Christ's Foreordination as the Savior of the World
Christ's foreordination as the Savior of the world refers to the divine plan established before creation for Jesus Christ to redeem humanity. The name "Jesus" itself signifies "savior" or "deliverer" [1, 4], while "Christ" means "Anointed," indicating his consecration to his redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King [3, 4]. This concept is rooted in biblical texts that speak of Christ's role being determined in advance.
The New Testament explicitly states that Christ Jesus "came into the world to save sinners" [2]. The Apostle Peter writes that Christ "was foreordained before the creation of the world" [9], or "foreknown" by God [6]. This foreordination is not merely God's prior knowledge of Christ, but a pre-selection and loving choice of Him as Mediator and the head of the elect [6]. It signifies that redemption was not an afterthought or a remedy for an unforeseen evil, but an integral part of God's eternal purpose [5].
The saving work of Christ is thus positioned within God's sovereign and eternal purposes, as seen in passages that speak of salvation promised "before the world began" [7]. John Calvin emphasizes this by stating that Christ "was foreordained before the creation of the world," highlighting God's fixed determination in being the author of salvation [9]. Similarly, the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion describe "Predestination to Life" as God's "everlasting purpose... whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind" [11].
While the concept of Christ's foreordination is widely accepted, interpretations vary regarding its scope and implications. Some traditions emphasize Christ's role as the head of the Church, which includes all people from the beginning to the end of the world, not just those currently living [8]. Others, like the Augsburg Confession, highlight Christ's future role at the consummation of the world, where he will appear for judgment, raise the dead, and give eternal life to the godly and elect [12]. The Athanasian Creed further articulates the dual nature of Christ, being "God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world," which is necessary for his role as Savior [13]. This pre-existence and glory before the world's foundation underscore his divine nature, distinguishing him from mere humanity [10].
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Jesus — savior; deliverer”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 1:15 (LEB) — The saying is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Christ — Anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered "Messiah" (q.v.), the official title of our Lord, occurring five hundred and fourteen times in the New Testament. It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. He is Jesus the Christ (Acts 17:3; 18:5; Matt. 22:42), the Anointed One. He is thus spoken of by Isaiah (61:1), and by Daniel (9:24-26), who styles him "Messiah the Prince." The Messiah is the same person as "the seed of the woman" (Gen. 3:15), "the seed of Abraham" (Ge”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jesus Christ — "The life and character of Jesus Christ," says Dr. Schaff, "is the holy of holies in the history of the world." + NAME.--The name Jesus signifies saviour . It is the Greek form of [713]Jehoshua (Joshua). The name Christ signifies anointed. Jesus was both priest and king. Among the Jews priests were anointed, as their inauguration to their office. (1 Chronicles 16:22) In the New Testament the name Christ is used as equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah (anointed), (John 1:41) the name given to the long-promised Prophet and King whom the Jews had been taught b”
- 1 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Peter 1:20: God's eternal foreordination of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, and completion of it in these last times for us, are an additional obligation on us to our maintaining a holy walk, considering how great things have been thus done for us. Peter's language in the history corresponds with this here: an undesigned coincidence and mark of genuineness. Redemption was no afterthought, or remedy of an unforeseen evil, devised at the time of its arising. God's foreordaining of the Redeemer refutes the slander that, on the Christian theory, there is a period of fo”
- 1 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Peter 1:20: Who verily was foreordained,.... Or "foreknown"; that is, by God; and which intends, not barely his prescience of Christ, of what he should be, do, and suffer; but such a previous knowledge of him, which is joined with love and affection to him; not merely as his own Son, and the express image of his person, but as Mediator; and whom he loved before the world was, and with a love of complacency and delight, and which will last for ever. It includes the choice of him as the head of the election, and the pre-ordination of his human nature, to the grace of union to his ”
- 1 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Timothy 6:15: 6:15-16 At just the right time (cp. 2:6), God will complete the salvation promised to us before the world began (2 Tim 1:9; Titus 1:2), which Christ enacted in his first appearance (1 Tim 2:6; Titus 1:3). The saving work of Christ is positioned within God’s sovereign and eternal purposes. This thought leads naturally into worship of God our Savior (cp. 1 Tim 1:17). • This material might be quoted from a baptismal confession (see study note on 6:12).”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Grace of Christ as He Is the Head of the Church, Art. 3: Article: Whether Christ is the Head of all men? I answer that, This is the difference between the natural body of man and the Church's mystical body, that the members of the natural body are all together, and the members of the mystical are not all together---neither as regards their natural being, since the body of the Church is made up of the men who have been from the beginning of the world until its end---nor as regards their supernatural being, since, of those who are at an”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 77: predestination by which God has sealed those whom he has been pleased to adopt as sons. In using the term purpose as synonymous with a term which uniformly denotes what is called a fixed determination, he undoubtedly shows that God, in being the author of our salvation, does not go beyond himself. In this sense he says in the same chapters that Christ as “a lamb” “was foreordained before the creation of the world,” ( 1 Pet. 1:19, 20 ). What could have been more frigid or absurd than to have represented God as looking from the heigh”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — CHAP. XVI.(6) ARGUMENT.--AGAIN FROM THE GOSPEL HE PROVES CHRIST TO BE GOD. (part 3): before the foundation of the world, since He Himself was not in existence. But indeed man could not have glory before the foundation of the world, seeing that he was after the world; but Christ had--therefore He was before the world. Therefore He was not man only, seeing that He was before the world. He is therefore God, because He was before the world, and held His glory before the world. Neither let this be explained by predestination, since this is not s”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 241: Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified f”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 1 Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ: 1 Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will appear for judgment, and 2 will raise up all the dead; He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, 3 but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end.”
- Athanasian Creed (Ecumenical) “Athanasian Creed (Ecumenical, c. 5th-6th century AD), Section 5: Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. Who, a”