Predestination

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Predestination \Pre*des`ti*na"tion\, n. [L. praedestinatio: cf.
     F. pr['e]destination.]
     1. The act of predestinating.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Predestination had overruled their will. --Milton.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Theol.) The purpose of Good from eternity respecting all
        events; especially, the preordination of men to
        everlasting happiness or misery. See {Calvinism}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  predestination
       n 1: previous determination as if by destiny or fate
       2: (theology) being determined in advance; especially the
          doctrine (usually associated with Calvin) that God has
          foreordained every event throughout eternity (including
          the final salvation of mankind) [syn: {foreordination}, {preordination},
           {predetermination}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  47 Moby Thesaurus words for "predestination":
     absolute certainty, absoluteness, assurance, assuredness,
     certain knowledge, certainness, certainty, certitude,
     dead certainty, decree, definiteness, destiny, determinacy,
     determinateness, doom, fate, foredestiny, foregone conclusion,
     foreknowledge, foreordination, fortune, future, ineluctability,
     inerrability, inerrancy, inevitability, infallibilism,
     infallibility, karma, kismet, lot, necessity, nonambiguity,
     noncontingency, positiveness, predetermination, preordination,
     prescience, probatum, proved fact, sureness, surety, truth,
     unambiguity, unequivocalness, univocity, unmistakableness
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Predestination
     This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or
     purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is
     found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1
     Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same
     meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and
     unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all
     events.
     
       This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many
     difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if
     we take the revealed word of God as our guide, we must accept
     this doctrine with all its mysteriousness, and settle all our
     questionings in the humble, devout acknowledgment, "Even so,
     Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
     
       For the teaching of Scripture on this subject let the
     following passages be examined in addition to those referred to
     above; Gen. 21:12; Ex. 9:16; 33:19; Deut. 10:15; 32:8; Josh.
     11:20; 1 Sam. 12:22; 2 Chr. 6:6; Ps. 33:12; 65:4; 78:68; 135:4;
     Isa. 41:1-10; Jer. 1:5; Mark 13:20; Luke 22:22; John 6:37;
     15:16; 17:2, 6, 9; Acts 2:28; 3:18; 4:28; 13:48; 17:26; Rom.
     9:11, 18, 21; 11:5; Eph. 3:11; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2
     Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:2. (See DECREES OF {GOD}; {ELECTION}.)
     
       Hodge has well remarked that, "rightly understood, this
     doctrine (1) exalts the majesty and absolute sovereignty of God,
     while it illustrates the riches of his free grace and his just
     displeasure with sin. (2.) It enforces upon us the essential
     truth that salvation is entirely of grace. That no one can
     either complain if passed over, or boast himself if saved. (3.)
     It brings the inquirer to absolute self-despair and the cordial
     embrace of the free offer of Christ. (4.) In the case of the
     believer who has the witness in himself, this doctrine at once
     deepens his humility and elevates his confidence to the full
     assurance of hope" (Outlines).
     

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  PREDESTINATION, n.  The doctrine that all things occur according to
  programme.  This doctrine should not be confused with that of
  foreordination, which means that all things are programmed, but does
  not affirm their occurrence, that being only an implication from other
  doctrines by which this is entailed.  The difference is great enough
  to have deluged Christendom with ink, to say nothing of the gore. 
  With the distinction of the two doctrines kept well in mind, and a
  reverent belief in both, one may hope to escape perdition if spared.