1 Peter 1

Predestination v. Free Will

Peter addresses the letter as to "God's elect" scattered among various cities and "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father".  (v. 1-2, NIV quotes).

This is one of the main verses that adherents of predestination rely on.  The verse refers to "God's" elect and people "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God".  I strongly lean towards the free will spectrum, so let me address this.  

What does it mean to be "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God?"

Another possibility is that the "foreknowledge" of God does not refer to individual and the lifetime of individuals, but speaking at a macroscopic level of God's plan.  Peter addresses the letter to churches, not individuals, nor does anything to change the tone to speaking to individuals.

Likewise, the specifics of what they are being chosen for are broad strokes of God's plan - redemption by Jesus.  Later in verse 20, it discusses that Jesus was chosen before the rest of creation.  So, the fact that Jesus came to redeem people was part of God's plan all along.  Similarly, it was also part of God's plan to have churches.

This complicates of the timing of the choice referred to in verses 1-2.  

To what does the choice and foreknowledge of God refer?  At the least, it would refer to the selection of Jesus in verse 20, but whether it refers to individuals is unclear.

As for as individual faith goes, we know elsewhere that faith is a gift from God.  See, Ephesians 2:8.  A gift requires a choice in order to give the gift.  God has to choose to give us more faith or any faith at all.  As stated, the choice occurs for individual faith is unclear in 1 Peter 1.  On one hand, if God sees through the dimension of time, that eons are the same as minutes, then this question becomes an abstract principal for speculation.  On the other, perhaps God only gives people faith to the extent they ask for it.  This latter would have broad-reaching implications for our individual lives.

Finally, what is that people are chosen for in 1 Peter 1?  In verse 2, it says "for obedience to Jesus Christ".  Obedience and disobedience requires a choice on the person.  A person can obey or not, but it requires a choice.  This is where adherents of predestination really lose me in the logic.

Peter outlines the implications of this later in chapter 1 with the encourage to be holy.  If every human individual's choice was already pre-ordained and chosen by God, then Peter would not need to tell the churches to obey, they would just do it on their own.


"Last times" (v. 20)
We also see the phrase "last times" again.  Peter refers to as "we", which includes Peter, are living in "these last times".  As I explain elsewhere, I believe this phrase is used to mean anything after Pentecost in Acts 1-2.