BRAD SAAB ON CALVINIST & NON-CALVINIST INTERPRETATION OF EPHESIANS 1

Pastor Brad Saab became a Calvinist, until the training he learnt as a Calvinist helped hi examine Calvinism and thereby conclude it is mistaken.

He shares his story as well as some approaches that Calvinists don’t find convincing.

From 25:40 he begins the section on Ephesians 1. To summarize he has four main thrusts I think:

1) Predestination doesn’t mean the Calvinistic term, but rather choosing an end destination on advance. We are headed to adoption as God’s family. He uses a ship metaphor, Flowers uses a plane metaphor in his short video.

2) The focus is adoption, not salvation. That is what He predestined us for. When is adoption? It’s after salvation and not yet come: And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies – Romans 8:23

3) In Him. 10+ times, it’s in Christ. Jesus is the one who was chosen, elected, before the foundation of the world: He was foreknown before the foundation of the world – 1 Peter 1:20

4) v13 shows the order of salvation: first hear, then believe, then Holy Spirit. This is clearer in non-ESV versions.

See also the latter part of ROMANS 8:29-30 – PAST TENSE OLD TESTAMENT? where I list the occurrences of the Greek word translated Foreknew.