoption in the ancient world meant that
an adopted child received all the rights
and privileges of a natural-born child.
In the same way, God adopts believers as

(04:17):
His children and grants
them full rights as heirs.
Ephesians 1.5 speaks of God's
predestination of believers to adoption
as sons. The predestination Paul refers
to is not about God choosing certain
individuals for salvation

(04:37):
and others for damnation.
Rather, it's God's predetermined plan to
bring all who are in Christ into His
family. This is the
essence of God's predestination.
He has chosen the means of salvation, and
that means is Jesus Christ.

(04:59):
God includes all who choose to be in
Christ through faith in His predestined
plan. This aligns with passages like 2
Timothy 1.9 which says,
Who has saved us and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and

(05:19):
grace, which was granted to us in Christ
Jesus from all eternity.
The call to salvation through Christ has
been God's plan from the beginning.
The blessings of adoption and inheritance
are the result of being included in this
plan, which is
accessible to all who believe.

(05:40):
The passage clearly states that anyone
who chooses to be in Christ can receive
salvation and the blessings of adoption.
God's intention is for all to have the
opportunity to be part of His family. The
universal offer is
foundational to the Christian message.
In 1 Timothy 2 verse 4 Paul writes,

(06:04):
Who desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth.
God's heart is that all who would come to
salvation through Christ.
Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 through 5
highlights the inclusive nature of God's
plan, which invites everyone to respond

(06:24):
to His call. The blessings of being in
Christ are not contingent upon God's
arbitrary selection of certain
individuals, but on the personal decision
to place one's trust in Jesus Christ.
Christ extends the offer to all, and
every individual has the choice to accept

(06:45):
it or not. Those who accept it are in
Christ and will be adopted as sons. This
is the biblical
concept of predestination.
Paul's point is not that God predestines
individuals to be saved or lost. What
he's writing about is that God has

(07:08):
predestined all those who are in Christ
to be adopted as sons.
This passage teaches that God has chosen
Christ as the means of salvation and is
predestined that all who are in Christ
will receive the blessings
of adoption as His children.

(07:29):
Ben Witherington notes that this idea is
similar to the election of Israel.
The concept here is not radically
different from the concept of the
election of Israel. During the Old
Testament era, if one was in Israel, one
was a part of God's chosen people, and if
one had no such connection, one was not

(07:49):
elect. Individual persons within Israel
could opt out by means of apostasy, and
others could be grafted
in. See the story of Ruth.
Like Israel's selection, that is,
election, the New Testament speaks of our
selection as being corporate.

(08:10):
The choice to be in Christ through
obedient faith is the key to receiving
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
realms that Paul mentioned in verse 3.
The purpose of God's election is not to
exclude, but to offer an inclusive
invitation to all who believe.

(08:32):
Adoption as sons and heirs is the goal,
and this adoption is available to anyone
who makes the choice to trust in Christ.
In Christ, God guarantees believers the
blessings of His family,
both now and in eternity.
As 1 John 3.1 declares,

(08:53):
"See how great a love the Father has
bestowed on us, that we would be called
children of God, and such we are."
Thanks for listening to the podcast. We
hope this episode has deepened your
understanding of scripture. If you found
this content valuable, please share it
with your friends. For more biblical

(09:15):
studies, visit our website at
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studying your Bible, growing closer to

(09:36):
God, and getting ready for
eternity. See you next time.