{"id":2016,"date":"2026-06-23T16:44:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zamarministries.org\/?p=2016"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T18:03:46","slug":"test-bible-studies-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zamarministries.org\/fr\/test-bible-studies-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Resolving the Supposed Conflict between Predestination and Free Will"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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-Jerry Riggin, May 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

jerry@silasministries.org<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Standard Disclaimer: <\/em><\/strong>Don\u2019t believe anything AI (or I) say.  Be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and study the scripture to see if it is true. I don\u2019t want to get in trouble, teachers are judged more harshly. See James 3:1 and Revelation 22:18-19.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The verse that exemplifies this supposed conflict is primarily Romans 8:29-30, though there are many others.[1]<\/a>  Note that the same Greek root word, \u201cprooriz\u014d, \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03b3\u03b9\u03bd\u03ce\u03c3\u03ba\u03c9\u201d is used for both \u201cforeknew\u201d and \u201cpredestined\u201d in the following passage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romans 8:29-30<\/p>\n\n\n\n

29 <\/sup><\/strong>For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become<\/em> conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters<\/em>; 30 <\/sup><\/strong>and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (NASB)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be clear to you that the bible is from an extra-terrestrial source that is outside of time. God knew end of time and everything that would happen from the beginning.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 1:11, Romans 9:11-16, Acts 13:48, John 6:37, John 6:44, John 6:65, 1 Peter 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:9, Deuteronomy 30:19, Joshua 24:15, 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 22:17, John 3:16, Matthew 23:37, John 5:40, Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32, Acts 17:30    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> Isiah 42:9, 46:10, Psalm 139:16 and many<\/em> more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I confess I am addicted to the Word of God and am a bible geek.  When I get a string like this I MUST pull on it until it unravels.  You could rightly say I have bible OCD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on my research into the multiple translations of the Greek in different versions of new and Old Testament texts (LXX, Masoretic, Textus Receptus, Critical Text, etc.) I believe Romans 8:29-30 would be best translated into complete modern English as follows[1]<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the beginning of time[2]<\/a>, God knew us and loved us because He created us in His image.  He knew if we would love Him of our own free will or not before the beginning of time, so he made a unilateral, eternal covenant with those that would love Him that He would not blot their name out of the Lambs Book of Life[3]<\/a>.  Those who would love Him accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And because He knew that, He made a plan for our lives that included our justification (forgiveness of our sin), then our sanctification (being constantly refined to more perfectly reflect His image, which can often be painful) then our glorification through doing what He calls us to do so we can cast that glory at His feet when we meet Him.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, there is no conflict or tension between predestination and free will if you view it from a perpective outside of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My conjecture is that EVERYONE\u2019s name is written into the Lamb\u2019s Book of Life the instant God conceives them. Names are blotted out when they have not surrendered their hearts to the Lord before physical death.  In doing so He predestined them for Heaven or the Lake of Fire[5]<\/a>, because he knew in advance who would not<\/em> and who would<\/em> love Him and give Him their lives in the future. But that doesn\u2019t really change anything practical: You must give your life and love to the Lord of your own free will to be justified and saved from the Lake of Fire.  Your opinion about free will and predestination does not matter for salvation. The only real danger about this is to stop praying for someone\u2019s salvation because, after a while, you may feel God has not chosen them for salvation. But even if that is true, it is not possible for you to know.<\/em> Only God would know, and all things happen according to His schedule, not ours.  ANYONE can choose, of their own free will, to accept Christ (See John 3:16.) It just means God knew it before it happened.  After all, IMHO, God gave us free will SO we could choose to love Him or not.  Paul\u2019s other writings seem to indicate God gave those He predestined a position to play in the Kingdom. You have a guaranty of Heaven when you accept Christ, but you get sanctification and rewards in Heaven based on how well you hold the position He gave you. 

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that is for another teaching.  Attachments follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/a> See attachment \u201cHermeneutics and AI\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> See attachment \u201cGod Knew Us Before the Beginning of Time\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> Exodus 32:32-33, Psalm 69:28, Daniel 12:1, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> Revelation 8:10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hermeneutics and AI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My primary law of Hermeneutics is \u201cScripture interprets Scripture\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Jerry Riggin, May 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard Disclaimer: <\/em><\/strong>Don\u2019t believe anything AI (or I) say.  Be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and study the scripture to see if it is true. I don\u2019t want to get in trouble. See James 3:1 and Revelation 22:18-19.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following is edited by me and uses information produced by Grok AI in my project \u201cBible Study\u201d which has these primary instructions\/guard rails:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUse only biblical sources and reliable Christian commentary by authors like John Macarthur, Chuck Missler, Mark Correll, John Lennox, Allen Nolan, Chuck Smith and other Calvary Chapel teachers.  Use commentaries by Jamieson Fausset and Brown (JFB) Critical and Experimental Commentary, Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, The Pulpit Commentary as edited by H.D.M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, Matthew Poole\u2019s Annotations and John Gill\u2019s Exposition. Always note discrepancies between authors you use and any divergence from their teachings and the bible itself. For the Old Testament, reference the Septuagint and note discrepancies between the Septuagint and Masoretic texts. In the New Testament, note any difference between Textus Receptus, Critical Text and Majority Text.  You may use Josephus and verified historical and archaeological findings, including geographical, political and societal findings relevant to the time period of the question, but only when asked to do so.  You may also use observational science, but never consensus science, across any discipline when asked to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hermeneutics<\/strong> is the science (or systematic methodology) of interpreting text like the Bible\u2014specifically, the principles and rules for discovering the God-given meaning in Scripture rather than imposing our own ideas onto it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The English word comes directly from the biblical Greek verb herm\u0113neu\u014d<\/em> (\u1f11\u03c1\u03bc\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5\u03cd\u03c9), which means \u201cto interpret, translate, or give the sense\/meaning.\u201d This same word appears in Luke 24:27, where the risen Lord Jesus \u201cbeginning at Moses and all the prophets\u2026 expounded<\/em> [herm\u0113neu\u014d] unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.\u201d In that encounter on the Emmaus road, Christ Himself modeled hermeneutics by drawing the true meaning out of the Old Testament (referencing the Septuagint text used by the early church) and showing its Christ-centered intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John MacArthur defines it this way: \u201cHermeneutics is the science of Bible interpretation\u2026 It operates under fixed rules. That is the crucial science behind all accurate doctrine, all sound doctrine that is faithful to the Word of God.\u201d He stresses that the interpreter\u2019s task is exegesis<\/em> (to \u201clead out\u201d the meaning already present in the text) rather than eisegesis<\/em> (reading one\u2019s own meaning into the text). Proper hermeneutics begins with the conviction that God communicated clearly and intentionally through human authors in their historical, grammatical, and literary context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chuck Missler similarly describes hermeneutics as \u201cyour theory of interpretation,\u201d emphasizing a literal approach wherever the plain sense makes sense, while always letting Scripture interpret Scripture. He notes that our worldview and presuppositions inevitably shape how we read, but faithful hermeneutics guards against those biases by anchoring everything to the text itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calvary Chapel teachers (led by Chuck Smith and others) do not often use the technical term \u201chermeneutics,\u201d but their entire philosophy of ministry rests on it. They practice verse-by-verse, expository teaching\u2014reading the Word, \u201cgiving the sense,\u201d and causing the people to understand the meaning (echoing Nehemiah 8:8). This is exactly what the Bible calls the gift of \u201cinterpretation\u201d (herm\u0113neia) in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and 14:26. Their distinctive is the grammatical-historical, literal method: \u201cIf the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense, lest it be nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biblical foundation<\/strong> (all authors cited above are in full agreement here):<\/p>\n\n\n\n