the usage of PROGINOSKW in 1 Pet 1:2&20

Jay Adkins JAdkins264 at aol.com
Tue Mar 30 09:49:59 EST 1999


On 03/29/99, ""Lee Nunes" <leem at massed.net>" wrote:
> Can anyone tell me the reason for the translation of PROGINOSKW as 
"foreordained" in 1 Pet 1:20, when it is translated "foreknow" in many 
other places? (1 Pet 1:2, Rom 8, Rom 11:2)  Don't worry about appearing to
be Calvinist or Arminian, I just want to know what the nature of 
PROGINOSKW
is, and how this may support either view.  Is Peter's usage unique?  Or is
it used similar ways in other literature?>

I know of no grammatical reason for the KJV using ‘foreordained' in this 
verse.  Consider how other translations have handled this word in 1 Peter 
1:20:

(NASB)	‘foreknown'
(NIV) 	‘chosen'
(NKJV) 	‘foreordained'
(NRSV)	‘destined'. 
(RSV)   ‘destined'
(WEY)	‘pre-destined'
(YLT) 	‘foreknown'
(ASV)   ‘foreknown'
(BBE) 	‘Who was marked out by God'
(DBY) 	‘foreknown'
(NEB) 	‘predestined'
(TCNT)	‘destined'

The answer may be due to a hermeneutic principle not grammatical.  That 
principle would be the one where Scripture interprets Scripture.  The 
passage I believe you were referring to in Rom 8 is Rom 8:29 where we 
read;

Roma 8:29 (NASU) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to 
become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the 
firstborn among many brethren;

Thus equating God's foreknowledge with His preordination of our salvation, 
which is always based on the kind intention of His will and not our works.

Ephe 1:4 (NASU) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the 
world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He 
predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, 
according to the kind intention of His will,

While I know this list purpose is for grammatical Greek questions, I for 
one do not believe we can look at the Greek NT without ever coming across 
questions that can only be answered in theological terms.  This may be one 
of them.

In any case, this is just a suggestion and would be willing to hear 
opposing points of view.

Jay Adkins



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