Reformed doctrine of predestination - Boettner - I - Chapters 1 & 2

Required reading
Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example). Begin by reading Chapter 1 (Introduction) and Chapter 2 (Statement of the doctrine).

My summary
Today we begin Boettner's 'Reformed doctrine of predestination'.

In Chapter One Boettner introduces his subject by giving an overview of the doctrine's history in the Christian church.  Boettner follows the history with a few words of caution (e.g. we should examine both sides of the debate; the doctrine must never be seen as the sum and substance of the Reformed faith; it should be approached with humility, caution and reverence).  He then closes the introduction with the questions he seeks to answer: 'Has God from all eternity foreordained all things which come to pass?  If so, what evidence do we have to that effect, and how is the fact consistent with the free agency of rational creatures and with His own perfections?'

In Chapter Two we are provided with a number of summary statements of the doctrine, such as from the Westminster Confession, Calvin and Luther and the Bible itself.

What grabbed me
I found it helpful to hear Boettner's suggestion for one of the main reasons why people reject predestination: 'One reason why many people, even supposedly educated people, are so quick to reject the doctrine of Predestination is because of pure ignorance of what the doctrine really is and of what the Bible teaches in regard to it. This ignorance is not at all surprising when one considers the almost complete lack of Bible training in our day. A careful study of the Bible would convince many people that it is a very different book than they assume it to be.'

You can't carefully study the Scriptures without bumping you head into predestination.  So one of the reasons people reject predestination is because they haven't bumped their head into much Scripture at all.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 3 (God has a plan) and Chapter 4 (Sovereignty of God).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.