The Word Usage of 'Foreknow' and 'Foreknowledge' in Scripture

Many shades of meaning

Calvinists have argued incessantly over the years that when the Bible says that we are elect according to God's foreknowledge, we are to understand this as God's 'forelove' instead. Let's look at each case where 'foreknow' (Greek: proginosko) and 'foreknowledge' (prognosis), as well as the roots of each word.

The typical monergist tactic for attacking election according to foreknowledge is to first show that 'to know' in scripture can mean different things (such as love or be a friend to), then make the case that 'foreknow' and 'foreknowledge' in the scriptures where they relate to election actually mean 'forelove'. With the first point I will not argue. The Hebrew word for 'know' (yada) holds a variety of meanings, including of course 'to understand' (Psalm 51:6), 'to perceive (2 Kings 4:9),' 'to show' (Job 10:2), 'to teach' (Psalm 25:4), and even 'to make love to' (Genesis 4:25) even extending to the sense of homosexual rape (Judges 19:22)!

Below, I'll list the uses of the words found in scripture and offer a bit of commentary on each.

[Paul speaking of other Jews] Which knew me from the beginning[literaly: 'foreknew'], if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. (Acts 26:5)

Some Calvinists have tried to use this to argue that 'foreknow' necessarily implies a relationship, in that the other Jews 'knew' Paul as a friend before he was saved. But the passage can just as easily mean that they knew all about Paul. Not really proof for the monergsitic interpretation.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

Neither synergism nor monergism can find doctrinal support from the strict denotative reading of the text. If we were to read it as everyone whom God knows about is predestined to be saved, that would be Universalism, because God is omniscient and knows everything about everyone. An argument often used by Calvinists is that since God is indicated to foreknow only the elect in this passage, then to say that it means 'foreknow' instead of 'forelove' is to make God non-omniscient (as He only foreknows about believers, not unbelievers). Synergists, on the other hand, understand this passage to mean that they whom God foreknows will receive His word are predestined to be conformed to His Son's image. Monergists may counter that this detail is not explicitly stated, but of course, neither is the word 'forelove.' Thus, both sides must impose a context upon the passage, synergism a more detailed meaning of 'foreknow' than is stated, and monergists a different meaning for the word than is usually associated with it. Either way, it is difficult to garner which meaning is correct just from this passage. Calvinists may also counter that God knows the people themselves, not about if they will receive Christ or not, but this objection is easily dealt with.

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew... (Romans 11:2)

The context of this passage appears to be referring to Israel, specifically, the remnant in Israel. Whether that means He simply loved them before as the monergists claim or foreknew that they would receive the gospel that is preached to them cannot be easily proven either way from this passage (very much like Romans 8:29).

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)

Now this provides a bit better evidence. The word is not just 'foreknow,' but 'foreknowledge' (Greek: Prognosis). A major difficulty for the Calvinist view of election according to forelove instead of foreknowledge is that the Greek word for 'knowledge' (gnosis) is not used to indicate love, friendship, or special preference. The words that make up Prognosis are 'pro,' a primary preposition that is used as a suffix to mean 'before,' and 'gnosis,' which simply means 'knowledge' (intelligence, advanced understanding, wisdom, etc.). Prognosis even survives today in the English language, carrying an identical definition. So it is then rather a futile effort to attempt to re-interpret election according to the prognosis of God into election according to the forelove of God.

[Speaking of Christ] Who verily was foreordained [literally: 'foreknown'] before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you... (1 Peter 1:20)

Calvinists sometimes try to use this passage to prove that 'foreknowledge' as it relates to salvation actually means 'forelove': Stating that Christ was 'loved by God' before the foundaton of the world, so that it must mean that when the Bible says 'foreknew,' it must mean 'foreloved.' The context of the passage would seem to indicate otherwise. The latter half of the verse seems to imply that His coming and atoning death and resurection were known before the foundation of the world, [and was subsequently told by His Spirit to the prophets of old], but that now Christ is revealed. Another strong possibility is that in this context it refers to Christ's being ordained before the foundation of the world.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (2 Peter 3:17)

The word for 'know...before' is literally 'foreknowledge.' The word here clearly denoting 'to know beforehand,' this is a good indicator that the Bible does in fact use the word in its commonly understood sense. This is not proof that it does it in every case, but it does keep Calvinists from totally turning the Bible on its ear and trying to completely redefine words.

Okay, so if you read the passages above, you may understand where I'm coming from. Reformed writers make the point that the word for 'know' (ginosko) and its Hebrew counterpart (yada) can have a variety of meanings, and then just run with that, assuming that all related words must simply be synonyms that can also be stretched to mean 'forelove,' so you should stop asking questions and go back to reading A.W. Pink. Nice try, but look at the wording again. As I have already stated of 1 Peter 1:2, while the word 'to know' has quite a few meanings in scripture, but the Greek word for 'knowledge' (gnosis, Peter's word for 'foreknowledge' is 'prognosis') does not: It does not even imply a special preference or relationship. Go ahead and look it up if you like. Of the 29 times it is used in the New Testament (as well as about 40 occurances in the Septuagint), it is always used for understanding, not in reference to relationships. Though similar words, the connotations and implications are quite different for the phrases "I know him," and "I have precise knowledge of him": The former can sometimes imply an existent relatioship or possibly even special affection, the latter does not. The noun in Greek that can denote acquaintance or intimate familiarity is a different word altogether (gnostos). According to Peter, we are elect according to the foreknowledge (prognosis) of God, not the fore-acquaintance or fore-love (prognostos? Not an actual word to my knowledge) of God. Therefore it stands to reason that election according to the foreknowledge of God means just that: Election based upon God's perfect prior knowledge of us.

So then let's assume for sake of argument that Romans 8:29 and 11:2 are simply phrased rather strangely and actually are speaking about God's forelove and not foreknowledge, this would still not preclude election according to foreknowledge. God does, after all, especially love those whom He elects, be it conditionally or unconditionally. So regardless of which interpretation of Romans 8 and 11 is true, the message communicated by 1 Peter 1:2 is still that God graciously and sovereignly elects believers according to His divine and flawless foreknowledge.

Bottom Line:

Election is according to God's knowledge of us, not of our works or merits, but according to the conditions God has sovereignly established
While 'foreknow' could conceivably be stretched to mean a variety of things, 'foreknowledge' means just that: knowledge beforehand
Even if Romans 8 and 11 are taken to mean 'forelove' instead of 'foreknow' (as they are worded), it would still not contradict the clearly expressed concept of conditional election from 1 Peter 1:2

The Word Usage of 'Foreknow' and 'Foreknowledge' in Scripture

J.C. Thibodaux

Election is according to God's knowledge of us, not of our works or merits, but according to the conditions God has sovereignly established

While 'foreknow' could conceivably be stretched to mean a variety of things, 'foreknowledge' means just that: knowledge beforehand

Even if Romans 8 and 11 are taken to mean 'forelove' instead of 'foreknow' (as they are worded), it would still not contradict the clearly expressed concept of conditional election from 1 Peter 1:2