Firstly, the Scripture extends the word proorizein to the wicked acts of those reprobates who procured the crucifixion of Christ-the son of man goeth kata to horismenon (Luke 22:22; Acts 4:28), Herod and Pontius Pilate did nothing but what the hand of God proorise to be done. Nor should an objection be made that it does not teach of their reprobation, but of the ordination of the crucifixion to a good end. The crucifixion of Our Lord—which is to us the means of salvation—was to the crucifiers the means of damnation, which depended on the most just decree of God.
Secondly, the Scripture uses equivalent phrases when it says that certain persons are appointed to wrath (1 Thess. 5:9; 1 Peter 2:8), fitted to destruction (Rom. 9:22), ordained to condemnation (Jude 4), made unto dishonor (Romans 9:21) and for the day of evil (Proverbs 16:4). If reprobation is described in these phrases, is it not proper that it be expressed by the word predestination?
Thirdly, because the definition of predestination—the ordination of a thing to its end by means before it comes to pass—is no less suitable to reprobation than to election.
The second word related to predestination which occurs more frequently is prognosis. Paul speaks of it more than once: whom he did foreknow (hous proegno), Rom. 8:29); he hath not cast away his people which proegna (Rom. 11:2); and they are called elect according to foreknowledge (kata prognosin, 1 Peter 1:2).
Given that ancient and more modern Pelagian leaning folks. for example Arminians, falsely abuse this word to establish the foresight of faith and works, one must observe that prognosin can be taken in two ways: either theoretically or practically.
In the theoretical way, prognosin is taken for God’s simple knowledge of future things, which is called prescience and pertains to God's intellect.
In the practical way, prognosin is taken for the practical love and decree which God formed concerning the salvation of particular persons and pertains to God's will. In this sense, knowledge is often used for delight and approbation (Psalm 1:6); John 10:14; 2 Timothy 2:19). Thus ginoskein signifies not only to know but also to know and to judge concerning a thing.
So when the Scripture uses the word prognoseos in the doctrine of predestination, it is not in the theoretical sense as to the bare foreknowledge of God by which He foresaw the faith or works of men. Rather it is taken in the practical sense for practical foreknowledge—the love and election of God—that we may not suppose it to be without reason, although the reasons of God's wisdom may escape us, in which manner Our Lord is said to have been foreknown [proegnsmenos], that is foreordained by God before the foundation of the world, 1 Pet. 1:20.
Again, in that benevolence and practical foreknowledge of God is distinguished two things: (1) the love and benevolence with which God pursues us; and (2) the decree itself by which God determined to unfold His love to us by the communication of salvation.
Therefore it happens in Scripture that prognosis is at one time taken broader for both (love and election, as in Rom. 8:29 and Rom. 11:2); at other times in Scripture, more strictly for love and favor which is the fountain and foundation of election. This is why Peter speaks of it when he says that believers are elect according to the foreknowledge (kata prognosin), that is, the love of God (1 Peter 1:2).
The word ekloges (election) which now and then occurs, is not always to be taken with the same significance as above. Sometimes election denotes a call to some political or sacred office (as Saul is elected (1 Samuel 10:24); Judas elected, to the Apostleship, John 6:70). Sometimes election designates an external election and separation of a certain people to the covenant of God, in which sense the people of Israel are said to be elected of God, Deut. 4:37.
But in this discussion about one's destiny, election is taken objectively for the elect themselves (as ekloge epetychen—the election—the elect hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, Romans 11:7); or formally for the act of God electing (which is called ekloge charitos, Romans 9:11). The act of God electing may be considered either in the antecedent decree from eternity or in the subsequent execution of the decree as it takes place only in time by calling. Our Lord refers to this in John 15:16: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you; and Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world (John 15:19).
In other words, we can join the decree and its execution by saying, We are elected before the foundation of the world by that predestination in which God foresaw his future things would take place; we are chosen out of the world however by that calling by which God fulfills what God has predestinated.
Election then, by the force of the word, is stricter than predestination. For all can predestined, but all cannot be elected because God who elects does not take all, but chooses a great number out of all. The election of a great number necessarily implies the passing and rejecting of others: Many are called, said Our Lord, but few chosen (Matthew 20:16); and likewise Paul, The election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded (Romans 11:7). Hence Paul uses the verb heilto to designate election, which implies the separation of some from others: God from the beginning heilto, that is, hath taken out and separated you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth (2 Thess. 2:13).
Fourthly, the word prothesis is often used by Paul in the matter of election to denote that this counsel of God is not an empty and inefficacious act of willing, but the constant, determined and immutable purpose of God (Romans 8:28; 9:11; Ephesians 1:11).
For the word prothesis is of the highest efficacy and is called distinctly by Paul prothesis tou ta energountos—the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11). Sometimes prothesis is applied to election as prothesis kat’ eklogen—the purpose of God according to election (Romans 9:11); and we are said to be predestinated (kata prothesin, Ephesians 1:11). Sometimes prothesis is joined with calling—who are the called according to his purpose (tois kata prosthesin kletois, Romans 8:28). For both election and calling depend and are built upon this purpose of God.
