Are the Words for 'Foreknowledge' in 1 Peter 2:1 and 'Foreknow' in 1 Peter 1:20 the Same Word?
J.C. Thibodaux
This argument is rather lame, several Calvinists I have read indicate that the word for 'foreknowledge' in 1 Peter 1:2 is the same word as is used for 'foreknow' in 1 Peter 1:20, and is therefore synonymous (verse 20 is, I think, best translated as 'foreordained,' hence they say that 'foreknowledge' is synonymous with 'foreordination'). This is not exactly correct, the word used in verse 20 is 'proginosko,' while the word in verse 2 is 'prognosis;' both of which carry similar connotations to their English equivalents. In my article on word usage, ginosko (know), as well as its Hebrew equivalent (yada) can have a variety of meanings, whereas the word gnosis (knowledge) is used only to denote understanding and perception; it is not a huge leap of logic to assume similar verbal properties for 'foreknow' and 'foreknowledge' as well.
Still, the issue gets pushed beyond silly, as some authors even insist that since the words are used in the same passage (actually, the 'foreknowledge' was simply used in a descriptive and informative greeting that ended in verse 2, and was not part of his central message), that they must mean the same thing. Wow! What an amazing linguistic discovery! Close proximity (within merely 17 or 18 verses) can be used to determine that similar nouns are synonymous, and therefore, when the Bible uses words like...oh, I don't know, say 'Elohim' repeatedly in a passage, it is obvious that it means the same thing in every case.
"God ['elohim] standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods ['elohim]. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods ['elohim]; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God ['elohim], judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations."
Psalm 82
Amazing! We could really cook up some kooky doctrine with that grammatical rule! Grab me a spatula, a Strong's concordance and a trained spider-monkey; I'll meet you in the kitchen!
Bottom Line:
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The words for 'foreknow' (foreordain) and 'foreknowledge' in 1 Peter 1 are not the same word.
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The connotations for their respective root words allow for substantial differences in meaning.
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They are not even used in the same context, and even if they were, this would not guarantee that they mean the same thing.
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I was going to put a funny comment or quote here, but I think that last line probably generated enough groans for one page.