An Exegetical-Theological Study of Romans 8:28–30

David Q. Santos*

GOD’S SOVEREIGN WORK:

An Exegetical-Theological Study of Romans 8:28–30

David Q. Santos*

The book of Romans is unique among all the New Testament as it is the most thorough explanation of theology; in systematic fashion, it addresses anthropology, sin and salvation, condemnation, salvation by faith alone, redemption, adoption, sanctification, sanctification excepting law, freedom from sin, indwelling of the Holy Spirit, eternal security, Israelology, and practical theology. By means of brilliant rhetorical usage, Paul utilized his education to advance the Word of God, as a consequence of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8 is one of the most theologically diverse passages in all Scripture; it speaks powerfully with regard to pneumatology, soteriology, and personal eschatology. Romans 8 answers the difficulty raised at the end of chapter seven, wherein Paul realized that even he could not live the life he was called to live by himself. He was not capable of winning the war that was waging within him between his desire to live for Christ and the desire of his flesh. He asked who could save him from his body of sin. The answer is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (8:1–11). He also explained the meaning of sonship to the believer who has been adopted into the family of God (8:12–17), and he also wrote concerning the reality of present sufferings in the life of the believer.

The present passage is a kind of summary of 8:1–27. It prepares for, and to some extent is similar to, the grand climax found in verses 37–39. It cannot be fully understood except in the light of verses 1–27. It draws a conclusion; in fact, a very comforting conclusion.¹

COMMENTARY AND OUTLINE

Verses 28–30 must be read in light of the preceding verses, as is the case with the entire book of Romans (since each chapter further develops the previous, which is even true in verses 28–30). Each verse, phrase, clause, and word was carefully constructed to be impactful, and thus demonstrates God’s sovereign work in the world, the believer’s responsibility, and the Christian’s security in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:28–30 may be outlined as follows.

I.   We know that to those who love God all things are working together for good	28a
II.   God works all things for good according to his purpose to those He calls	28b
III.   God foreknew them to be conformed to the image of Jesus	29a
IV.   God predestined them to be conformed to the image of Jesus	29b
V.   They were conformed so they might be the firstborn of the brethren	29c
VI.   The one that was predestined was called	30a
VII.   The one that was called was justified	30b
VIII.   The one that was justified was glorified	30c

I. We Know that to Those Who Love God all Things Work Together for Good (28a)

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν). Romans 8:28 opens with a dependent clause: “and we know that.” The clause begins in the Greek text with the verb οἴδαμεν, which is the perfect active form of οἶδα and which is defined as “to have information about, know.”² In Romans 8:28, it is translated as “we know” with the “we” being the implied subject of the verb based upon that verb’s morphology, One should notice that most translations place the connective conjunction δέ as the first word and translate it as “and,” thus implying “an inference from what Paul had taught concerning afflictions.”³ Morris explained the debate regarding the introductory conjunction.

There are different views about the opening of this verse. Some favor “and”, seeing not a contrast with the preceding but a transition to a further thought of much the same kind (e, g., Murray). Others perceive a contrast between the groanings of the previous section and God’s working in this one (e.g., Godet). Either is possible, and many solve the problem by leaving out the connective (e.g., JB).⁴

The best approach would be to maintain the “and” of this passage, and retain the sense of believers in Christ being transitioned from suffering to glory. While this may seem insignificant to some, how this conjunction is understood can have significant implications for the remainder of the verse in addition to the subsequent verses. The “and” supports the view that this passage is a transition from the groaning and suffering in the previous passage to the glory that is given to those that love God; it is also a progression of the ministries of the three persons of the Trinity. According to verse 26, the Holy Spirit helps the “we” (i.e. believers). Verse 27 reveals that Jesus, the one who “searches hearts” and “knows the mind of the Spirit” intercedes for the saints. Verses 28–30 then focus upon the purpose of God the Father.

The conjunction ὅτι translated “that” is a subordinating conjunction that is commonly used after verbs that “denote mental or sense perception, or the transmission of such perception, or an act of the mind, to indicate the content of what is said, etc.”⁵ In this case, it denotes the perception or understanding that believers possess regarding God’s eternal purpose for their lives. The conjunction and dependent clause also serve to connect the latter content with the former (further supporting the transition from the ministries of the Son and the Spirit to the Father).

The phrase “those who love God” consists of two clauses. The first is the dative clause τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν (those who love) followed by the accusative clause τὸν θεόν (the God). The dative clause consists of the plural masculine article and the plural masculine participle of ἀγαπάω (which is in the present active form). Using the participle of ἀγαπάω was a unique way for Paul to describe believers. As Schreiner noted, “Paul does not speak often of believers loving God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9; 8:3; Eph. 6:24), and here the phrase is merely another way of denoting those who are believers.”⁶ The clause is in apposition with the phrase “called according to His purpose,” which Paul used to further express who is receiving the action of the verb (translated as “working together”). Morris affirmed this usage when he wrote, “Those who love God are also those who have been called according to his purpose.”⁷

The phrase “those who love God” modifies the key verb συνεργεῖ which is the present active form of συνεργέω and has the meaning “work together.” Συνεργέω is only found five times in the New Testament (Mark 16:20; Rom 8:28; 1 Cor 16:16; 2 Cor 6:1; Jas 2:22) and is found only twice in the Septuagint, both of which are in the apocryphal books (1 Esd 7:2; 1 Macc 12:1). The sense of the word often is that two individuals or groups work together (Mark 16:20; 1 Cor 16:16; 2 Cor 6:1), although it can also prove multiple actions or events working together (Rom 8:28; Jas 2:22). Based primarily upon the context of the passage, Romans 8:28 has the sense of multiple actions or events working together, which is confirmed by a thorough study of the entire clause πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν. Furthermore, it should be observed that the adjective πάντα and the prepositional phrase εἰς ἀγαθόν both modify the verb συνεργεῖ. Both modifiers are in the accusative case and there is no nominative noun to be found, thus making it difficult to decide what is the subject of the verb.

There is considerable debate with regard to the subject of the verb συνεργεῖ. Three basic solutions have been given. Some believe that the subject is the Spirit as, in their view, this passage continues to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The second solution is to understand the adjective πάντα as the subject. The third interpretation argues that God is the subject. The position has already been adopted in this study that verses 28–30 transition from the previous text into a fuller description of the ministry of God the Father. Therefore, based upon context, the Holy Spirit is not the subject, which results in two other options. The continued debate between “God” as the subject and “all things” is made more difficult by a textual problem where ὁ θεός is added to some manuscripts. However, it is not possible to find enough support for this addition to include it. Schreiner explained, “the witnesses supporting this variant are both early and notable, they are not widespread enough to overturn the majority of the manuscript tradition, which omits ὁ θεός.”⁸ Wallace provided a thorough and concise treatment of the subject.

God causes all things [πάντα] to work together for good to those who love God

Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether a particular sentence even has a direct object. In this instance, such doubt is due to textual uncertainty and the syntactical range of the verb. συνεργέω is one of the verbs that can be either transitive or intransitive. If ὁ θεός is original, the verb is transitive here (and πάντα is the acc. direct object). But since ὁ θεός is textually suspect, it is better to read the text without it. This leaves two probable options: either “he works all things together for good” or “all things work together for good.” In the first instance the subject is embedded in the verb and “God” is clearly implied (as in v 29). In the second instance, πάντα becomes the subject of an intransitive verb. In either case, “What is expressed is a truly biblical confidence in the sovereignty of God.”⁹

One may regard it as likely that those witnesses who added ὁ θεός to their manuscripts did so for the purpose of clarifying their view of what the subject was. Schreiner agreed with this suggestion and wrote, “the insertion of ὁ θεός by scribes is explicable since they presumably wanted to clarify that God was the agent by whom all things worked together for good. This last argument is not definitive, however, because ὁ θεός could have been dropped because it was deemed to be insufferably awkward to insert it on the heels of τὸν θεόν.”¹⁰ Based upon the context, grammar, and comparison to Pauline theology, this study concludes that God is the subject of the verb and maintains the two accusative modifiers as direct objects.

Πάντα is the accusative adjective that means “all things” since it is also in the neuter gender and has no object of its own; it is also one of the direct objects of συνεργεῖ. God is working all things εἰς ἀγαθόν for good. Wallace wrote,

It is difficult to pass over a verse such as this without noting two additional items: (1) the good that is accomplished is specifically for believers; and (2) that good is in connection with conformity to Christ through suffering (so vv 17–30). Thus to say (as is frequently done nowadays, even in non-Christian circles), “Everything will work together for the good,” as if things work out by themselves and the good is human comfort, is hardly Pauline and hardly biblical.¹¹

Romans 8:28 began with the statement “and we know,” which links this passage with the theme of the previous verses. Paul introduced the theme in verse 18 where he stated that the current sufferings cannot be compared to the glory that is to come. Believers must have knowledge that allows them to recognize that there will be tribulations in life and a future reward for enduring for Christ’s name. Christians are to wait eagerly for this future reality to become present. The knowledge is that God is working in the world and in the lives of believers and everything is working for good to the follower of Christ. Paul may have recollected Genesis 50:20 wherein Joseph said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

II. God Works All Things for Good according to His Purpose to Those He Calls (28b)

“According to his purpose to those that are called” (τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὗσιν). Paul introduced the theme of present suffering with a future of glorification. The glorification is to those who love God. Paul further developed the thought of who the beneficiaries are of God working all things together for good. First, it is those who love God (as explained in the previous section). Paul next described them as being those who are called. Paul transitioned to this expanded explanation with the preposition κατά which has the accusative noun πρόθεσιν and yields the translation “according to.” The accusative noun πρόθεσιν is the direct object of the verb συνεργεῖ, which is translated with the preposition “according to the purpose.” There is a dative article at the beginning of this phrase and a dative participle οὗσιν (from the verb εἰμί which is translated “are”).

According to his purpose [κατὰ πρόθεσιν] (kata prothesin). Old word, seen already in Acts 27:13 and for “shewbread” in Matt. 12:4. The verb [προτίθημι] protithēmi Paul uses in 3:24 for God’s purpose. Paul accepts fully human free agency but behind it all and through it all runs God’s sovereignty as here and on its gracious side (9:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9).¹²

An important aspect of this phrase is the adjective κλητοῖς (“called”). The dative adjective κλητοῖς is related to the article and the participle by morphology and is used to identify the group who are “the called.” The word that Paul used for “called” is found ten times in the New Testament (Matt 24:14; Rom 1:1, 6, 7; 8:28; 1 Cor 1:1–2, 24; Jude 1; Rev 17:14). In all cases (except the occurrence in Matt 24), the word has the sense of an urgent invitation or to be summoned and commissioned.¹³ Paul used it of his own calling as an apostle (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1) and of believers who were called to their position in the same manner Paul was called (Rom 1:6, 7; 8:28; 1 Cor 1:2, 24). Paul used κλητός (an adjective) seven times, but if one expands the search to include uses of the word κλῆσις (the noun form translated as called or calling), then a total of sixteen occurrences are found, nine of which are nouns¹⁴ (Rom 11:29; 1 Cor 1:26; 7:20; Eph 1:8; 4:1, 4; Phil 3:14; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Tim 1:9). Many of the verses bring tremendous clarity to how Paul felt regarding the believer’s calling. An example of this can be seen in 2 Timothy 1:9 where Paul wrote, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” The calling of the believer is not based upon works but according to God’s divine purpose. The calling relies upon grace of which Christ Jesus is the conduit who allows the Christian to partake in the calling. Furthermore, the calling has a responsibility to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” (Eph 4:1) recognizing that the believer is now part of the family of God by adoption. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would recognize the “hope of His calling” and the promise of a rich inheritance as the children of God.

Furthermore, Paul declared (in the very text being examined in this work) the true depth of what it means to be called. In verse 30, Paul declared that those that are called are justified. Paul’s statement goes far beyond a simple invitation of the gospel message. The Word of God demonstrates that it is all who are called who are justified (declared righteous) in Christ Jesus. Morris wrote, “the idea of the divine call is very important for Paul. In the Gospels we sometimes read ‘many are called, but few chosen’, but Paul is not using the term ‘call’ in that sense. He means ‘effectual call’; he is speaking of those who have not only heard the call but have responded.”¹⁵ Schreiner added:

It is not merely an invitation that human beings can reject, but it is a summons that overcomes human resistance and effectually persuades them to say yes to God. This definition of “calling” is evident from Rom. 8:30, for there Paul says that “those whom he called [ἐκάλεσεν] he also justified.” The text does not say that “some” of those called were justified. It fuses the called and justified together so that those who have experienced calling have also inevitably received the blessing of justification.¹⁶

All things are being worked together for good according to God’s purpose for those who are called; this truth proves that those who are called have been called for a specific purpose or plan. They are called by Christ to be used as they have been gifted. All things are being worked together for good according to God’s plan to those who are called. The sovereign purpose is for those that love God and are called of God. One should give special attention to Paul’s use of the word κλητοῖς in identifying who are the recipients of God’s purpose or plan. Hodge explained the significance of the word “called” (κλητοῖς). He wrote, “The word called … is never, in the epistles of the New Testament, applied to those who are the recipients of the mere external invitation of the gospel. It always means effectually called, i.e., it is always applied to those who are really brought to accept of the blessings to which they are invited.”¹⁷

God is working all things together for good according to his purpose to those who are called. The phrase is important to clarify God’s sovereignty in “all things” and the comforting effect that knowledge has upon believers who are suffering. The reader of Romans, at this point, may be reminded of what Paul wrote in 5:3–5 with regard to suffering. The Christian should find joy in tribulation knowing that that suffering is being used by God as a refiner’s fire to accomplish perseverance, character, and finally hope (or expectation). What Paul wrote is not the mere “everything will work out in the end” type of statement that is offered freely in secular circles as a means of comforting one another. There is a tremendous principal in this passage and it is not that everything will be okay in the end or that with time “all wounds are healed.” The trite sayings lack any real potency. Paul declared that God is in control and those who love God are those who are called, and to them God is working all things for divine eternal purpose.

III–IV. God Foreknew the Called and Predestined Them to Be Conformed to Jesus’ Image (29a)

“For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (ὅτι οὓς προέγνω, καὶ προώρισεν συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ). Verse 29 has two major phrases (29a, 29b), neither of which have a nominative verb acting as a subject. The first phrase contains two indicative verbs, while the second does not contain a primary verb of its own. Verse 29 opens with the conjunction ὅτι (which is translated here as “for” and thus indicates an intimate relationship with the preceding text and could just as well be translated “because”) and the relative pronoun οὓς (which is translated as “whom”).

Paul introduced the first primary verb προέγνω (from προγινώσκω), which has the basic meaning of “knowing in advance.”¹⁸ Chafer indicated, “This specific term means merely that God knows beforehand. It is used of Israel (Rom. 11:2) and of the Church (Rom. 8:29).”¹⁹ The morphology (aorist active) yields the subject, which must be provided in English by the translation “He foreknew.” Προγινώσκω is a verb used only five times in the New Testament (Acts 26:5; Rom 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet 1:20; 2 Pet 3:17) but does not occur in the Septuagint, Philo, or the Dead Sea Scrolls. Προγινώσκω only appears twice in the Apostolic Fathers (viz. Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 4.3.4;²⁰ Parable 7²¹). Some argue that this verb has stronger meaning than simply knowledge, referencing its Old Testament equivalent, which means “choosing in advance.”

Many scholars feel that we cannot take the verb in this place to refer to no more than knowledge. They point out that in the Old Testament the equivalent means something like “choose in advance” (as in Jer. 1:5; Amos 3:2). This must surely be borne in mind, but we must also remember that Paul’s next verb is predestined and we must be on our guard against making the two say the same thing.²²

Προέγνω “is the first of a series of five verbs outlining what God has done in fulfillment of his saving purpose.”²³ “Each verb differs in meaning from the others, yet each is related to and grows out of the one which it follows.”²⁴ All of these verbs are found in the aorist tense even though they indicate the future for believers. “An author sometimes uses the aorist for the future to stress the certainty of the event. It involves a ‘rhetorical transfer’ of a future event as though it were past.”²⁵ The series begins with foreknew and continues with predestined, called, justified, and glorified. The progression demonstrates the position and situation of the believer past, present, and future. The progression demonstrates how all things are being worked together for those who love God and are called.

The good realized is not due to fate, luck, or even the moral superiority of believers; it is to be ascribed to God’s good and sovereign will, which has from eternity past to eternity future secured and guaranteed the good for those whom he has chosen. This is the significance of “the golden chain” that charts the course from God’s foreknowledge of believers to their glorification. In each case God is the subject of the verbs, for it is he who foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. The good he has begun he will finish (Phil. 1:6; cf. 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Thess. 5:24).²⁶

The next primary verb is προώρισεν, which follows directly after προέγνω (separated only by the conjunction καί). Προώρισεν is from the verb προορίζω which is in the aorist active form, as are all the principal verbs in these verses. One should note the consistent use of the same morphology since the same implied subject (God) is also maintained throughout the entire passage, thus προώρισεν is translated as “He predestined.” Προώρισεν is another rare verb in the Bible and ancient literature; it is found only six times in Scripture (Acts 4:28; Rom 8:29–30; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:5, 11) and once in the Apostolic Fathers (Ignatius of Antioch, “To the Ephesians,” salutation).

Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church at Ephesus in Asia, blessed with greatness through the fullness of God the Father, predestined before the ages for lasting and unchangeable glory forever, united and elect through genuine suffering by the will of the Father and of Jesus Christ our God, a church most worthy of blessing: heartiest greetings in Jesus Christ and in blameless joy.²⁷

Ignatius understood predestination as occurring “before the ages” and related to the unchangeable glory that will be realized in the future by the believers of the church at Ephesus. He also related the hope of glory to suffering believers by means of the doctrine of predestination and the understanding that God sovereignly works all things together for the church. Paul described predestination as including adoption as sons by Jesus Christ, which is the will and pleasure of God the Father (Eph 1:5). God also predestines according to his purpose because He works all things according to his will (1:11). Robertson wrote that προορίζω means, “to appoint before hand” with an emphasis “for eternity.”²⁸ “The predestination follows, and is grounded on the foreknowledge. The foreknowledge therefore expresses the act of cognition or recognition, the fixing, so to speak, the mind upon, which involves the idea of selection.”²⁹

Foreordination and Predestination. These words, almost complete synonyms, are used in the New Testament to declare the truth that God determines what shall be before it comes to pass. These words are more concerned with that to which men are divinely appointed than with the men themselves. God’s foreordination and predestination precede all history. As foreknowledge recognizes the certainty of future events, foreordination and predestination make these events sure. The two divine activities of foreseeing and foreordaining could not function separately. They do not occur in succession, but are dependent on each other and either one is impossible without the other.³⁰

Paul wrote that those who were known beforehand and predestined are to be conformed. Conformed (συμμόρφους) is a unique adjective that is followed by a genitive phrase τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. Συμμόρφους is the accusative adjective (from συμμόρφους), which means “having a similar form, nature, or style, similar in form τινός as or to something; like his Son in form or appearance.”³¹ The adjective is modified by the genitive clause τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ thus demonstrating how those who love God are to be conformed. The clause begins with τῆς εἰκόνος, which is translated as “the image.” “The image” is modified by the second genitive clause τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, in addition to the singular masculine “the son” and the personal pronoun αὐτοῦ, which yields the translation “the image of His son.” Philippians 3:20–21 provides some insight regarding the meaning of being conformed to the image of his son. The text reads, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” Paul wrote with regard to the anticipation of Christ’s return and that He would transform the current body of the believer to make it conform to the body of his own glory. The power for this transformation is that of Jesus who will make all things come into subjection to himself since He makes all things work together for good with this very glory in mind.

V. They Were Conformed So They Might Be the Firstborn of the Brethren (29c)

“So that they might be the firstborn among many brothers” (εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς·). The next phrase begins with a unique construction: εἰς τὸ εἶναι. “Εἰς governing the Infinitive with τό most commonly expresses purpose. It is employed with special frequency by Paul.”³² The infinitive verb εἶναι is modified by the previous clause, thus demonstrating purpose for those who love God (i.e. that they might be conformed to the image of the Son). As they are conformed to the Son’s image, they become πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς the firstborn among many brothers. Christ is “first born” of all creation (Col 1:15); however, in Colossians, He is “first born from the dead” (1:18), the Eldest Brother in this family of God’s sons.…”³³ Jesus is the firstborn and all those who are conformed have become part of the family of God.

VI. The One that Was Predestined Was Called (30a)

“And whom He predestined, them He also called” (οὓς δὲ προώρισεν, τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσεν·). The conjunction δέ is followed by the principal verb προώρισεν, which is again translated as predestined. The predestination is what God did in eternity past. In eternity past, the believer was called (as revealed in this second clause τούτους καὶ ἐκάλεσεν). The conjunction καί is translated “also” and is followed by the next principal verb, ἐκάλεσεν. The verb ἐκάλεσεν is translated “called,” which is effectual, as described previously by the Apostle Paul.

VII. The One that Was Called Was Justified (30b)

“And those whom he called he also justified” (καὶ οὓς ἐκάλεσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδικαίωσεν·). Paul continued the progression by writing καὶ οὓς ἐκάλεσεν. By referencing “those whom He called,” this served to recall the previous principal verb. The next progression is that those God called He also justified. The same construction was used here as the second half of the previous phrase but a new verb was introduced into this “unbreakable chain” that began in eternity past. The verb translated He justified is ἐδικαίωσεν (from the word δικαιόω), which has the idea of being legally declared righteous. Those who are called are declared righteous because they have become children of God by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Hodge explained, “The justification here spoken of, is doubtless that of which the apostle has been speaking throughout the epistle, the regarding and treating sinners as just, for the sake of the righteousness of Christ.”³⁴

VIII. The One that Was Justified Was Glorified (30c)

“And those whom he justified he also glorified” (οὓς δὲ ἐδικαίωσεν, τούτους καὶ ἐδόξασεν.). Using the same construction as previously, ἐδικαίωσεν (“and those whom He justified)” is now mentioned in relation to being “glorified.” Furthermore, the final clause and final verb are both introduced with the same construction. The clause τούτους καὶ ἐδόξασεν is translated “He also glorified.” The verb ἐδόξασεν is from the word δοξάζω and means glorify, praise, or honor; it is used in 53 different verses of the New Testament, 131 verses of the Septuagint in addition to numerous uses among the Apostolic Fathers, Philo, and many other Greek classics. Many of the biblical uses describe the action of humanity towards God, as in its first New Testament use found in Matthew 5:16, which says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” In the example of Matthew, humanity glorified God for the works that his followers are accomplishing. By means of glorification, the believer will fully be conformed to the image of the Son. When the justified finally see Jesus they will be like Him. First John 3:2 reads, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” Wallace explained that the “idea is that the very ones whom God predestined, called, and justified are also glorified. The compounding of pronouns thus has a dramatic effect: No one is lost between the eternal decree and the eternal.”³⁵ He also added one more critical point: “The glorification of those who have been declared righteous is as good as done from Paul’s perspective.”³⁶

Believers are called in accordance with a settled plan and purpose of God, for whom he calls he had previously predestinated: and as all the several steps or stages of our salvation are included in this plan of the unchanging God, if we are predestinated and called, we shall be justified and glorified.³⁷

CONCLUSION

Romans 8:28–30 is a stunning depiction of God’s sovereign work in election, salvation, and ultimately, glorification of the believer. The passage is both soteriological and eschatological. Romans 8:28–30 primarily addresses God’s calling to the elect, and the process of justifying them and glorifying them in the future. Verses 28–30 serve in a complementary relationship to the first 27 verses of Romans 8 (and, of course, to the final nine verses of the chapter). Romans 8:1–11 addressed the believer’s empowerment by the indwelling Holy Spirit to be free from sin. Verses 12–17 describe the sonship through adoption that allows the believer to enjoy in the inheritance with Christ. Verses 18–27 describe how the believer should understand present sufferings of the world. Verses 28–30 forge a relationship wherein believers understand their position in God, which is summarized in verse 39 to the effect that nothing can separate believers from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Paul explained that believers are foreknown and predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son. They are being conformed in this present day by the refiner’s fire of suffering. In the future, these same believers will be completed by the glorification done by God. The transition from suffering to glory proves that God has everything under subjection and is working all things together for the believer’s future glorification. “Between the start and finish of God’s plan are three steps: being called (cf. Rom. 1:6; 8:28), being justified (cf. 3:24, 28; 4:2; 5:1, 9), and being glorified (cf. 8:17; Col. 1:27; 3:4), and in the process not a single person is lost. God completes His plan without slippage.”³⁸ Believers can rejoice in the knowledge that if they love God and are called according to his purpose, they are secure in their salvation.

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* David Q. Santos, M.T.S., pastor, Mid Valley Baptist Church, Durham, California; and, graduate student, Tyndale Theology Seminary (Now MA, MDiv, PhD and Professor of History at Shasta Bible College)

¹ William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980) 278.

² William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000) 693.

³ Charles Hodge, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, new ed. (Bellingham, WA: Logos, 2009) 440.

⁴ Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988) 330.

⁵ Arndt et al., Greek-English Lexicon, 731.

⁶ Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998) 450.

⁷ Morris, Epistle to the Romans, 331.

⁸ Schreiner, Romans, 455.

⁹ Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) 180–81.

¹⁰ Schreiner, Romans, 455.

¹¹ Wallace, Greek Grammar, 180–81.

¹² A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6 vols. (Nashville: Broadman, 1931) 4:377.

¹³ Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, 2^nd ed., 2 vols. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1989) 1:423.

¹⁴ Paul used κλῆσις 5 times in the genitive case, 2 times in the dative, and once in the accusative and nominative cases.

¹⁵ Morris, Epistle to the Romans, 331–32.

¹⁶ Schreiner, Romans, 451.

¹⁷ Hodge, Epistle to the Romans, 441.

¹⁸ Arndt et al., Greek-English Lexicon, 866.

¹⁹ Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 vols. in 4 (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press; reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1993) 3:168.

²⁰ Michael William Holmes, trans. and ed., The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, updated ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999) 382.

²¹ Ibid. 450.

²² Morris, Epistle to the Romans, 332.

²³ Ibid.

²⁴ Barclay M. Newman and Eugene A. Nida, A Translator’s Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994) 167.

²⁵ Wallace, Greek Grammar, 564.

²⁶ Schreiner, Romans, 451.

²⁷ Holmes, Apostolic Fathers, 137. Ignatius used the aorist active participle.

²⁸ Robertson, Word Pictures, 4:377.

²⁹ Hodge, Epistle to the Romans, 447.

³⁰ Chafer, Systematic Theology, 3:168.

³¹ Arndt et al., Greek-English Lexicon, 958.

³² Ernest de Witt Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek, 3^rd ed. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1898) 161.

³³ Robertson, World Picture, 4:378.

³⁴ Hodge, Epistle to the Romans, 450.

³⁵ Wallace, Greek Grammar, 330.

³⁶ Ibid. 564.

³⁷ Hodge, Epistle to the Romans, 445.

³⁸ John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, gen. eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 2 vols. (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1983) 2:474.