So in what context do you read Romans 8:28-30?
IN the context of Romans 1:1 - 16:27 So I notice that Romans 3:23 mentions two problem that need solving: All have sinned, and all have fallen short of God's glory. Romans 1-7 explains how Jesus fixed the sin issue. Romans 8-16 explains how God deals with the glory issue. Romans 8 is about those who love God because they believe and understand that He paid for the sins of the whole world, so that any who are willing may come into communion with God. Romans 8 is about the process of being glorified (v. 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified with Him. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the
glory which shall be revealed in us.)
In Romans 8:19-27, Paul lays out the reasons we can have strong hope and confidence that God will complete our transformation into glorious joint-heirs with Christ.
v. 19-22 The whole creation is yearning for healing, and that will only be fully realised when the sons of God are fully glorified.
v. 23-25 We ourselves are yearning for a glorified resurrection body.
v. 26-27 The Holy Spirit is yearning and interceding for us to God on our behalf.
v. 28 So (de), we know that all things are working together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.
v. 29 For whom he foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Rom 8:30 So (de), whom he predestinates (at some point: aorist aspect) he also calls (at some point: aorist) ; and whom he calls (at some point: aorist), he also justifies (at some point: aorist); and whom he justifies (at some point: aorist) he also glorifies (at some point: aorist).
Romans 8:28-30 is addressing "those who already love God", so it is those who have understood and believed in the justification by faith explained in chapters 1-7, and made available to all in the universal propitiation of sin by Christ.
Rom. 8:28-29 These are already regenerate. For them all things work together for good, because they are called to the purpose of being conformed to the image and glory of Christ. For those regenerate ones, i.e. the present body of faith that He foreknew/anticipated would come into being in Christ, upon regeneration He set as their destiny to be conformed to the image and glory of Christ, making them truly brothers in nature to Jesus. The
glory issue is being solved by the process of
sanctification. Those whom God has predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (glorified), who are those who love God and are already justified and regenerated.
Rom 8:30 So (de), whom he predestinates (at some point: aorist aspect) he also calls (at some point: aorist) ; and whom he calls (at some point: aorist), he also justifies (at some point: aorist); and whom he justifies (at some point: aorist) he also glorifies (at some point: aorist).
The aorist does not specify when in time the action occurred, and considers the action at a single point in time. Context must clarify when that single point in time happens.
The temporal order of the actions according to chapters 1 to 8 and the rest of the New Testament is -
1. God atones for all the sins of all men in the death of Christ; Rom. 3:23-24; 5;18
2. God calls all to put their trust in the crucified and risen Christ; Rom 1:6, 16
3. God justifies and regenerates those who put their trust in the crucified and resurrected Christ; Rom 3:25-30
4. God predestines those who are justified and regenerated to be further sanctified/glorified, being changed from glory to glory Rom. 1:7; 5:1-2
5. God glorifies fully at the resurrection of the just those who were justified and choose to be sanctified through suffering with Christ . Rom. 6:5;
So what do we make of v. 8:30 ?
The conjunction "de" is not
cumulative "and", but has an
opposing or
adversative force "but" or "so".
I see this verse as summarising the force of the argument just made.
Paul begins from where the saints presently are: justified and in the process of sanctification toward glory
In other words, "So, YOU/whom He predestinated to conformity to Christ at the point of regeneration, He called at an earlier point through the preaching of the gospel; And YOU/whom He called at some point through the gospel, He justified at the point that YOU/they believe in the crucified and resurrected Son; And YOU/those whom He justified at the point YOU/they believed in the Son, He glorifies fully at the point of resurrection.
Predestination is not from eternity past. And foreknowing is not knowing the names of all glorified saints before creation or before they were born, but is anticipating the body of believers growing in Christ. The body of Christ that God anticipated would come into being, He predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus.