作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the
Christian Faith》p.153 , 更新傳道會出版。
很少有教義像預定一樣，會引起那麼多的爭論。這是一個很難解釋的教義，因此需要小心處理，但它也是一 項非常重要的聖經教義，因此不容我們忽視。
其實所有的基督教教會都有其對於預定的教義，這是無可避免的，因為預定是聖經的概念，只是不同教會對預定的意義有不同的看法，例如，衛理公會與路德會看法就不同，而路德會又與長老會有異。雖然觀點不同，但大家也都試著解決這個困難的教義。
預定教義的基本看法就是，我們最終的結局— 去天堂或地獄—是神決定的；而且神不只是在我們走完人生道路之前作了此決定，更是在我們尚未出生以前，就已經決定了這事。預定的教義指出，我們的終局決定在神手裏。換一 種方式說，從亙古以前，早在我們存在之先，神已經決定要拯救人類中的某些人，而任憑其餘的人滅亡。神作了一 個決定—選擇讓一 些人得享天上永遠的福氣，卻任憑其餘的人滅亡，嘗其罪惡的苦果，在地獄裏永遠受苦 。
很多教會都接受這個定義。但這問題的核心，究竟神是怎樣選擇的？按非改革宗的觀點，也就是大多數基督徒的觀點，認為神是根據祂的預知作出選擇。神只揀選那些祂知道會選擇祂的人得享永生，這稱為預定論的先見說。
改革宗的看法則不同，他們視救恩的最終決定權在神，而不在我們。若根據這種看法，則只有神能作全權的揀選，祂的揀選與祂的先見無關，也與人類的回應無關。這些決定完全出於神全權的恩典。
改革宗認為，若由人自己來決定，沒有一個墮落的人會選擇神。雖然墮落的人也有自由意志，可以自己作選擇，但問題是我們不會覺得需要神，除非我們被重生了，否則不會選擇基督。信心是隨著重生而來的一個禮物，因此只有蒙神揀選的人，才會以信心回應福音。
蒙揀選的人是因為自己先蒙神揀選之後，才選擇相信基督。正如雅各和 以掃的例子，雅各之蒙揀選完全是因為這是神的美意，而不是根據他曾做或將會做甚麼來定。保羅這樣說：
不但如此，還有利百加，既從一 個人，就是從我們的祖宗以撒懷了孕（雙子還沒有生下來，善惡還沒有作出來，只因要顯明神揀選人的旨意：不在乎人的行為，乃在乎召人的主），神就對利百加說： 「將來大的要服事小的。」… … 據此看來，這不在乎那定意的，也不在乎那奔跑的，只在乎發憐憫的神。 （羅 9: 10-12,16)
令人難以接受神的預定之主要原因，在於神並沒有揀選每個人得救。祂決定要憐憫誰，就憐憫誰。只有一 部分墮落的人類得蒙神揀選的恩典和憐憫，神卻任憑其餘的人在罪中滅亡。不蒙揀選的人受到公平的審判，蒙揀選的人得著神的憐憫；沒有人遭不公平的待遇。神 沒有義務對所有人一 律對待；決定如何選擇施行憐憫的是神，然而祂絕不會待任何人不公平（見 羅 9 ：14-15
) 。
總結
1. 神的預定是個很難解釋的教義，必須小心處理。
2 .神的預定教義是聖經的教導。
3 .許多基督徒是從神的預知去解釋神的預定。
4 .改革宗不從神的預知來解釋聖經的神的預定教義。
5 . 神的預定是根據神的揀選，而不是人的揀選。
6 .未重生的人不會有揀選基督的意願。
7 . 神並未揀選每個人得救，祂要憐憫誰就憐憫誰。
8 .神沒有不公平地待任何人。
思考經文：
箴16：
4； 約 13 ：18；羅8: 30 ；弗 1 : 3- 14 ；帖後2 :1 3 - 15
Predestination
Few
doctrines spark as much controversy or provoke as much consternation as the
doctrine of predestination. It is a difficult doctrine that demands to be
handled with great care and caution. Yet it is a biblical doctrine and
therefore demands to be handled. We dare not ignore it.
Virtually
all Christian churches have some doctrine of predestination. This is
unavoidable since the concept is clearly found in Holy Scripture. Those
churches, however, disagree, sometimes strongly, over its meaning. The
Methodist view differs from the Lutheran view, which disagrees with the
Presbyterian view. Though their views differ, each is trying to come to grips
with this difficult matter.
What
predestination means, in its most elementary form, is that our final
destination, heaven or hell, is decided by God not only before we get there,
but before we are even born. It teaches that our ultimate destiny is in the
hands of God. Another way of saying it is this: From all eternity, before we
even existed, God decided to save some members of the human race and to let the
rest of the human race perish. God made a choice—He chose some individuals to
be saved into everlasting blessedness in heaven and others He chose to pass
over, to allow them to follow the consequences of their sins into eternal
torment in hell.
Accepting
this definition is common to many churches. To get to the heart of the matter
one must ask, how does God choose? The non-Reformed view, held by the vast
majority of Christians, is that God makes that choice on the basis of His
foreknowledge. God chooses for eternal life those whom He knows will choose
Him. This is called the prescient view of predestination because it rests on
God's foreknowledge of human decisions or acts.
The
Reformed view differs in that it sees the ultimate decision for salvation
resting with God and not with us. In this view, God's election is sovereign. It
does not rest upon the foreseen decisions or responses of human beings. Indeed,
it sees those decisions as flowing from the sovereign grace of God.
The
Reformed view holds that, left to himself, no fallen person would ever choose
God. Fallen people still have a free will and are able to choose what they
desire. But the problem is that we have no desire for God and will not choose
Christ unless first regenerated. Faith is a gift that comes out of rebirth.
Only those who are elect will ever respond to the gospel in faith.
The
elect do choose Christ, but only because they were first chosen by God. As in
the case of Jacob and Esau, the elect are chosen solely on the basis of the
sovereign good pleasure of God and not on the basis of anything they have done
or will do. Paul declares:
And
not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our
father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or
evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,
but of Him who calls), it was said to her, "The older shall serve the
younger." . . . So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs,
but of God who shows mercy. (Romans 9:10-12, 16)
A
vexing problem with predestination is that God does not choose or elect to save
everybody. He reserves the right to have mercy upon whom He will have mercy.
Some of fallen humanity receive the grace and mercy of election. The rest God
passes over, leaving them in their sin. The nonelect receive justice. The elect
receive mercy. No one receives injustice. God is not obligated to be merciful
to any or to all alike. It is His decision how merciful He chooses to be. Yet
He is never guilty of being unrighteous toward anyone (see Romans 9:14-15).
1. Predestination is a difficult doctrine
and must be handled with care.
2. The Bible teaches the doctrine of
predestination.
3. Many Christians define predestination
in terms of God's foreknowledge.
4. The Reformed view does not consider
foreknowledge to be an explanation of biblical predestination.
5. Predestination is based upon God's
choice, not the choice of human beings.
6. Unregenerate people have no desire to
choose Christ.
7. God does not elect everybody. He
reserves the right to have mercy upon whom He pleases.
8. God treats no one unjustly.