“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6). Thus it is, and thus it has been song by the innumerable host of saints down through the ages, “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”. God’s people know that JEHOVAH is “God Almighty” and there is no other God beside Him. Our omnipotent God created all things by Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:9) “in whom (Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him (God) who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11).

      It can be proven time and again from the Scriptures that God is both Omnipotent (all powerful) and Omniscience (all knowing).  But not only is God Omnipotent and Omniscient – God is Holy and Righteous, Merciful and Just. We at the Old Line Primitive Baptist Church believes in one true eternal God (Ex. 20:3, 34:5-7, Deut. 33:27, Mal. 2:10), known as JEHOVAH, the I AM THAT I AM, (Ex. 3:14, 6:3), Creator of the universe and man (Gen. 1:1, 26-28, Acts 17:24-28), infinite in wisdom (Ps. 147:5,  Eph. 3:8-11),  holy and righteous (Josh 24:19, Isa. 6:1-5, Ps. 99:9, I Pet. 1:13-16), unchangeable (Mal. 3:6, James 1:17), just and merciful (Isa. 45:21, Rom. 3:20-26, Ps. 136, Rom. 9:15-24), invisible (John 1:18, Col. 1:15), unsearchable (Rom.11:33-34), omnipresent (every-where present and nowhere absent, Ps. 139:7-10, Rev. 2:1), omniscient (all knowing - Ps. 94:11,  Jere. 17:9-10, Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19),  omnipotent (all powerful - Isa. 45:5-7,  Jere. 32:17-19, Dan. 4:34-35, Rev. 19:6), whose goodness is great, enduring and satisfying, who loves righteousness but hates iniquity and the workers of iniquity (Ps. 5:4-5, Ps. 45:6-7,  Heb. 1:8-9),  who is ever to be loved and feared (Deut.6:4-5,  Matt. 22:36-38,  Eccles. 12:13-14),  who must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24).  God’s attributes are many, and like parallel lines, from eternity past through eternity future, they have never crossed and never will cross. The fact that God is Omnipotent and Omniscient does not and cannot make God the cause of and the force behind every wicked thought and deed of mankind. If such were true then it would violate His attribute of Righteousness.   

      No particular individual or group is exempt from the possibility of teaching error. Only God is true. Christ is Truth. The Holy Spirit is truth. The word of God is Truth. But all men are liars and subject to deceit and deception. Even good men sometimes unintentionally teach error. But most often evil men deliberately or unknowingly pervert and distort the Truth. Most man-made doctrines are the result of either taking various scriptures out of context, or by misrepresenting or distorting a small portion of scripture to fit a preconceived idea. Doctrines derived from scripture that is taken out of context are often a careless failure to “rightly divide the word of truth”. Many man-made doctrines or teachings are usually given an un-biblical or non-scriptural name, and as such are easily identified. Sadly, this practice has naturally crept in among those who believe in Grace and Truth. The examples of this fact are numerous in the writings and practices in the religious world.

      For instance, the Arminians teach the man-made doctrine of "Universal Redemption" whereby they claim that Christ died for the sins of all mankind or the whole the human race. They often mistreat the word “world” to mean every person in the human race, with considering the fact that Christ himself refutes this teaching in many places, especially in John 17:1-9, where he said “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”  The words “as many as thou hast given him” deny the redemption of every person of the whole human race.  Jesus went on the pray “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” Obviously our Lord did not teach “Universal Redemption”. The followers of “Universalism” also teach the man-made doctrine of a "Universal Invisible Church". In doing this they confuse “The Family of God” in heaven and on earth with the New Testament Church (assembly) and Churches. The key word to detecting these heresies is Universal. Universal is a non-biblical word applied to their doctrine to make it fit a preconceived idea. It seems to me that almost (not always) when a non-biblical name has been added to a Doctrine, you can rest assured it is man-made OR it will require some explanation to explain what is meant by the non-biblical terms.

     For example, the scriptures teach the Biblical Doctrine of SIN (sin and death). Many of us, meaning well, describe this doctrine as "Total Depravity", which is a non-biblical term. By doing so, we must explain what is meant by the term "Total Depravity". It is evident from scripture that a child is conceived “in sin” under the condemnation of “sin and death” and in need of being “born of God”. But it is not evident to man’s eye that a child is “Totally Depraved” and therefore we must explain what is meant by “Total Depravity”.  We could use all the terms found in Calvin’s TULIP doctrine which many Primitive Baptist have adopted in the last days. We would be far better off just to use Biblical terms to teach Biblical doctrine.

      For instance, the scriptures teach the Biblical Doctrine of the Godhead, the Father (a Spirit), the Son (the Word who was with God and was God, and was in the form of God, but was manifested in the flesh) and the Holy Spirit. When we call this the doctrine of “The Trinity", which is a non-biblical term, and refer to the Trinity as “three IN one” instead of “three ARE one”, and refer to the “Three Persons of the Trinity”, we have a lot of explaining to do. We not only create a contradiction within the Scriptures but we condone and agree with a Babylonian and Masonic precept of an equilateral trinity of three gods IN one. It seems to me that IF men used Scriptural terms as much as possible - if not all the time - to teach Biblical Doctrines, the chances of error would become much less.

    We find in the Scriptures the Biblical doctrine of Election, Redemption, Calling (God calling his elect), Reconciliation, Justification, Sanctification and Glorification, etc. All of these are Biblical terms and can be traced through the Scriptures in an orderly manner to rightly divide the word of truth. The Greek word Proorizo which means to “predetermine, preordain or foreordain ones destiny” is translated into the English word “Predestinate” in the KJV. The doctrine of Predestination is part of the doctrine of Election, whereby God choose a people in Christ before the foundation of the world and predetermined their eternal destiny. But when one adds to this Biblical doctrine a non-biblical term, such as "The Absolute Predestination of All Things" - not only do they create a heresy causing contradictions within the Scriptures - they create confusion beyond measure. "The Absolute Predestination of All Things" is the false, man-made, doctrine that charges God with being the cause of and motivator of ALL the deeds, thoughts and acts of mankind, whether they be holy and righteous or of sin and unrighteousness.  It is this subject I wish to deal with in this article.

    To give you something to think about in the light of men adding man-made terms to Doctrines in order to make them fit their preconceived ideas, consider this.

1. The word ABSOLUTE cannot be found in the King James Bible. Thus it is a man-made additive.

2. The word PREDESTINATION cannot be found in the KJV -- but is understood to be the concept that God PREDESTINATED His elect people to be glorified. (Romans 8:29-30).

3. Nowhere in the KJV do we find the concept that GOD predestinated ALL THINGS -- which would include both the destiny and ALL events of ALL men - both righteous and wicked. This is a preconceived idea and scriptures must be taken out of context to make them fit the idea.

    It is my understanding that in the early 1900’s there was a division between true “Old School Baptists” and those who became believers and followers of the doctrine of “Absolute Predestination of All Things”. The later group, which departed from The Faith, became known as “Absoluters”. That division has never been healed and the separation of the two groups remains unto this day. Space will not permit me to insert for your reading the article by Elder Gilbert Beebe, the father of those who believe in the “Absolute Predestination of All Things”. This article can be found on their Web Site, “The Remnant” and in the Appendix section of Hassell’s Church History. But I offer this excerpt from their Web Page to prove my point that there are those who believe that God predestinated and ordained all events, thoughts and deeds of mankind.  

     The following was written by C. C. Morris:

>> How far the opponents of the doctrine of absolute predestination will go never ceases to amaze those who love the doctrine of Christ. For instance, there is an idea afoot that says, "God has predestinated some things, of course; but there are some other things which He has not predestinated." There are folks out there in the real world who say there are many events happening all the time which God has not predestinated. To hear them tell it, maybe there are millions of things happening at this very second, even as you read these lines, that God has not predestinated. Perhaps, according to those who believe this brand of non-predestination, perhaps it is not even predestinated that you will read this little article. If such is really the case, and you can do something that is not predestinated, read on. The very thought of such an idea, that "some things happen which are not predestinated," gives rise to many questions. High on our list is this one: Granting for the moment that there were such a category, "the things which are not predestinated" would have to have been predestinated to be not predestinated, would they not? <<

Item # 4 of their Principles of beliefs is “The absolute predestination of all things”. If this principle is believed, then when one sees dust fly from the sweeping of the floor or the driving of a car on a dirt road, God would have had to predestinate it or else the dust would not fly. Such foolishness fails to consider the natural forces God set in motion in Creation. If the principle of absolute predestination of all things is true, then it must be supported by the Scriptures. But IF we can present Scripture that refutes this “principle” then the whole idea falls by the wayside, as it should. 

       Truth can withstand the most intense scrutiny when held up to the Light of God's infallible word. Man-Made doctrines, like Swiss Cheese, are always full of holes and will fail the test of Microscopic examination. So it will be with the false teaching that God "predestinated all things" including the events of all men, both good and evil. By disproving this false theory we do not deny that God is Omnipotent (i.e. almighty and all powerful) and Omniscient (i.e. all knowing) - but we do deny, without reservation, that our Righteous and Holy God predetermines and causes ALL of man's wicked thoughts and deeds to take place. Nor do we deny that certain events are and were predetermined by God. When God foretold of an event to take place, it was predetermined by Him to take place, and "none could stay his hand". But Scripture will reveal that God did not predetermine ALL events of mankind to take place, although in His Omniscience He foreknew they would take place.

    The Greek word Proorizo was translated into the English word “predestinate” twice (in Romans 8:29-30) and “predestinated” twice (in Ephesians 1:5, 11) in the KJV. This same Greek word was translated "determined before" one time in Acts 4:28 and it was translated "ordained" one time in I Cor. 2:7. The Greek word "Proorizo" carries with it the meaning to predetermine, to decide beforehand, to foreordain and to appoint beforehand. A careful examination of the passages in which the word has been used will reveal that the primary focus is on the ETERNAL DESTINY of God's chosen people and not all the events of mankind.

    Romans 8:29-30 reads "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. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." It is clear that the destiny of God's elect is under consideration. Verse 28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Again those who love God is the subject matter and the "all things" is not ALL events of mankind, but all things that God has done for them that love him. One would have to use Rubber Band Theology to apply the words ALL THINGS to all events of all mankind, both good and evil.

    In Ephesians 1:5 we read, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, --" and verse 11 reads "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: ---". Again the subject matter is clearly the eternal destiny of God's elect and not the predetermination of ALL thoughts and events of all mankind, both good and evil. One must stretch the truth beyond measure to take the word "Predestinate" from these four passages and turn it into a false doctrine called "The Predestination of All Things". Such a preconceived idea will not hold up under a microscopic scrutiny of the Scriptures.

    Now it is true that CERTAIN events concerning the Birth, Life, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ were foreordained and took place according to the "determinate counsel of God". But it is also evident that these events were foreordained because they were relevant to the eternal destiny of God's elect. In Acts 2:22-23 we read "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: --". The Scriptures are clear that "no man" could touch Christ or harm him until His Hour was come. When it was come, he was "delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" into the hands of wicked men to be slain (not that they killed him against his will, for he laid down his life). The reason he was delivered was because HE was foreordained from before the foundation of the world to redeem his people from their sins (I Peter 1:18-20).

    The Father delivered him into the hands of "wicked men" because "righteous men" would not have crucified him. You don't have to be a Rocket Scientist to figure that one out. This is what Peter is talking about in Acts 4:26-28, "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before (Proorizo) to be done." What did God's counsel determine beforehand to be done with Christ? According to all the prophecies (Isaiah 53) and the words of Christ, "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day" (Mark 9:31). Again, it takes a real stretch of the imagination to assume that God predestinates all things, both good and evil, because He determined before the foundation of the world to deliver His Son into the hands of wicked men to die for the sins of His elect people.

     We have now used all the passages in which the Greek word "Proorizo" has been translated "predestinate and predestinated" and have found nothing to indicate that the doctrine of "Predestination" has to do with God predetermining all the events of all mankind, both good and evil.  I have shown from Scripture that the Greek word "Proorizo" which means to predetermine, to decide beforehand, to foreordain and to appoint beforehand, was translated twice Predestinate in Rom. 8:29-30 and twice Predestinated in Eph. 1:5, 11 and in all of these passages the emphasis is on the eternal destiny of God's elect people and NOT on ALL events of ALL mankind, both good and evil. I have also shown from Scripture that the Greek word "Proorizo" was translated one time in Acts 4:28 as "determined before" and speaks of certain acts or events as they related to the Birth, Life, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus, THE Christ. These things were predetermined by the Godhead "Before the foundation of the world" because they were necessary to redeem God's elect, and secure for them Eternal Life and their eternal destiny in eternal glory. This accounts for five of the six times the Greek word "Proorizo" was translated into the English in the KJV.

     The Greek word "Proorizo" is translated one other time as "ordained before" in I Cor. 2:7 which reads, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: --". The Wisdom of God under consideration is not man's wisdom - but rather Jesus Christ who God "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Cor. 1:30). This Wisdom is Christ, the Power of God unto salvation, who was "Ordained Before" the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:18-21). Therefore again we have shown that the Greek word "Proorizo" from which comes the English word Predestinate and Predestinated NEVER is used in the KJV to speak of ALL deeds and events of ALL men, both good and evil. Now granted other Greek words have been translated into our English words "ordained, foreordained, determined and determined before" etc.. But nowhere in the word of God do we find any teaching that God predetermined or foreordained ALL events of ALL mankind, both good and evil. Therefore we must conclude that the terminology "Absolute Predestination of All Things" is not only Un-Scriptural, it is Anti-Scriptural.

    "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" - that is, the original words written by the Prophets and Apostles in the Hebrew, Arabic and Greek, etc. were God breathed - and were given for Doctrine, Reproof, Correction and for our Instruction in Righteousness. This is why we say, "The Scriptures are our sole rule for faith and practice". NOW if this is so, and it is, then we must put some stock in the Translation of the original Scriptures into the English language known as the King James Version. By no means do I believe that the Translators were inspired of God. They were members of the Protestant Church of England, working under the authority of King James, to give their "Church" an accurate English version of the Holy Scriptures. They were knowledgeable in the Original languages and compared the original copies of the Scriptures with other translations. They produced the King James Bible that has stood the test of time and scrutiny for almost 400 years.

     As Bible Believing Baptists, we believe the King James Bible to be without doctrinal error and/or contradictions. IF this is so, then any man-made doctrine will soon fall by the wayside when placed under this scrutiny. IF one can show where the teaching of "Absolute Predestination of ALL Things" fails in one point, the whole of the teaching falls. Such a principle is taught in the Scriptures concerning The Law. James wrote in 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Therefore IF we can show from the Scriptures that God did NOT predetermine or predestinate ALL things - the entire teaching of "Absolute Predestination of All Things" must be rejected as a man-made Heresy. I will present that Proof Text shortly, but first consider this:

     1. IF God predetermines all things, and they can not be changed - WHY PRAY? We are taught by our Saviour to pray. In Luke 10:2 Jesus said, "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." Now IF it has already been predetermined that the Lord of the harvest IS or IS NOT going to send forth laborers into the harvest - WHY would Jesus tell us to pray? Again Jesus said in John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." IF I understand the purpose of prayer and supplications, it is to make our request be known unto God. Even though our Father knows our needs before we ask, the principle of prayer is "Ask in faith and ye shall receive."

    James says in 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." Again James says in 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." HOW can the fervent prayers of a righteous man be effectual IF all things have already been Predetermined? I could give several more examples of this truth, and show how the teaching of "Absolute Predestination of All Things" creates confusion and contradiction in the Scriptures, but these should be sufficient.

    2. In Genesis 6:5-6 we read, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." IF God predetermined and predestinated all the wicked deeds of mankind, WHY would the wickedness of man cause God to have "repented that he had made man". IF God had predetermined and predestinated all the wickedness of mankind, WHY would He be grieved in His heart? Such reasoning does not make good nonsense!

    3. Next let's consider the final words of Moses before he died outside the land of Canaan. Now remember there was never a Prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. I will put far more stock in the words of Moses concerning what things are predestinated, than I will some "BB Brain" (no pun intended) who dreams up an excuse to shirk all responsibility and duty.

    In Deut. 28:1-2 and verse 15 we read the words of Moses. "And it shall come to pass, IF thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, IF thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Notice that the blessings are contingent upon their obedience. IF everything was already predestinated WHY would Moses lie and deceive the people.

    When we go to Deut 28:15 we read "But it shall come to pass, IF thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: --". Note that the cursings that follow were contingent upon their disobedience. If ALL things were already predestinated then Moses misled God's people into believing obedience gained God's blessings and disobedience earned his judgment and punishment.

    4. Finally IF the above is not sufficient to DISPROVE the teaching of Absolute Predestination of ALL Things, let's examine a Text that you can take to the bank. In Jeremiah 7:30-31 we read, "For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; WHICH I COMMANDED THEM NOT, NEITHER CAME IT INTO MY HEART" (caps are mine for emphasis).

    Here we find the children of Judah committing a sin, so horrible that God says He did not command this - neither did it come into his heart. IF God did not command it, neither did he predestinate or predetermine it. IF this horrible deed did not come into God's heart (or mind) - then He did not predestinate it. IMHO, those who believe that our Righteous and Holy God predetermines and causes ALL the wicked deeds of all mankind, are as confused as a termite in a yoyo.

   No one denies or doubts the Omnipotence of our Almighty God in ALL matters. He is Omnipotent in Creation, Election and Judgment. No one denies or doubts that God rules supreme over mankind, and none can stay his hand or say unto him “What doest thou?” But we do believe that the Scriptures teach that God in his Omnipotence and Righteousness is not the author, nor the cause, of man’s wicked thoughts and deeds. We do believe that the “all things” of both Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11 speak not of the wicked thoughts and deeds of mankind, but the eternal destiny of God’s elect people.  I will rest my case with the Scriptures left in context.