What does being predestinated according to God's purpose and the counsel of His will mean?
Being predestinated according to God’s purpose and the counsel of His will means God has predetermined everything. “Counsel” denotes a determinate meeting of minds—the Trinity—so the inheritance is secured by God’s own predetermined plan, not human decision. This is the same language used of Jesus’ delivery by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
In Ephesians 1:11, believers have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. Les explains that this means God has predetermined everything. He cross-references Acts 2:23, where Jesus was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, noting that “counsel” is the same word. A counsel is a meeting of the minds, plural, and the determinate meeting of minds was the Trinity.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
More Questions
According to what purpose does God predestine and work all things?
Predestination is according to the purpose of the One who works all things after the counsel of His own will, so everything comes together according to His design.