Romans 8:29

Did foreknow [π ρ ο ε γ ν ω]. Five times in the New Testament. In all cases it means foreknow. Acts 26:5; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:17; Romans 11:2. It does not mean foreordain. It signifies prescience, not preelection. "It is God's being aware in His plan, by means of which, before the subjects are destined by Him to salvation, He knows whom He has to destine thereto" (Meyer). 46 It is to be remarked :

1. That proegnw foreknew is used by the apostle as distinct and different from predestinated [π ρ ο ω ρ ι σ ε ν].

2. That, strictly speaking, it is coordinate with foreordained. "In God is no before." All the past, present, and future are simultaneously present to Him. In presenting the two phases, the operation of God's knowledge and of His decretory will, the succession of time is introduced, not as metaphysically true, but in concession to human limitations of thought. Hence the coordinating force of kai also.

3. That a predetermination of God is clearly stated as accompanying or (humanly speaking) succeeding, and grounded upon the foreknowledge.

4. That this predetermination is to the end of conformity to the image of the Son of God, and that this is the vital point of the passage.

5. That, therefore, the relation between foreknowledge and predestination is incidental, and is not contemplated as a special point of discussion. God's foreknowledge and His decree are alike aimed at holy character and final salvation.

"O thou predestination, how remote Thy root is from the aspect of all those Who the First Cause do not behold entire! And you, O mortals! hold yourselves restrained In judging; for ourselves, who look on God, We do not known as yet all the elect; And sweet to us is such a deprivation, Because our good in this good is made perfect, That whatsoe'er God wills, we also will" DANTE, "Paradiso," 20, 130 - 138.

To be conformed [σ υ μ μ ο ρ φ ο υ ς]. With an inner and essential conformity. See on transfigured, Matthew 17:2.

To the image [τ η ς ε ι κ ο ν ο ς]. See on ch. Romans 1:23. In all respects, sufferings and moral character no less than glory. Compare vers. 18, 28, 31, and see Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 14:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2; 1 John 3:3. "There is another kind of life of which science as yet has taken little cognizance. It obeys the same laws. It builds up an organism into its own form. It is the Christ - life. As the bird - life builds up a bird, the image of itself, so the Christ - life builds up a Christ, the image of Himself, in the inward nature of man.... According to the great law of conformity to type, this fashioning takes a specific form. It is that of the Artist who fashions. And all through life this wonderful, mystical, glorious, yet perfectly definite process goes on 'until Christ be formed' in it" (Drummond, " Natural Law in the Spiritual World ").

First - born [π ρ ω τ ο τ ο κ ο ν]. See on Revelation 1:5. Compare Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18, note.