Sermon Tone Analysis

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Tuesday January 20, 2009

www.wenstrom.org

Romans: Romans 8:29b-The Purpose Of Predestination Is So That Christ Would Be The Firstborn Among Many Spiritual Brothers

Lesson # 279

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 8:28.

Sunday we began a study of Romans 8:29, and in this passage, the apostle Paul teaches the Christians in Rome that they were foreknown by the Father and were predestined by Him to be conformed to the image of His Son so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brethren.

This passage is divided into two sections: (1) Epexegetical (explanatory) clause (2) Purpose clause.

Sunday we noted the epexegetical clause, which describes the predetermined plan of the Father mentioned by Paul at the end of verse 28 by saying that the Christian was known by the Father in eternity past and predestined by Him to be conformed to the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ.

This evening we will complete this verse by noting the purpose clause, which teaches that the Father’s purpose in predestinating the Christian to be conformed to the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ was in order that Christ Himself would be the firstborn among many spiritual brothers!

Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:29, “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.”

Corrected translation of Romans 8:28-29:

Romans 8:28, “In fact, we know without a doubt that for the benefit of those who are characterized as divinely loving God the Father, He (the Spirit), as an eternal spiritual truth, always works each and every circumstance together for the good, for the benefit of those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, the chosen ones, in accordance with His predetermined plan.”

Romans 8:29, “That is, whom He knew in advance, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son in order that He Himself would, as an eternal spiritual truth, be the firstborn among many spiritual brothers.”

Romans 8:29, “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.”

“He foreknew” is the verb proginosko (proginwvskw) (prog-in-oce-ko), which is used of the Father “knowing beforehand” that the Christian would accept by faith Jesus Christ as Savior indicating that the Christian’s faith in Christ as Savior is the object of the Father’s foreknowledge.

“He predestined” is the verb proorizo (proorivzw) (pro-or-id-zo), which is used of God the Father “determining beforehand” or “predestinating” the Christian in eternity past to be conformed into the image of Christ.

Therefore, Romans 8:29 teaches that predestination is sharing the destiny of Jesus Christ.

It also teaches that God the Father first foreknew the Christian and then predestinated the Christian to be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ, thus indicating that predestination is based upon God’s foreknowledge.

“To become conformed to” is the adjective summorphos (suvmmorfo$) (soom-mor-fos), which refers to the Christian being “conformed” into the image of Christ, both inwardly (perfect Christ-like character) and outwardly (Christ’s resurrection body).

“The image” is the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun eikon (ei)kwvn) (i-kone), which refers to the Christian’s “likeness” to Christ “bodily” as well as “spiritually.”

Therefore, Paul is teaching us in Romans 8:29 that the Father’s predetermined plan for us as Christians is to be conformed to the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ.

This work of conforming the Christian into the image of Christ began the moment the Christian expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

It continues after salvation in the believer who obeys the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God and it will be completed at the resurrection of the church.

The Father’s purpose for extending us grace, for crucifying us with Christ and burying us with Him as well as raising and seating us with Christ at His right hand is so that we might become conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

The sole objective of God the Father saving us, justifying, sanctifying and glorifying us through His Son Jesus Christ is so that we might become like His Son Jesus Christ and by doing so bring many sons to glory.

His purpose for giving us a new nature, the nature of Christ, the mind of Christ and the Spirit of Christ is so that we might become like His Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:29, “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.”

“So that He would be” signifies the purpose for which the Father predestinated the Christian to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

It says that the Father predestinated the Christian to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ “in order that” He Himself might be the firstborn among many brethren.

“The firstborn” is the adjective prototokos (prwtovtoko$) (pro-tot-ok-os), which refers to the preeminence of Christ over His spiritual brothers and sisters, His body, and future bride, the church.

It speaks of Christ’s supremacy and superior rank in the royal family of God and implies that there will be others that will share His sonship, privileges, responsibilities and prerogatives, namely, His spiritual brothers, the church.

The word also denotes Christ’s “preeminence” among those raised from the dead since He is the first person raised from the dead.

The preeminence and supremacy of Christ over the church is illustrated by eight different analogies in the New Testament.

(1) Christ is the last Adam and the church, the new creation (1 Cor.

15:45; 2 Cor.

5:17a).

(2) Christ is the head and the church is His body (Col.

1:18a).

(3) Christ is the great shepherd and the church is His sheep (Heb.

13:20).

(4) Christ is the true vine and the members of the church are the branches (John 15:5a).

(5) Christ is the chief cornerstone and members of the church are the stones in the building (Eph.

2:20; 1 Pet.

2:5-6).

(6) Christ is the great high priest and church age believers are members of His royal priesthood (Heb.

4:14a; 1 Pet.

2:9a).

(7) Christ is the groom and the church is His bride.

(Our wedding occurs at the Second Advent) (Rev.

19:7).

(8) Christ is the King of kings and church age believers are members of the royal family of God (Rev.

19:14-16).

Romans 8:29, “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.”

“Among many brethren” refers to members of the royal family of God who are related to each other and the Lord Jesus Christ through spiritual birth, i.e., regeneration, thus, the word refers to a “spiritual brother.”

There are other places in Scripture where the Christian is said to be a spiritual brother of Jesus Christ.

John 20:16-17, “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’

She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’

(which means, Teacher).

Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Hebrews 2:11-12, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.’”