Reasoning steps: Predestination and election

Verdicts: S11 · Predestination and election. Shared notes and post-750 development: salvation.

S11.1 (was salvation/S2): Free will

Step S11.1.1: Scripture

Deut 30:19; Matt 23:37; also John 8:34 (slave to sin) and Rom 8:7. Scripture holds both real choice and bondage to sin.

Step S11.1.2: Patristic evidence

justin-martyr-sal-s1, irenaeus-sal-s1, origen-sal-s1, john-cassian-sal-s1.

Step S11.1.3: Weighing decision

Reading A: the pre-Augustinian fathers teach a libertarian free will that excludes the need for grace. Reading B: they defend responsibility against fate and Gnostic determinism by nature, without addressing prevenient grace. B is chosen on context: Justin writes against fate, Irenaeus against natures. All the fathers affirm free choice, and none of them denies it. Augustine himself affirms it, as healed by grace.

• Confidence: High that free will is universally affirmed; medium on how it relates to grace

Step S11.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

See the proximity tiers.

• Scripture (benchmark): Both real choice (Deut 30:19; Matt 23:37) and bondage to sin (John 8:34; Rom 8:7–8). (Scripture confidence: medium)
• Key sources by tier: Justin Martyr (T2, w 0.8); Irenaeus (T2, w 0.8). Proximity factor: 0.8 (mean tier weight of 2 key source(s)).
• Assessment: Broad T2 support (Justin, Irenaeus) against fatalism. Scripture holds both choice and bondage. Verdict unchanged.

S11.2 (was salvation/S3): Predestination

Step S11.2.1: Scripture

Rom 8:29–30; 9:10–23; Eph 1:4–11; Acts 13:48; 1 Tim 2:4.

Step S11.2.2: Patristic evidence

augustine-sal-s2, augustine-sal-s3. Pre-Augustinian fathers: predestination according to foreknowledge (Origen, Comm. Rom. on 8:29, to verify).

Step S11.2.3: Weighing decision

Reading A: unconditional election, the Augustinian view. Reading B: election according to foreseen faith. Reading C: reprobation as a decree parallel to election. Split. A is Augustine’s late teaching. B is the common pre-Augustinian and Greek line, though weakly verified here. C has no patristic support verified: Augustine speaks of the non-elect as passed over, and Orange is reported to anathematize predestination to evil (to verify).

• Confidence: Medium (split A/B); C unsupported

Step S11.2.4: Source-proximity weighing

See the proximity tiers.

• Scripture (benchmark): Rom 9:11–16 (’not because of works but because of him who calls’), Eph 1:5, 11 and Acts 13:48 favour election by God’s purpose, not by foreseen faith. Corporate or national readings of Rom 9 were considered; they are weaker given 9:15–16 (individual mercy). No text states a parallel decree of reprobation (κατηρτισμένα, Rom 9:22, is debated). (Scripture confidence: medium)
• Key sources by tier: Augustine (T3, w 0.6); Augustine (T3, w 0.6). Proximity factor: 0.6 (mean tier weight of 2 key source(s)).
• Assessment: No T1 text on election was verified, and the foreknowledge line (Origen, T2/T3) is weighed against Augustine (T3), which leaves the patristic evidence split. On the benchmark, Rom 9:11–16 and Eph 1:5, 11 favour election by God’s purpose. A double decree is in neither Scripture nor any tier. Verdict changed: the Scripture reading is now stated in the verdict (it was previously reported only as a patristic split).