QUESTION: "Pastor Ronald, ano po ang pagkakaiba ng interpretasyon ng Reformed Arminians at Calvinists pagdating sa Romans 8:28?"

 

QUESTION:

"Pastor Ronald, ano po ang pagkakaiba ng interpretasyon ng Reformed Arminians at Calvinists pagdating sa Romans 8:28?"

ANSWER:

Maganda ‘tong tanong kasi parehong camp (Calvinist at Reformed Arminian) mahal ang Romans 8:28, pero magkaiba sila ng “lens” pag binasa ‘yan. Let’s unpack it:

Romans 8:28

“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.” 

Para sa mga Calvinists, ang “all things” dito ay part ng meticulous sovereignty ni God ibig sabihin, lahat ng bagay (good or bad) ay predetermined ng Diyos para i-accomplish ang Kanyang eternal decree.

So for them, this verse proves:

“Lahat ng nangyayari sa believer ay bahagi ng foreordained plan ng Diyos na hindi pwedeng mabago.”

Kaya pag may suffering, tragedy, or blessing para sa Calvinist, God decreed it for His glory and for your sanctification. Hindi lang “He allowed it,” kundi “He ordained it.”

Sa Reformed Arminian perspective, same sovereignty pa rin si God pero hindi deterministic. Hindi Niya kailangang maging author ng lahat ng events para siguraduhin na “all things work together for good.” Instead, we believe God is personally and actively working in all things, kahit ang mga bagay na hindi Niya gusto (like sin, evil, or tragedy).

So while Calvinism says:

“Everything happens because God decreed it,” 

Reformed Arminianism says: 

“Whatever happens, God works it out for His purpose.”

Ang focus namin ay sa divine providence, hindi sa divine causation. God doesn’t need to cause evil to use it for good. He can redeem it for good.

In Simple Terms:

• Calvinist: “Everything that happens is God’s will.”

• Reformed Arminian: “Not everything that happens is God’s will, but God’s will prevails in everything that happens.”

Pareho silang may confidence sa sovereignty ni God, pero ang Calvinist view = decretal sovereignty, ang Reformed Arminian view = relational providence.

Theological Implication:

Romans 8:28 for Calvinists = comfort in God’s unchangeable decree.

Romans 8:28 for Reformed Arminians = comfort in God’s unbreakable goodness.

We say,

“God doesn’t make everything happen but nothing happens that He cannot redeem for His glory and our good.”

Nice. Let’s go deeper, kasi Romans 8:29–30 is the engine room ng buong sovereignty debate. Ito yung text na parang “Mount Everest” ng Calvinist theology, pero may ibang reading din tayong mga Reformed Arminians faithful pa rin sa text, pero hindi fatalistic.

Romans 8:29–30 (KJV)

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son…

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.”

Para sa Calvinists, ito yung tinatawag nilang ordo salutis ang chain of unbreakable acts of God’s decree mula eternity to eternity.

They interpret it like this:

1. Foreknew → means “fore-loved” (not foreseen). So, God didn’t just know who would believe; He chose whom to love before time began.

2. Predestined → those He chose, He determined their salvation and sanctification.

3. Called → they’re irresistibly drawn to Christ.

4. Justified → by faith (which they believe is also sovereignly given).

5. Glorified → guaranteed final salvation.

So for Calvinists, this verse proves the “TULIP” points, especially Unconditional Election and Perseverance of the Saints. Lahat ng “whom” dito ay the same group, fixed from eternity walang dagdag, walang bawas.

Now, para sa Reformed Arminians, we totally affirm the chain, but we interpret the starting point differently.

1. Foreknew → means God knew in advance those who would freely respond to His grace (not because they’re good, but because they responded to His prevenient grace).

   Romans 11:2 also uses “foreknow” this way relational, not deterministic. God foreknew Israel meaning He entered covenant with them. So, foreknowledge = relational awareness and covenantal recognition, not robotic predestination.

2. Predestined → hindi ito “to be saved or lost” per se, kundi “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” The destiny God set in advance is not who will be saved, but what all the saved will become Christlike.

3. Called → God calls through the gospel, genuinely and universally (Romans 10:17). The “effectiveness” of the call depends on human response, not because man saves himself, but because prevenient grace enables real choice.

4. Justified → only those who believe (Romans 5:1). This is where human responsibility meets divine grace.

5. Glorified → future tense, but stated as past to show God’s promise is certain as long as we remain in Christ (John 15:6; 2 Tim. 2:12).

Main Difference Simplified

Stage	Calvinist View	Reformed Arminian View
Foreknowledge	God foreloved the elect	God foreknew those who would freely believe
Predestination	To salvation	To conform to Christ
Calling	Irresistible	Resistible but sincere
Justification	Guaranteed for the elect	Conditional upon faith
Glorification	Unconditionally certain	Certain in Christ (if we abide)

In Summary:

• Calvinists: “Before the foundation of the world, God already picked who would be saved and who wouldn’t.”

• Reformed Arminians: “Before the foundation of the world, God planned that whoever believes in Christ will be made like Him.”

Parehong may sovereignty, pero sa Reformed Arminian, sovereignty ni God = personal and relational, hindi mechanical determinism.

Final Thought

Romans 8:28–30 shows not a closed system of fate, but an open invitation of grace. God’s plan is fixed, but who joins that plan is by free, grace-enabled response.

“The plan is predestined, the participants are not predetermined.”

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